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April 15, 2025

As manufacturers race to modernize operations and gain competitive advantage through digital transformation, many are realizing that local, plant-by-plant MES deployments no longer scale. A **multisite MES** strategy is becoming essential—not just for IT standardization, but for enabling agility, compliance, and visibility across global operations.

In **Part 2** of Critical Manufacturing’s Multisite MES white paper series, manufacturers gain practical, field-tested insights on how to execute a successful MES rollout across multiple facilities. This follow-up to [Part 1](/content/smart-manufacturing/discrete-manufacturing/multisite-mes-enterprise-manufacturing/index.html) moves from the “why” to the “how”—outlining five key steps that leading manufacturers are taking to maximize MES value across the enterprise.

**What you’ll learn:**

- **Why a Center of Excellence (CoE)** is critical for long-term governance and success. The CoE defines the roadmap, manages configurations, and ensures standardization while adapting to site-specific needs. As one leader put it, _“You need a strong CoE that can drive change at the plant.”_
- **How an MES template** dramatically reduces deployment time and cost per site. With a validated template, companies can reduce rollout hours by 70% or more—from 1,000 hours on the first site to 300 on subsequent ones.
- **What level of flexibility** to allow in-site implementations—and how to govern it? Learn the five levels of MES standardization and how to find the right balance between harmonization and customization.
- **How modern MES architecture**, including containerization, DevOps, and modular design, simplifies deployment, increases reusability, and supports global scaling.
- **The role of service partners**—not just for deployment, but for change management and continuity. Manufacturers succeeding at scale often work with two dedicated partners: one for template evolution and the other for site-level implementation.

Whether you’re at the beginning of your journey or scaling to dozens of sites, this white paper offers the strategies and insights you need to lead a successful MES transformation.

**Download the full white paper** and learn from the real-world experience of global manufacturers building future-ready MES programs.