In Part 1 of our Beyond ERP series, we explored why traditional ERP platforms struggle with the realities of food manufacturing. Now, let’s focus on the solution: a Manufacturing Execution System (MES).
A food-industry MES is purpose-built to manage and record what happens on the factory floor in real time. It doesn’t replace your ERP — it enhances it. With an MES, meat and poultry processors gain control over disassembly, yield tracking, traceability, and execution.
A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) is purpose-built to manage and record what happens on the factory floor in real time. By integrating MES as the execution layer, meat and poultry processors can achieve the best of both worlds: high-level planning from the ERP, and granular control and visibility from the MES
An MES is the execution layer between your ERP and the plant floor. It:
What makes a food MES like CAT Squared’s platform unique is its ability to handle:
While some ERP vendors offer generic shop-floor modules, they rarely support the complexity of food operations.
Think of it this way:
Here’s how MES and ERP work together:
MES pulls production orders and recipes from ERP, executes them on the floor, and sends back actual yields, quantities, and quality data. This real-time loop keeps inventory and costing accurate without manual re-entry.
NOTE: CAT Squared’s MES is designed for full ERP integration, not as a separate silo.
MES excels at converting one input into many outputs. Whether filleting fish or breaking down poultry, it:
These capabilities are difficult — or impossible — to manage in ERP alone.
When blending ingredients (like sausage or marinade), MES ensures:
Modules like Batch Mixing and Cook/Chill Process Control in CAT Squared’s MES enforce process control while feeding totals back to ERP.
MES systems integrate directly with plant-floor hardware like:
This real-time connection eliminates delays or transcription errors common in ERP.
MES platforms designed for food production offer touch-friendly screens, simplified prompts, and decision-support for frontline workers. These features drive adoption and accurate data capture.
ERP |
MES |
| Planning | Execution |
| Financials & Inventory | Real-Time Production |
| Purchase Orders & Recipes | Yield, QA, Equipment Data |
| Post-Production Reports | Live Floor-Level Control |
Trying to force ERP into shop-floor control results in customizations, inefficiencies, and data gaps. A food MES is purpose-built for meat and poultry operations — and closes those gaps effectively.
CAT Squared’s MES supports both disassembly and batch processes with full ERP integration.
For example, a meat or poultry processor can:
The result? Unified control across ERP and MES – each doing what it does best.
By integrating a robust MES, food manufacturers bridge the gap between corporate planning and plant-floor reality. The MES handles the complexity of disassembly, yield variation, and real-time processing that the ERP wasn’t designed to manage, all while syncing seamlessly with the ERP’s big-picture data.
In Part 3 of our Beyond ERP series, we’ll explore what MES + ERP synergy means for:
👉 Stay tuned for: "MES + ERP: A Unified System for Smarter Food Manufacturing"