The Proalpha Group is significantly expanding its competencies in the area of Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES). With the acquisition of the Spanish provider Mapex Manufacturing Software Solutions, the provider of ERP and business applications for medium-sized businesses is expanding its range of solutions with an AI-supported and modular MES platform. This controls production processes in real time and further advances digital production.
MES functionality as a strategic extension
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The integration of the Mapex MES platform into the Proalpha Business Applications creates a comprehensive offering for the digital shop floor. The platform provides a uniform database for production on which central key figures such as Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) and MTTR (Mean Time To Repair) are calculated. At the same time, the solution remains available as a standalone system that can also be linked to third-party ERP systems. Completion of the acquisition is still subject to customary regulatory approvals.
Mapex, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Barcelona, serves more than 50,000 users worldwide. The MES solutions are used at over 500 manufacturing sites, including in industries such as automotive, aerospace, plastics, packaging, and food and beverage.
Modular design and AI-supported analysis
The Mapex MES platform covers a wide range of functions: production planning, quality control, traceability, maintenance management (CMMS) and automated data collection from machines and workstations. The basis is real-time collection of large amounts of data from production, which is used for analyzes and operational decisions.
A special feature is the AI assistant “Maik”, which acts as a smart factory co-pilot and recognizes problems, interprets data and provides recommendations for action. “Maik” also serves as a quality & safety checker by using image recognition to monitor the consistency of labels and the correct use of personal protective equipment. As a Smart Maintenance Assistant, it supports access to maintenance information and documentation.
Combination of MES data with ERP functions
The close integration of MES data with ERP functions creates a consistent digital information chain that connects management, production and shop floor processes more closely. This can increase efficiency, transparency and product quality – important factors for digital transformation in manufacturing environments.
International opportunities and market strategy
With the acquisition of Mapex, Proalpha not only expands its technical portfolio, but also opens up new geographical markets. The Spanish market in particular, one of the largest within the European Union, offers medium-sized companies growing demand for modern MES solutions. The combination of Proalpha ERP expertise and Mapex MES technologies supports customers in successfully implementing digitalization projects on the shop floor.
MES platform for discrete manufacturing and food, beverage or chemical industries
Christoph Kull, President Business Applications at Proalpha, emphasizes: “Mapex, with its AI-supported MES platform, which, in addition to discrete manufacturing, was also developed for other key industries such as the food, beverage or chemical industries, fits perfectly with our quality and energy management solutions in the Digital Shopfloor business area. With the takeover, we are also gaining direct access to the Spanish market for the first time and thus to one of the largest economies in the European Union. This offers us the opportunity to expand this promising market With our broad solution portfolio, we can sustainably address medium-sized businesses’ value creation.”
For Proalpha, the takeover underpins the consistent best-of-breed strategy: proven special solutions should be optimally combined and made usable for medium-sized users, especially where flexible, scalable MES functionalities contribute to improving transparency, performance and quality.
