5.1 MES Rollout Method (Pilot -> Line -> Factory) + Cutover Checklist

Deploying a new MES or ERP module acts as a transplant of the manufacturing facility's nervous system. A flawed"Big implementationBang" risksdeployment stopped(switching productioneverything lines,at lostonce) traceability,is a suicide pact. If the system fails, the factory stops, and unrecoverablerevenue scrap.drops Executeto zero.

Adopt a Phased Rollout Architecture to isolate risk and validate the roadmap with precision to validate system logic against physical realitysolution before scaling, ensuring business continuity and data integrity.scaling.

The PilotThree-Phase PhaseStrategy

IsolateDo variablesnot by selecting a controlled environmentdeploy to validatethe whole floor until the system under real-world conditions. Restrictingsurvives the initial"Golden scopeLine."

protects

Phase total1: facilityThe outputPilot (Offline / Low Volume)

• Scope: A single NPI (New Product Introduction) line or a dedicated testing cell.
• Duration: 2–4 Weeks.
• Objective: Validate the Core Model (Integration, Label Printing, Interlocking).
• Risk: Low. No impact on mass production revenue.

Phase 2: The Golden Line (Production Beta)

• Scope: One high-volume production line running real customer orders.
• Duration: 2 Weeks.
• Objective: Stress test logic under Cycle Time Pressure and Shift Variance.
• Risk: Medium. Requires a "Rollback Plan" (ability to revert to legacy system/paper within 1 hour).

Phase 3: The Factory Rollout (Scale)

• Scope: Remaining lines in waves (e.g., 2 lines per week).
• Duration: Variable.
• Objective: Replication and Stabilization.
• Risk: High impact, but Low probability (if Phase 2 was honest).

Entry & Exit Criteria (The Gates)

Do not proceed to the next phase based on dates. Proceed only based on Metrics.

Phase	Entry Criteria	Exit Criteria
Pilot	UAT (User Acceptance Test) Sign-off. 100% Master Data loaded.	100 consecutive units produced with 0 critical errors.
Golden Line	Pilot Exit Met. Training 100% complete for Line A crews.	24 Hours continuous uptime. OEE matches or exceeds baseline.
Factory	Golden Line stable for 5 days. Hypercare team assembled.	All lines migrated. Old system Decommissioned.

The Cutover Checklist (Go-Live Weekend)

The transition from unforeseen"Old" logicto errors."New" requires a surgical cutover.

The "Drain" Strategy (WIP Handling)

Migrating live WIP data is complex and prone to corruption. Avoid it if possible.

• PilotAction: SelectionStop Logicloading new units into the line 24 hours prior.
• Action: Flush all existing units out to Finished Goods (FGI).
• State: Line is empty. Physical WIP = 0. System WIP = 0.

The Paper Purge

• Action: Physically remove all old paper travelers, log sheets, and cheat sheets from the floor.
• Logic: If Linepaper Utilization > 85% OR New Product Introduction (NPI) activeexists → Exclude from scope. High-stress environments mask system bugs with operational noise.
• If Line stability is historical (Yield ≥ 98%) ANDThen Operators arewill Senioruse →it. Burn the boats.Designate as Pilot. Experienced users distinguish between process errors and system faults quickly.

ExecutionAccount ScopeValidation

Run

• Action: theVerify newevery system in parallel with the legacy process only if data synchronization is automated. Otherwise, perform a hard cut-over for the Pilot scope to force relianceoperator on the newroster logic.has a valid Login ID and Badge Scan access.
• Test: Have the Shift Lead log in at every terminal 2 hours before start.

Connectivity Check

• Action: Ping test all PLCs, Printers, and Scanners from the VLAN.
• Action: Print one dummy label at every station.

Training & Certification

PowerPoint slides do not teach muscle memory. Training must be "Driver's Ed" style.

• Duration:Role-Based Modules:
  • Operators: Minimum 5 production shifts or 1 complete work order cycle (Start"How to Ship)Start," "How to Handle Errors," "How to Reprint."
  • Line Leads: "How to Reassign Users," "How to override Interlocks."
  • Maintenance: "How to swap an Edge PC," "How to check PLC comms."
• The Certification Gate:
  • Rule: No User ID is activated in the Production Environment until the user passes a practical exam (Simulator).
  • Exit Condition:Threshold: Zero100% CriticalPass Bugsrate (Class A) for 48 consecutive hours.required.

