MES market to hit $31m by 2017 in ANZ

The Australian and New Zealand Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) market earned revenues of $22.8 million in 2013 and is set to reach $31.1 million in 2017, according to new analysis from Frost & Sullivan.

The Australian MES market has been riding a crest with escalating demand from the metals and mining industry due to the influx of foreign direct investment from China and  India. Some of the other prominent end-user industries include oil and gas, chemicals and petrochemicals, and food and beverage.

“Manufacturing processes, especially in mining, oil and gas, and chemicals, are becoming highly sophisticated, generating large volumes of data every day,” said Frost & Sullivan Industrial Automation & Process Control Senior Research Analyst Vandhana Venkatesan. “With the emergence of big data concepts and data analytic functions, companies have begun using MES platforms to gather and analyse this data, which is later used to make critical decisions in the manufacturing process.”

Technological  advancements such as web-based and mobile-based plant information, which raise the complexity of end-users’ operations, are also likely to expand the market for MES.

While its utility is undisputed, MES’s implementation is challenging. The system requires expensive integration with IT systems and plants, which deters several end users from investing in it. MES vendors could mitigate this challenge to some extent by initiating training for end users, thereby building customer loyalty and facilitating better maintenance of the systems.

The MES market is also receiving a boost from the rising energy costs in ANZ. In a bid to lower energy consumption, end users are increasingly monitoring their manufacturing processes by installing MES.

Market participants are making the most of the demand by integrating their systems with energy management solutions. Such integrated systems allow end users to conduct data analysis and simultaneously keep a close watch on energy consumption.

“MES manufacturers can further intensify demand by mapping sustainability of a production process, such as the use of alternate energy source and optimum utilisation, on their systems,” noted Venkatesan