Production planning information, such as what to make from which materials and when, is created and approved in the Information Systems of the corporation. Eventually the Process Control systems will be told the same information, just in time to produce. When the production is complete, the Information System wants to know the results, such as how much of each material was consumed and how much finished product, of what quality, resulted. More often, each batch of product must have its production details available for the Quality Department and the customers.

Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) have provided much of the functionality required for this data exchange. S88-compliant Batch production control systems use and provide the data necessary for the interconnection with Information Systems. Each installation, however, identifies different data they consider relevant. Formats to match specific software packages, either in the IT or Control systems require conversion and thorough testing to ensure true communication, application level to application level. Standard communication protocols provide the vehicle for messages, but the content of each message must be read and understood to be useful.

CQS Innovation has provided ERP systems, MES, and Control systems both as stand-alone and integrated. Just a few of those systems include:

• Metal parts fabrication, finishing and assembly done in three component plants by one MES system we created.
• Batches of fluids and ointments produced with S88-compliant production management systems.
• Batches of medicine produced on a system which takes orders and inventory from a planning system, adjusts its recipe based upon sample analysis results from a Laboratory Information Management system and reports finished product status and history to planning systems and secure archives.