Production data you can actually decide on: real OEE, not end-of-shift estimates.
Discrete manufacturing runs on multi-station lines, machines of different ages and brands, and decisions too often made from memory. We connect the field to the production systems and turn machine signals into real OEE, lot traceability, and shared numbers — so the production meeting starts from data, not impressions.
Four recurring knots in discrete multi-station manufacturing. They usually coexist in the same plant.
OEE nobody actually measures
OEE is an end-of-shift spreadsheet and stops get aggregated as "generic setup". Without an MES that truly measures availability, performance, and quality from line data, no improvement initiative starts from real numbers.
Data fragmented across different machines
Every machine has its own panel and data format. No single line view, root-causes always approximate, and comparing stations or plants becomes an exercise in trust rather than data.
PLCs and ERP that don't talk
Production orders and consumption re-keyed by hand between field and ERP: double entry, transcription errors, production numbers that only line up at month-end — by which point they're useless for deciding.
Legacy plants to modernize without stopping everything
A multi-brand, multi-age machine fleet, often without a modern interface. Modernizing without scrapping the cabinets and without stopping production needs a phased approach, not a big-bang.
One team from PLC to plant dashboard, on new plants and on those already running.
Automation and non-destructive retrofit
Siemens PLC programming (S7-1200, S7-1500), motion control, retrofit of obsolete PLCs planned within production stops. New lines or modernization of running plants, without scrapping what's there.
ARIA MES/SCADA: real OEE and traceability
OEE computed from line data with automatic loss breakdown (changeover, micro-stops, quality, speed), lot traceability, Andon console, and alarms with escalation over email, SMS, and webhooks.
IT/OT integration: PLC ↔ MES ↔ ERP
We connect field and ERP via OPC UA and S7: orders and recipes come down to the line, production consumption goes back up. One source of truth from floor to office, no double entry or parallel spreadsheets.
Multi-line, multi-site, and OT cybersecurity
A factory view aggregating OEE, health, and alarms across every line; standards and configurations replicable between plants. OT networks segmented per IEC 62443 and NIS2 readiness for those in scope.
We build automation with the standards quality, safety, and energy require.
- ISO 9001 (quality)
- ISO 50001 (energy management)
- ISO 13849 / IEC 62061 (safety)
- IEC 62443 (OT cybersecurity)
- NIS2
- Industry 4.0 (interconnection)
- Italy's 2026 hyper-depreciation (former Transizione 5.0)
Examples of interventions on real lines. Client identity under NDA; results described qualitatively, detailed numbers in calls.
- Challenge
- OEE estimated from memory and end-of-shift spreadsheets: changeover and micro-stop losses weren't quantified and there was no data foundation for continuous improvement.
- What we did
- ARIA MES/SCADA as line supervisor, with OEE computed from machine data and automatic loss breakdown. OPC UA links to the existing PLCs, an Andon dashboard for the shift leader, and historization for downtime analysis.
- Result
- Losses have a name and a weight: the production meeting starts from real numbers, micro-stop root-causes are identifiable per machine and failure mode, and continuous improvement works on data instead of impressions.
- Challenge
- Production orders and consumption re-keyed by hand between PLC/SCADA and ERP: double entry, transcription errors, and production numbers out of sync with the ERP.
- What we did
- IT/OT integration via OPC UA and a secure API: orders come down from the ERP to the line, consumption (parts, lots, OEE, alarms) goes back up automatically. No rewrite of the existing ERP.
- Result
- Double entry eliminated on the order-to-consumption flow; production data in the ERP matches the field and is available in real time, not at month-end.
What teams ask before we kick off.
What does it take to measure "real" OEE?
A connection to the PLCs to read machine state, part counts, and stop reasons, plus a model that breaks losses into availability, performance, and quality instead of aggregating them. ARIA does this from line data, not from manual end-of-shift entries.
Does it integrate with the ERP I already run (SAP, Dynamics, others)?
Yes, via a secure API and webhooks: the ERP generates orders and master data, ARIA executes and returns consumption with traceability. It's an integration onto the ERP you have, not a prebuilt connector for a single brand.
Does it work with PLCs of different brands?
Siemens is our default, but we read PLCs via OPC UA (and S7 for Siemens); where needed we integrate Rockwell, Schneider, Omron, and others. The MES doesn't depend on the PLC brand underneath.
Can I start with a single line?
Yes — that's the pattern we recommend: a pilot line, value measured in 90 days, then rollout with a configuration already proven. It lowers project risk and gives you a clean exit point if the numbers don't show up.
Does it qualify for the 2026 incentives?
Interconnecting assets to the factory systems is the technical requirement behind the Industry 4.0 incentives and the 2026 hyper-depreciation. We deliver the technical work and support the asseverated technical report.
Do you modernize old plants without stopping production?
Yes: retrofitting obsolete PLCs and new SCADA over existing PLCs, with downtime planned together with production. We go live in phases, line by line, instead of a risky big-bang.
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ARIA Suite
MES/SCADA, HMI, Warehouse, and Mobile as a single platform. Already in production on multi-station lines.
Explore ARIA →PLC programming
Siemens S7-1500, motion control, safety. The layer underneath every MES and SCADA we build.
Go to PLC programming →OT cybersecurity
Network segmentation, hardening, IEC 62443, NIS2 readiness. For plants that can't afford a single incident-driven downtime.
Go to OT cybersecurity →Got a project in mind?
Tell us about your idea or your operational challenge. Our team is ready to listen and propose the right technology fit.