Making MES Scalable, Affordable, and Future-Ready: Rockwell’s Vertical Approach

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Manufacturing is so diverse that a single template cannot fit everyone.” - Murali Manohar, Regional Leader - Enterprise Software Business, Rockwell Automation

November 2025 : As manufacturers accelerate their digital transformation journeys, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) are emerging as a critical enabler of advanced factory management. Mr. Murali Manohar, Regional Leader - Enterprise Software Business, Rockwell Automation, shared how a domain-focused, modular, and cloud-based MES strategy is reshaping how automotive companies adopt digital solutions at scale.

Speaking from a vendor’s perspective, Mr. Murali emphasized that one-size-fits-all MES doesn’t work in the complex, price-sensitive automotive ecosystem. “Manufacturing is so diverse that a single template cannot fit everyone,” he explained. Recognizing this, Rockwell has taken a verticalized approach, building Plex MES specifically for automotive Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 suppliers.

This focus allows faster rollouts typically in 4-6 months with built-in quality parameters and cloud deployment that keeps costs manageable. “MES implementations are often painful and expensive,” he noted. “Our goal was to make it quick, affordable, and tailored to the industry’s unique needs.”

Modularity plays a key role in lowering the adoption barrier. Manufacturers can start small say, with production monitoring and add modules over time, aligning digital investments with business priorities and budgets. “Affordability is a real concern for Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4 suppliers. A modular MES allows them to grow at their own pace,” he added.

Beyond cost and speed, domain expertise and scale are critical differentiators. Rockwell’s MES for automotive draws insights from over 3,000 Tier 1 factories, continuously refining dashboards, notifications, and analytics to anticipate customer needs months or years ahead. “When a plant manager walks in with an iPad, he should only see what needs his attention. That intelligence comes from deep domain experience and scale,” Mr. Murali said.

He also highlighted the advantages of SaaS-based MES, which eliminates disruptive and costly upgrade cycles. “Once you move to a SaaS model, the system auto-upgrades like Gmail. You can focus on running your business, not on planning your next IT upgrade,” he emphasized.

Mr. Murali Manohar shared these insights as a panelist during the 3rd Edition of the ACMA Automotive Smart Manufacturing Think Turf, powered by Pro MFG Media, in a discussion on “Advanced Factory Management and Optimization.”

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