  Pro-Tip: Incentivize Pilot operators. They are effectively performing Quality Assurance on the architecture. Treat their feedback as engineering data, not user complaints.

  Rollout Strategy

  Scale the system only after the Pilot meets all exit criteria. Adopt a staggered approach to manage support bandwidth and mitigate systemic risk.

  Expansion Sequence

  1. Phase A (Pilot Expansion): Extend to similar lines/processes. Monitor load balancing on servers.
  2. Phase B (High Mix/Low Volume): Deploy to complex configurations. Verify logic robustness against edge cases.
  3. Phase C (High Volume): Deploy to critical mass production lines.

  Go/No-Go Decision Gate

  Evaluate Ticket Velocity before authorizing the next phase.

  • If Ticket Creation Rate > Ticket Resolution Rate → Suspend expansion. The support team is at capacity; scaling further risks operational bottlenecks.
  • If Critical Issues = 0 AND User Adoption ≥ 95% → Proceed.

  Hypercare Period(The ICU)

  HypercareThe isfirst a2 temporary stateweeks of elevatedlive supportproduction andare monitoringcritical. immediatelyDo followingnot Go-Live.treat Focusthis resourcesas on"Business rapidas stabilization rather than permanent assistance.Usual."

  SupportVisual ArchitectureIdentification

  • Floor Presence:Action: StationIT System/ MES Engineers physicallymust wear distinct high-visibility vests (e.g., Orange "MES Support" Vests).
  • Placement: 1 Support Engineer stationed on the productionline floor.(not Visualin observationthe office) for every 2 active lines.

  The War Room

  • Cadence: Daily Standups at 08:00 (Start of userShift) interactionand reveals16:00 friction(End pointsof that logs miss.Shift).
  • Agenda: Review Incident Log, Prioritize Bug Fixes, Go/No-Go for next wave.

  Bug Triage SLA

  Targets:

  During Hypercare, standard SLAs are suspended. Speed is paramount.

  • Class AShowstopper (Line Stop)Down): Response ≤< 105 minutes.mins. Resolution/WorkaroundFix ≤< 1 hour.Hour.
  • Class BMajor (FeatureWorkaround Block)available): ResponseFix ≤< 124 hour.

Hypercare Exit Criteria

Conclude Hypercare only when the system behaves predictably.

• Stability: System uptime ≥ 99.9% for 2 weeks.Hours.
• Autonomy:Minor (Cosmetic): L1 Support (Helpdesk) resolves ≥ 80% of incoming tickets without Engineering intervention.Backlog.

Acceptance Criteria (UAT)

Define binary success metrics prior to deployment. Rely on engineering data rather than subjective feedback regarding system speed or feel.

System Performance

• Transaction Latency: Scan-to-Response time ≤ 500 ms (Local), ≤ 800 ms (Cloud).
• Label Printing: Trigger-to-Print ≤ 2 seconds.

Data Integrity

• Traceability: 100% match between Physical vs. Digital inventory count at Go-Live.
• Genealogy: 100% parent-child linkage verification for multi-level BOMs.

Pro-Tip: Test the "Unhappy Path." Simulate incorrect barcode scans, network drops, or forced power cycles. The system must retain data integrity during these events to be considered production-ready.

Final Checklist

Category	Metric / Control	Threshold / Rule
Pilot SelectionTesting	YieldSIT Requirement/ UAT	100% of Critical Test Cases passed before Pilot.
WIP	Sanitation	Line Yielddrained ≥to 98%0 units before Go-Live (StableClean Process)Start).
Go-LiveAccess	BlockerUser CountValidation	0100% Criticalof (ClassShift A)Roster Bugstested for login access 2 hours prior.
PerformanceSupport	API LatencyCoverage	≤Support 500Engineers msphysically avgpresent on-floor for first 3 shifts.
Fallback	Rollback Plan	Decision point defined (e.g., "If Line Down > 2 hours, revert to Paper").
Training	Compliance	0% of Operators allowed to login without Exam Pass.
Hardware	PeripheralsSpares	100%10% spare Scanners/Printers validated
Support	Ticketstaged Velocity	Resolutionin Ratethe >War Creation Rate
Data	Inventory Accuracy	100% Physical/Digital match
Training	User Competency	100% of Shift Leads certifiedRoom.