Evolution of MES application updates for production floor execution

In recent months, Microsoft has released a series of updates to the production floor execution application designed to enhance the operator experience, optimize processes, and provide greater flexibility in managing materials and real-time data. This blog offers a comprehensive review of all the new functionalities introduced to date, including interface improvements, numeric controls, material adjustments, and other capabilities that have a direct impact on day-to-day operations. For those working in production environments or involved in the functional configuration of the system, this summary will serve as a guide to understanding the key changes, how to leverage them effectively, and the considerations necessary to avoid errors or misunderstandings.

Version 10.0.41 Update

– Ignore time adjustments when calculating actual cost per production order:

One of the most valued recent features in production management is the ability to bypass the manual validation of times reported by plant operators. This feature is designed to address scenarios where the client, by design, does not use or validate actual times, opting instead for standard times. Activating this option eliminates the need to review and approve hours from the time and attendance module, as well as the manual transfer of those times to the production order. The result is a significant simplification of the process, streamlining operational execution without compromising traceability or functional control.

Version 10.0.42 Update

– Set the desired status for selected jobs in the report progress list view in the shop floor execution interface:

This new feature allows operators to report the progress of multiple jobs simultaneously, optimizing time and reducing operational complexity. Using a list view, employees can easily select the desired status for each job: paused, in progress, or completed. This linear and visual interaction, as shown in the featured image, eliminates unnecessary steps and facilitates quick decision-making directly from the shop floor application. It is a particularly useful solution in environments where agility and clarity in execution are key to maintaining production efficiency.

– List view of job waste reporting from the production floor execution interface:

Although this change may seem minor, it represents a significant improvement in the user experience when reporting waste on more than one job simultaneously. By selecting the list view—located in the upper right corner of the screen, as shown in the image—operators can manage waste more efficiently. Simply click on the quantity with errors and then select the corresponding cause using the magnifying glass icon. Currently, the error causes are fixed options, even when reporting directly from the reporting journal as completed. It would be interesting to have the ability to edit these causes to better adapt them to different production scenarios, which would open the door to greater flexibility and precision in incident analysis.

– Select color themes in the Shop Floor Execution interface:

The new feature that allows you to select color themes in the Shop Floor Execution interface adds value to the operator experience. This improvement, while cosmetic in appearance, makes it easier to quickly identify job status, improves visibility in environments with multiple active tasks, and allows you to adapt the interface to user preferences or environmental conditions.

The theme must be selected in the configuration option before logging in, as shown in the following image.

Version 10.0.44 update

– Adding lines to the material adjustment dialog box:

The ability to add lines to the material adjustment dialog box has been highlighted as a significant improvement in plant operations. The MES Blog article mentions that this option allows you to:

• Modify the consumption warehouse directly from the dialog box.

• Delete lines of unwanted materials.

• Add additional materials that were not on the original production order (PO) list, which streamlines the process and expands the options available to the operator.

This improvement responds to a general customer need for greater flexibility in production execution and is considered a significant improvement in the user experience on the plant floor.

Version 10.0.45 update

– Enhanced Numpad Control for Production Floor Execution Interface

The new Enhanced Numpad Control feature modifies the behavior of the input field in the production floor execution interface. The main change is in the field type used:

• Before (without the feature enabled):

The field was a String type, which allowed values ​​like 11.11 to be entered without being interpreted according to the regional settings. For example, if the period (.) was a thousands separa

• Now (with the feature enabled):

  The field is now a Real type, which means the system interprets the period (.) according to the regional settings. If the expected decimal separator is a comma (,), when entering 11.11, the system may convert it to 1.111, which can cause confusion among users with different regional settings.

ⓘ Optimizing the management of a managed service involves measuring what matters, intelligently automating business processes, and applying methodologies in a practical way.

The combination of well-defined KPIs, efficient automation, and ITIL-based best practices can make the difference in delivering quality services.