Manufacturing Execution System State-Of-The-Art: Its Evolution and Dynamism Focused on Industry 4.0

The utilization of applied knowledge, specifically related with information and communication technologies (ICT) for supporting production processes, from top management to operational levels, is a trend that has been increased throughout the time. Its use seeks support in functions like organization planning, management and controlling devices related with manufacturing processes. Likewise, the manufacturing execution system (MES) has become the bridge that connects enterprise resource planning systems with operations within organizations, becoming a Digital Twin, helping to know virtually what is happening on productive processes in real time. Like any practical concept, an updated state-of-the-art is needed to understand its evolution, functions, importance level, and dynamism, particularly nowadays when we are immersed in Industry 4.0 paradigm. This chapter will expose an outline of the state-of-the-art about MES, its implications in the manufacturing processes, and its transformation as a dynamic productive system, because sometimes it is used as a tool for quality management. Based on the global trends, standards, and industrial behavior, we can have a baseline for the design of new and related technologies that will support the core processes within businesses.