# What Manufacturers Truly Need From an MES System w/ Graham Immerman

- Show: [The Manufacturing Executive](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive)
- Published: 2025-05-27
- Episode: 259
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-05-27-what-manufacturers-truly-need-from-an-mes-system-w-graham-immerman
- Listen: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-manufacturing-executive#episode-38af904f-ea84-44ac-9de7-246750457a94

## Summary

Graham Immerman, Chief Revenue Officer at Machine Metrics, discusses the evolution of manufacturing software from simple machine monitoring to comprehensive Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES). He explains that while manufacturers often search for MES, they actually need a 'core four' of functionality: downtime tracking, OEE, scheduling, and work order tracking. Immerman argues that modern 'intelligent MES' must bridge the gap between real-time machine data and ERP work order context to provide actionable intelligence for production decisions.

## Chapters

- [0:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-05-27-what-manufacturers-truly-need-from-an-mes-system-w-graham-immerman#t=38) Introduction and Graham's Background
- [6:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-05-27-what-manufacturers-truly-need-from-an-mes-system-w-graham-immerman#t=369) The Evolution from Machine Monitoring to MES
- [17:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-05-27-what-manufacturers-truly-need-from-an-mes-system-w-graham-immerman#t=1063) The 'Core Four' Needs of Modern Manufacturing
- [19:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-05-27-what-manufacturers-truly-need-from-an-mes-system-w-graham-immerman#t=1146) Intelligent MES: Bridging Machine Data and ERP Context
- [31:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-05-27-what-manufacturers-truly-need-from-an-mes-system-w-graham-immerman#t=1883) Navigating Economic Uncertainty and Tariffs

## Topics

- [Connected products & IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/connected-products-and-iot)
- [Factory operations & automation](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/factory-operations)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- MachineMetrics (company)
- Gorilla 76 (company)
- Google Analytics (tool)
- Omniture (tool)
- Adidas (company)
- Starbucks (company)
- H&R Block (company)
- Reebok (company)
- Gartner (company)
- IDC (company)
- LNS Research (company)
- McKinsey (company)
- Automate (other)
- East Tech (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [The Value of Data Democratization in Manufacturing | MachineMetric's Graham Immerman](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2020-09-01-the-value-of-data-democratization-in-manufacturing-machinemetrics-graham-immerma) (IoT For All Podcast)
- [Smart Systems Are the Key to Competitive Manufacturing in Today's Complex World](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-05-27-smart-systems-are-the-key-to-competitive-manufacturing-in-todays-complex-world) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [What Happens When Every Action Becomes A Data Point: EMS@C-Level with FermionX MD Will Patrick](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-10-29-what-happens-when-every-action-becomes-a-data-point-ems-c-level-with-fermionx-md) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [MTEK is Revolutionizing Manufacturing with No-Code MES and AI Innovations](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2024-07-04-mtek-is-revolutionizing-manufacturing-with-no-code-mes-and-ai-innovations) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [Before You Buy Another Spindle, Use the Ones You Have, #43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-06-19-before-you-buy-another-spindle-use-the-ones-you-have-43) (Lights Out)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-05-27-what-manufacturers-truly-need-from-an-mes-system-w-graham-immerman. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Manufacturing Executive.