Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence, or EMI, has been around for over 15 years. It was created as a way to put more context and meaning around data that was created in oil and gas refining plants--information such as throughput, yields, bottlenecks, and quality. The value of these reports, to the outside world, wasn't apparent, and even the users themselves referred to the application as "MES" (or, Manufacturing Execution Systems). But it's not--it's different, it's special, and they are both needed: MES to govern the transformation of raw materials through finished goods, and EMI to provide meaning and relationships, acting as a Decision Support System for the organization.
