How Do You See MESA?
I’ve received a few comments on the MESA series that seem to indicate that for manufactures who are just considering making use of MES capabilities, it is difficult to determine the value of MES, to understand it in terms of business activities, and to understand the material offered. Some manufacturers feel like MESA is too focused on vendors and system integrators and not accessible enough.
I agree that MESA needs to be a lot more accessible. The intent of my posts is a kind of shot over the bow (more like a spit wad over an aircraft carrier) to anyone at MESA who might be interested, and readers who just don’t get what MESA might have to offer. I also agree that it tends to be a vendor centric view. For example, go to their website sometime. Finding anything of value is a real challenge. First just locating the information is a challenge, then making sense of the content is a challenge. If you already know MES and understand the different models it’s not too bad. If you’re a manufacturer unfamiliar with MES and trying to find out if where the value is, heaven help you. As far as conversation or dialogue is concerned, forget it. The impression is one of a one way street of education, they are the experts telling you how it is. I understand that they are trying to set up a value for membership model to pay for their content, but even so, I’m a basic member and it’s difficult to get to the content I need, and impossible to have any kind of idea exchange.
The original presentation by Matthew Littlefield was extremely revealing, showing that manufacturers in the general population actually fared well against MESA member manufacturers and better in certain critical areas, one of them being the involvement of C-level management in MES projects, the other being the inclusion of business process methods for implementing MES. I think this has been a blind spot for MESA from the beginning.
What are your thoughts? Is this BS? Do you think MESA is easy to work with? Do you understand their MES value proposition? Have you been able to incorporate other processes, like change management, into your overall MES implementation strategy using the MESA model?
Let’s stir the pot and see what comes up!
Doug Weaver 1:45 pm on March 10, 2010 Permalink |
I’ve been a MESA International member now for several years, and I work for America’s largest aircraft manufacturing firm. I did not come into MESA as a customer of one of the vendors; I joined MESA by my own choice to interact with others having similar interests. I have been welcomed with open dialogue and idea exchange. MESA is a volunteer organization, in other words nothing comes out of it that volunteers don’t put into it. It is no secret that the bulk of the funds driving MESA come from vendors, but those same vendors have worked with me and each other to broaden the manufacturing solution space, and I for one applaud what MESA has done and where we are headed together.
In the time I’ve been involved, I’ve become my company’s focal point for MESA and I’m proud of that honor. As well, I’m currently serving as the MESA International Treasurer, and again I’m proud to carry the badge. As well I’m currently the Web Site Leader, and admit that our searching capabilities could use some work (having had the same issue with our current site). We currently have a temporary website in place which is focused on our conference, but I am happy to say the fix will be here soon in the form of a new website exposing MESA’s vast knowledge base. .
Ed, I look forward to the day you’re a fellow MESA volunteer, and I can in turn work with you to further the industry and improve everyone’s production capabilities. As a basic member, you are encouraged to participate in MESA’s committees and working groups. It would cost nothing more but your time. You seem to have a lot of great ideas around BPM in particular. It would be great to share them with like-minded individuals in MESA. Look here for more info: http://conference.mesa.org/en/getinvolved.asp.