A cloud-based Manufacturing Execution System (MES) gives aerospace and defense manufacturers a centralized platform for managing production, test, and compliance shared across sites, teams (e.g., engineering, quality, production), and even suppliers.
Aerospace & defense manufacturers report cutting assembly time by up to 50% as well as 90% faster test execution and AS9100/EN9100 report creation.
This article explains what a cloud MES does, how it differs from traditional on-premise systems, and why aerospace manufacturers are adopting this approach to handle traceability, EN9100/AS9100 compliance, and production scaling.
The MES (Manufacturing Execution System) serves as a bridge between ERP (Enterprise Resources Planning) and shop floor operations. ERPs handle high level production planning, while MES manage the execution of these production orders, guiding operators and test engineers at every step and collecting information in real time from the shop floor.
A cloud-based MES is a manufacturing execution software hosted on remote servers rather than installed on hardware at your facility. You access the system through a web browser or application, and the vendor manages infrastructure, backups, disaster recovery, security, and software updates. This means lower hardware and maintenance costs, as well as more regular updates.
This architecture also enables several operational advantages:
If we put aside Aviation, Space and Defense manufacturers did not use to have the type of volumes that justified investing in MES. The rise of the NewSpace economy and increase in defense spending has changed that equation. They now need to produce at higher volumes, but under the same strict quality and regulatory requirements.
The failure points are the same across Aviation, Defense, and Space:
A Cloud MES designed for Aerospace & Defense manufacturers addresses these structural problems by connecting production data at the source and automating testing:
Production data and test data usually live in different systems: work instructions in one tool, test results in spreadsheets or a test executive, inspection records on paper. When something fails in final test, tracing it back to the operator, the work instruction revision, and the inspection step that should have caught it means cross-referencing three or four sources by hand.
A cloud MES puts digital work instructions, in-process inspection data, and test results against the same unit serial number in one system. An operator working from a digital traveler captures evidence and e-signatures at each step. Test results from the bench attach to that same record automatically rather than getting copied in after the fact.
That single record is what makes root cause investigation fast: pull one serial number and see the build history, the inspections, and the test data together, instead of opening four separate files.
AS9100 (the international aerospace quality standard) and its European equivalent EN9100 require documented evidence of process control, traceability, and quality management. Compliance audits demand records showing that approved procedures were followed and deviations were properly handled.
Traditional approaches generate this documentation manually. Someone compiles test certificates, inspection records, and traveler sheets into a compliance package after production completes. This approach introduces delays and errors.
A cloud MES automatically captures compliance evidence during production. When an operator completes a step, the system records the action with a timestamp and digital signature. When a test runs, results attach to the serial number being tested. Anywaves, an antenna manufacturer, cut EIDP generation time by 80% after moving its test and build records into Connektica, a Cloud MES.
Aerospace and defense manufacturing relies on precise measurements from RF analyzers, thermal sensors, vibration equipment, and other instruments. On most benches, an engineer configures the instrument, runs the sequence, and exports the results to a spreadsheet before copying the pass or fail verdict into a traveler by hand. Each handoff is a chance to introduces errors and delays.
A modern cloud MES uses edge agents to connect directly to these instruments through built-in drivers, custom drivers built in Python, or over REST-API (e.g., LabVIEW, 3rd party software). Operators launch a version-controlled test sequence from the same interface they use for assembly. The system configures the bench, runs the sequence, applies pass or fail criteria, and plots the result: an S-parameter curve, a thermal profile, a vibration spectrum. Everything attaches to the unit's serial number automatically. ATEM saves more than 2,500 hours a year running RF test sequences on Connektica's Cloud MES, time that used to go into configuring benches and exporting files by hand.
Aerospace & defense requirements are fundamentally different from general manufacturing. A unit improperly tested can cost 100s of human lives and/or millions of dollars in sunk costs. A cloud MES for this world has to carry that weight: full traceability, documented test evidence, and AS9100/EN9100-grade records, whether the production run is 10 units a year or 10,000.
For this, the cloud MES should meet these core criteria:
One more criterion deserves its own line: time to deploy. Aerospace and defense manufacturers are currently under pressure to scale production fast, and a 12 to 18 month MES rollout does not fit a rate ramp that is already underway. To assess this, three questions are essential:
EDGX, an onboard computer manufacturer, digitized 400+ pages of AIT procedures in a month with Connektica's cloud MES.
A cloud MES gives aerospace and defense manufacturers one platform for production, test, and compliance, instead of three systems and a folder hierarchy to store photos, spreadsheets and other evidence. The Cloud removes the barriers that used to make this a multi-year project: no servers to provision, no IT team to maintain, no separate network setup per site.
For operations leaders facing production rate increases, the question isn't whether to make this move. It's when. Rate pressure from Primes (e.g., Airbus, BAE Systems, Leonardo) is already working its way down the supplier chain, and the ones still running assembly and test on paper travelers and spreadsheets are the ones who will end up rebuilding their execution infrastructure under program pressure.
Want to see how Connektica's cloud MES works for aerospace & defense manufacturing? Explore the platform or book a working session to discuss your specific production challenges.
An ERP system manages business processes like purchasing, inventory, financials aat the enterprise level. An MES operates at the shop floor level, controlling how production actually happens. Connektica's MES connects to your ERP through APIs, receiving work orders and returning production data.
Implementation timelines vary based on process complexity. Some aerospace and defense manufacturers reach operational status on their first production line within 8 weeks. Connektica's configuration-based approach reduces deployment time compared to systems requiring custom development.
Yes, modern cloud MES platforms support integration with existing instruments. Connektica connects to test equipment through pre-built drivers for common manufacturers and accepts custom Python drivers for specialized equipment, preserving your current hardware investments. Connektica can also leverage APIs to connect to 3rd party software (e.g., LabView, KeySight).
Cloud MES vendors serving aerospace and defense customers maintain rigorous security certifications. Connektica holds ISO 27001 certification and uses FIPS-compliant cryptography. Data protection meets standards required in defense and aerospace environments. And if the Cloud is not enough, Connektica offers on-premise deployments.
Cloud architecture enables multi-site coordination by design. All sites access the same platform instance, sharing work instructions, quality standards, and production data. Connektica provides real-time visibility across locations, helping operations leaders monitor work-in-progress and coordinate production scheduling.