Summary
Datacor MES (Manufacturing Execution System) replaces the paper batch ticket with a digital one. It runs on a shop floor tablet and records production in Datacor ERP as it happens. On October 15, 2026 Dan McCusker, Vice President of Sales, and Austin Eschbacher, Director of Solutions Engineering, explained the production visibility gap that MES closes for chemical and process manufacturers. They also demonstrated a bulk blend and packaging run live. Access to the full recording is above.
What Problem Does a Manufacturing Execution System Solve for Chemical and Process Manufacturers?
Most chemical plants still run production on a paper batch ticket, so only the person holding it knows what has been staged, charged, or packaged. Downtime goes unrecorded or ends up in a notebook. Labor is costed against standards set months or years ago. Quantities are often written down as specified rather than as weighed. Charging one wrong raw material into a 40,000-pound batch can mean disposal or rework, and preventing that depends on an operator reading a label correctly.
Datacor MES does not replace batch entry or MRP in Datacor ERP; it digitizes execution. Operators follow step-by-step instructions, with PPE pictograms and hazard information, on any Apple, Android, or Windows tablet. Every transaction posts to ERP in real time.
How Does Datacor MES Prevent Batch Errors and Improve OEE?
Before a raw material is charged, the operator scans it. MES checks the product, lot, hold status, and expiration date, and it enforces FIFO or FEFO allocation. A connected scale captures the actual quantity added, so recorded consumption reflects what went into the tank. Operators log readings such as tank temperature, sign off on steps, and complete pre-production inspections with photos. Each of these entries is tied to the user for full traceability.
Labor is clocked by step and work center, and every stop is coded by reason. That means a report can show, for example, that leaking valves cause half of a line’s downtime. These inputs feed a live Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) dashboard, which tracks availability, performance, and quality against a target for each work center.
On packaging lines, partial batch receipts add finished drums, totes, or pallets to inventory as they come off the line, so they can ship before the batch closes. MES also stops production when staged components run short.
See Datacor MES on Your Plant Floor
Datacor MES runs on Datacor ERP and supports chemical and other process manufacturers that want real-time control of production. Contact us to see how it fits your operation.
