About this event
MES is no longer about features - it’s about foundations!
Many manufacturers already use parts of MES functionality. Yet building a resilient MES foundation remains challenging - especially in make-to-order and high-variability environments.
ERP systems provide structure and planning, but reliable execution on the shop floor requires a different set of architectural principles: modularity, adaptability, openness, and human-centric design.
In this webinar, Johannes Cottyn (FlandersMake / UGent) explains which core MES characteristics are essential to remain future-proof - and how manufacturers can roll out MES capabilities step by step, without large upfront risk.
What you will learn
- Why MES foundations matter more than feature lists
- The key characteristics of a resilient MES platform
- How MES should extend ERP instead of competing with it
- How to design an MES roadmap that supports change over time
- How to roll out MES incrementally while protecting long-term choices
Meet the speakers
Guest Speaker: Johannes Cottyn, Associate Professor, Competence Domain Lead FlandersMake@UGent
Prof. dr. ing. Johannes Cottyn received his master’s degree in industrial automation at Howest in 2003. He added a postgraduate in Informatics and a pre-doctoral degree in computer science in 2006. In 2012, he obtained his PhD in engineering sciences for industrial management and operations research at Ghent University. In 2013 he started as assistant professor in industrial automation and coordinator of the automation research division at the department of Industrial Systems Engineering (ISyE) and Product Design. From then on he actively participates in the strategic research center Flanders Make as part of the core lab ISyE in the research cluster Flexible Assembly.
From 2023 till now, he is associate professor, vice-head of the department and lead of the ISyE competence domain “Manufacturing Knowledge and Automation Engineering.
His initial research interests lie in the combination and integration of industrial control & software systems (cf. PLC, MES, WMS, KPI dashboards, etc.) and manufacturing excellence best practices (cf. Lean, Six sigma, QRM, etc.).
Host Speaker: Stijn Wijndaele, CEO & Co-Founder at 24Flow
Hosted by
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Team member
Stijn Wijndaele Co-founder @ 24FlowT
Stijn Wijndaele is co-founder van 24Flow en helpt maakbedrijven om van Excel-chaos naar voorspelbare productie te evolueren. Met zijn ervaring in digitale transformaties en QRM zet hij bedrijven op weg naar kortere doorlooptijden en hogere leverbetrouwbaarheid.
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Guest speaker
Johannes CottynG
Prof. dr. ing. Johannes Cottyn received his master’s degree in industrial automation at Howest in 2003. He added a postgraduate in Informatics and a pre-doctoral degree in computer science in 2006. In 2012, he obtained his PhD in engineering sciences for industrial management and operations research at Ghent University. In 2013 he started as assistant professor in industrial automation and coordinator of the automation research division at the department of Industrial Systems Engineering (ISyE) and Product Design. From then on he actively participates in the strategic research center Flanders Make as part of the core lab ISyE in the research cluster Flexible Assembly. From 2023 till now, he is associate professor, vice-head of the department and lead of the ISyE competence domain “Manufacturing Knowledge and Automation Engineering. His initial research interests lie in the combination and integration of industrial control & software systems.
24Flow
24Flow is a modular shop floor management and production scheduling platform that empowers make-to-order manufacturers to reduce lead times through digital support of operators and management.
