Rockwell Automation, the world’s largest company focused on industrial automation as well as digital transformation, has announced new updates to its Manufacturing Execution System (MES). These updates aim to improve flexibility, scalability, and resilience in manufacturing processes.
Rockwell's new elastic MES is a cloud-based platform that connects both operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT), making it easier for manufacturers to manage their operations. This modular, flexible approach helps businesses speed up implementation, simplify tasks, and grow their capabilities as needed, bringing them closer to autonomous operations.
Traditional MES systems often work in separate areas, making it hard to get a clear view of both OT and IT. According to Rockwell’s 2025 State of Smart Manufacturing Report, 21% of manufacturing leaders say that integration challenges are a top internal problem. Rockwell’s elastic MES solves this by providing a common platform that integrates the entire manufacturing process—from materials and inventory to production as well as tools. With built-in analytics, AI-driven insights, and connected worker technology, the new system keeps production running smoothly and efficiently.
Executive Statement
According to Lorenzo Veronesi, associate research director, IDC, a manufacturing research service, legacy MES systems, while foundational, have become barriers to agility in an era defined by rapid change. This future lies in contemporary, flexible as well as scalable MES platforms that enable manufacturers to reconfigure processes on demand, integrate seamlessly across the digital thread, and accelerate innovation. This evolution marks a critical step in moving the industry toward truly adaptive, future-ready operations.
According to Anthony Murphy, vice president of product management, Rockwell Automation, their elastic MES strategy and investments drive a fundamental shift in how manufacturers connect and optimize their operations. DIY and disparate systems increase cost, risk and complexity. Rockwell's elastic MES unifies critical applications across OT and IT on a cloud-native, resilient architecture that grows with their customers.