Robotics, digital twins, advanced automation, and emerging technologies such as generative AI are attracting immense investment across the manufacturing sector. Organizations are building increasingly connected ecosystems of data, platforms, and cyber-physical systems in pursuit of seamless interoperability and end-to-end visibility.
Yet for many manufacturers, these initiatives struggle to scale beyond pilots, stall during enterprise rollout, or result in standardized technology stacks that lack the flexibility to adapt to the unique workflows of each plant and operation. Recent Deloitte research confirms this paradox, citing mitigating operational risk, addressing talent and skills gaps, and aligning IT and OT priorities among the primary culprits.
But if the technology works, then why doesn’t the smart factory?
Smart manufacturing requires more than standardization
Industry case studies consistently demonstrate that smart factories are both achievable and capable of delivering measurable improvements in efficiency, quality, and capacity. The digital backbone reliably manages engineering intent, planning, costing, and execution control. The execution layer provides real-time operational visibility from machines and shop floor systems. And emerging technologies such as digital twins, IoT platforms, and AI further enhance performance through advanced analytics, simulation, and predictive intelligence.
However, organizations progress at different speeds, shaped by varying levels of digital maturity, technical capability, and transformation readiness. The breakdown rarely occurs within individual systems. It emerges between them, where workflows must connect engineering, planning, execution, and optimization into a coherent, end-to-end operating model.
Standardized platforms, while essential, are not designed to accommodate the full diversity of workflows, product variants, and governance structures that exist across plants and business units, making smart manufacturing more than just a technological adoption problem.
Where manufacturing process optimization breaks down
When workflows are not fully aligned, symptoms becomes visible across PLM, ERP, MES/MOM, and the shop floor, creating operational friction, slowing decision-making, and undermining the consistency of day-to-day execution.
1. Engineering-to-production misalignment
In manufacturing environments, engineering updates a design, variant configuration, or Bill of Materials in PLM, but the change is not automatically reflected in MES work instructions or on the shop floor. Operators continue building to outdated specifications, while ERP planning still references previous routings or components. The result is rework, quality deviations, and delayed deliveries not because systems failed, but because the digital thread between PLM, ERP, and MES is incomplete.
2. Planning vs. execution gaps
ERP releases production orders based on forecasted capacity and inventory assumptions, yet real-time constraints (like machine availability, tool wear, or labor allocation) are only visible in MES or on the shop floor. Without a synchronized workflow between ERP and MES/MOM, planners operate on outdated data while production teams manage exceptions manually.
3. Shop floor visibility without enterprise integration
Sensors and machine data provide rich operational insight, but deviations captured on the shop floor do not consistently trigger structured workflows in ERP, quality management, or service systems. Maintenance teams may see alerts, yet spare parts planning, cost tracking, or customer communication remain disconnected.
4. Service feedback not closing the loop
For machine builders in particular, insights from installed machines (such as performance data, recurring faults, configuration issues, etc.) are not systematically fed back into engineering in PLM. As a result, product improvements rely on informal communication rather than traceable, data-driven workflows across the lifecycle.
5. IT/OT governance misalignment across systems
IT teams standardize architectures across PLM, ERP, and enterprise systems, while OT teams prioritize uptime and local production stability in MES and shop floor environments. Without clearly defined cross-system workflows, integrations stall, exceptions bypass governance, and digital initiatives lose credibility.
Low code manufacturing workflow orchestration: connecting PLM, ERP, and MES/MOM and shop floor integration
Positioned on top of existing PLM, ERP, MES/MOM, and shop floor systems, low code enables manufacturers to connect their digital backbone, execution layer, and optimization technologies into one coordinated operating model.
By acting as the connective tissue between systems, low code transforms technical interoperability into operational interoperability, ensuring:
1. Real-time decision activation across PLM, ERP, and MES
Engineering changes in PLM can automatically update ERP planning parameters and MES work instructions, enabling synchronized execution instead of manual reconciliation and delayed corrections.
2. Closed-loop production and service feedback
Machine data, quality deviations, and field performance insights can trigger structured workflows back into ERP and PLM, creating a continuous improvement loop rather than isolated reports.
