Connect981 – Content Dev

Glossary Category: Implementation and Adoption

  • System of Execution

    A system of execution is software used to direct, control, and record operational work while that work is being performed. In manufacturing, it commonly refers to systems that manage shop-floor execution, guide operators, capture production events, and maintain the current state of work in process.

    A system of execution often sits between planning or record systems, such as ERP and PLM, and equipment or OT systems on the production floor. It may dispatch jobs, enforce routings, present work instructions, collect inspection results, record material consumption, capture timestamps, and route exceptions or approvals. A manufacturing execution system, digital traveler platform, electronic batch record system, or electronic DHR workflow can function as a system of execution depending on the environment.

    The term should not be confused with a system of record. A system of record is the authoritative source for a defined set of data, while a system of execution is focused on controlling and documenting the work process as it occurs. A system of execution may create or update records, but its primary role is operational execution rather than long-term master data ownership or reporting alone.

  • Machine Connectivity

    Machine connectivity is the ability of industrial equipment to exchange usable data with other systems, such as PLCs, SCADA, MES, quality systems, historians, or ERP platforms. In manufacturing, it commonly refers to the hardware, network, protocol, and data-model arrangements that let machines send and receive production, status, process, and quality data.

    Machine connectivity may include direct connections to controllers, adapters or gateways for legacy equipment, industrial protocols such as OPC UA or MTConnect, and message-based approaches such as MQTT. The goal is not only to connect a machine to a network, but to make its data available in a reliable and interpretable form for operations, traceability, monitoring, and integration workflows.

    The term should not be confused with machine monitoring alone. Monitoring is one use of machine connectivity. Connectivity can also support work-order execution, parameter download, inspection data capture, alarm handling, maintenance signals, and production reporting. It also does not imply that a machine is fully automated or that all connected data is automatically valid for regulated records without appropriate controls.

  • Proof of Concept

    A proof of concept is a limited, structured test used to determine whether an idea, technology, workflow, or system integration is technically feasible under defined conditions. In manufacturing and industrial systems, it commonly refers to an early evaluation before committing to a broader implementation.

    A proof of concept may be used to test whether an MES can exchange data with an ERP, whether shop-floor data can be captured from equipment, or whether a digital workflow can represent a specific production process. It is usually narrow in scope and should have clear assumptions, test boundaries, sample data, and success criteria.

    A proof of concept does not by itself mean that a system is production-ready, validated, certified, or fully accepted by operations or quality teams. It should not be confused with a pilot, which is typically closer to real operational use, or with a prototype, which is a working model of a product or interface. A proof of concept mainly answers whether the proposed approach can work.

  • Ramp-up

    Ramp-up is the controlled increase of production volume, staffing, equipment use, or system activity from an initial level toward a planned operating rate. In manufacturing, it commonly refers to the period after a product launch, line start, process change, or capacity addition when output is increased while performance is monitored.

    During ramp-up, teams typically track whether materials, work instructions, labor, equipment, quality checks, and system transactions can support the higher rate. In MES, ERP, and planning contexts, ramp-up may affect routings, work orders, schedules, inventory demand, inspection load, and throughput assumptions.

    Ramp-up is not the same as startup, which usually refers to the initial act of bringing a process, line, or system into operation. It is also different from capacity, which describes the amount of output a process can support under defined conditions. Ramp-up is the transition toward that expected operating level.