Product Flow — Engineering Execution System (EES)
Engineering Execution addresses a class of execution problems that arise in engineering-driven projects with complex products.
In such projects, established systems usually support product definition, business planning, and production execution.
PLM defines the product.
ERP plans resources and costs.
MES governs manufacturing execution.
Together, these systems form a stable and well-understood landscape.
What remains unrepresented is the execution of engineering work itself.
Between product definition and production lies the engineering work through which a product becomes executable in practice. This work exists in every complex project, yet it is rarely treated as a distinct object of system support.
As a result, execution reality in engineering is often inferred rather than managed. Formal progress may appear coherent, while actual readiness remains ambiguous until delays or coordination breakdowns occur.
Engineering Execution refers to the execution of engineering work itself — independent of specific tools, processes, or organisational structures.
Engineering Execution as a system layer
Engineering Execution names this missing layer.
It describes the execution of engineering work as a distinct system domain between product definition and production.
This layer is not owned by ERP, PLM, or MES.
It exists across assemblies, components, phases, and dependencies — and directly shapes execution readiness.
Engineering Execution is not a reporting problem.
It is a structural execution problem that becomes visible only when engineering work is treated as a system of its own.
What is Product Flow
Product Flow is an Engineering Execution System (EES) that defines and models this execution layer explicitly.
It formalizes engineering execution as a system domain that can be:
- observed,
- analysed,
- discussed,
- and reasoned about independently of organisational or tool boundaries.
Product Flow does not replace ERP, PLM, or MES.
It complements them by making engineering execution itself explicit.
How this site is structured
This site documents Product Flow as both:
- a system, and
- an analytical framework for understanding engineering execution in complex, engineering-driven environments.
The content is structured around execution logic, not around software features or marketing narratives.
Core execution foundations
- Methodology
Explains the execution principles behind Product Flow and the conceptual model of engineering execution. - Engineering Execution System vs existing systems
Compares Product Flow with ERP, PLM, and MES from an execution perspective — focusing on what these systems do not model. - Execution principles in practice
Describes how execution structure, workload, and risk become visible when engineering work is modelled at component and phase level. - Application contexts
Shows how Product Flow applies to Engineer-to-Order projects, bespoke engineering, and complex assemblies.
This site is intended as a reference and explanation space.
It is written for engineers, technical leaders, and organisations seeking to understand engineering execution beyond planning and reporting abstractions.