Cloud-based MES market set to grow

In particular, the research revealed a growing shift to cloud-based MES software alongside tactics and best practices for integrating and automating the use of production data with the help of modern architecture.

“While some manufacturers remain hesitant to move to cloud-based MES software due to security concerns, the ease of deployment and maintenance, alongside cheaper and transparent costing, will continue to encourage manufacturers to adopt this new structure and usage,” said James Prestwood, industrial and manufacturing analyst at ABI Research.

The MES market has seen a growing number of new entrants in recent years, with younger companies bringing new MES offerings to the market. These new entrants are driving major change in the MES market by introducing innovative functionality, such as cloud-native design and tools for citizen developer communities that ease and accelerate application creation to serve not only enterprise-level manufacturers but also SMEs. Similarly, established enterprise software firms are also turning their hand to MES products. 

“Whereas MES software was once a large and expensive investment, its delivery through the cloud and availability as SaaS, makes it more accessible to a broader base of manufacturers, including those with lower CAPEX budgets,” concluded Prestwood.