MES Software Tools Need Thoughtful Integration

Estimated reading time: 1 minute

The Global Electronics Association recently published a survey report on the state of EMS production software. This project, led by Thiago Guimaraes, director of industry intelligence,  connects the dots across the global electronics value chain to uncover practical insights that individual companies might not have seen on their own. In this interview, Thiago discusses the whys and hows of this report.

Thiago, why was this project started? What did you want to learn?

We launched this project to map out the real-world software landscape inside EMS companies. There's a lot of discussion around digitization and factory software adoption, but little data about what legacy systems companies are actually using, how satisfied they are, and what barriers they face. We wanted to bring clarity to that picture and help reassure our members and industry partners that they are not alone in their software struggles, and that there are lessons to be shared. For instance, over 70% of respondents still rely on homebrew software for at least one of their core systems.

The struggle with integration stood out. Was that a surprise?

It came up frequently, especially in the open-ended comments, and while it wasn’t a surprise, it's great to be able to note the range of integration issues the industry is experiencing. For nearly every software category, “integration with other systems” ranked in the top two selection criteria. It’s clear companies aren’t looking for isolated tools; they’re trying to build a software ecosystem that actually works together—and often struggling through it. Many are working with a mix of off-the-shelf and in-house systems, which makes integration more challenging. In legacy environments, you often have to build bridges between systems that were never designed to talk to each other.

To continue reading this interview, which originally appeard in the October 2025 issue of SMT007 Magazine, click here.