Modeling of Manufacturing Execution Systems: An interdisciplinary challenge

Specification of Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) as software systems related to the technical process represents a challenge regarding interdisciplinary communication. In this paper modeling notations currently applied, like the Businesses Process Model and Notation (BPMN), Petri Nets or the Unified Modeling Language (UML) were analyzed on the basis of standardized and MES specific requirements. Using these criteria, we show that so far, no graphical modeling notation supports this specification process adequately. In the presented approach “SpeziMES” the identified gaps will be closed by developing a graphical MES modeling framework based on the BPMN 2.0. Main contribution of this framework is the integration of a technical system model, a production process model and an MES functional model with their interconnections and dependencies.