3. Operational dashboards tailored to roles and plants
Low code enables plant managers, planners, and service teams to access unified, role-specific dashboards that combine ERP, MES, and shop floor data, supporting faster, data-driven decisions in daily operations.
4. Exception-driven workflow automation
Instead of relying on emails or manual escalations, deviations in production, inventory, or machine performance automatically initiate traceable workflows across systems, reducing response time and execution risk.
5. Variant and configuration management aligned with execution
For machine builders, product variants and custom configurations can be reflected consistently from PLM through ERP to shop floor systems, minimizing rework and delivery delays.
6. Scalable integration without disrupting core systems
Manufacturers can extend ERP, PLM, and MES capabilities incrementally, adding new workflows and use cases as business needs evolve, without destabilizing their existing technology landscape.
Build your smart factory with the right strategic implementation partner
Low code does far more than connect systems. It enables manufacturers to operationalize data across the entire product and manufacturing lifecycle, turning insight into structured, measurable action.
From engineering and planning to production and service, low code strengthens how information flows across the organization. And at CLEVR, we partner with manufacturers to translate that potential into tangible business outcomes.
With 30+ years of experience in the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio and advanced low code application development, we bridge strategy and execution, connecting proven industrial platforms with the flexibility required to adapt to evolving operational demands. We begin by defining where value can be unlocked across the operational chain, then design and implement tailored workflows that connect PLM, ERP, MES/MOM, and shop floor systems. Rather than forcing your organization into rigid templates, we use Mendix—the leading enterprise low-code platform—to build orchestration layers aligned with your specific processes, governance model, and growth ambitions.
This approach allows manufacturers to:
- Align PLM, ERP, MES/MOM, and shopfloor processes around shared outcomes.
- Leverage existing Siemens Xcelerator components while extending them where standard functionality stops.
- Handle exceptions and deviations consistently across teams and systems.
- Evolve workflows incrementally as operations, products, and strategies change.
Smart factories are built on aligned workflows
Smart factories are not defined by the technologies they adopt, but by how well workflows align people, systems, and decisions. Until that alignment exists, even the most advanced digital initiatives will struggle to deliver lasting impact.
With the right strategic implementation partner, however, manufacturers can overcome these challenges, align systems with business ambitions, and tailor operations to the specific performance goals they set for growth, efficiency, and innovation.
If you are ready to move beyond isolated initiatives and build a truly connected manufacturing environment, contact us for a consultation to explore how your organization can unlock measurable operational value.
Find out how CLEVR can drive impact for your business
FAQ
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Why do many smart manufacturing initiatives fail to scale?
In practice, every manufacturer operates with different levels of digital maturity, product complexity, plant configurations, and governance models. As organizations scale, diversify product variants, or expand globally, unique workflows emerge that standardized functionality cannot fully accommodate. Without the ability to tailor cross-system processes, manufacturers may experience bottlenecks, manual workarounds, and limited flexibility in their smart manufacturing initiatives.
How can I evaluate if my manufacturing organization needs a low code orchestration layer?
Manufacturers should assess whether they experience recurring inefficiencies across PLM, ERP, MES/MOM, or shop floor systems. Common indicators include manual data transfers between systems, delayed engineering change implementation, inconsistent production reporting, exception handling via email or spreadsheets, and limited visibility across the product lifecycle. If your teams rely heavily on workarounds to bridge system gaps, or if digital transformation initiatives struggle to scale beyond pilots, a low-code orchestration layer may provide the flexibility and workflow alignment needed to support manufacturing process optimization and long-term growth.
How can low code platforms improve manufacturing process optimization?
Low code platforms improve manufacturing process optimization by connecting PLM, ERP, MES/MOM, and shop floor systems through tailored workflows. Instead of replacing core systems, low code acts as a unifying layer that enables real-time decision-making, exception-driven automation, and closed-loop feedback across the product lifecycle. This allows manufacturers to reduce rework, improve production visibility, and accelerate operational responsiveness.
