Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes are joined by Rafael Amaral, CTO and cofounder of TilliT, to address the state of digital transformation in manufacturing. Their conversation examines why MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) projects often stall, how to successfully move away from paper and spreadsheets, and what a modern, people-focused digital approach looks like on the factory floor. This episode stands out for readers involved in operational leadership, IT/OT integration, and anyone seeking practical steps to improve manufacturing reliability and efficiency.
Challenging the MES Complexity Myth
For many manufacturing teams, the term “MES” evokes thoughts of expensive consulting, lengthy timelines, and unusable software intended only for engineers. Amaral challenges this belief directly, sharing that old systems were “built for any industry” but grew needlessly complicated. He explains, “You need an engineer with ten plus years of experience to be able to understand how to set that tool up.” The real problem, he suggests, isn't the needs of the shop floor but how historical MES platforms tried to address every possible scenario, generating unnecessary complexity.
TilliT's philosophy takes a different tack: start from the ground up, focusing on the operator’s workflow and using clear, logical design. Amaral says, “So we started building TilliT from that basic principle, and everything was questioned. What we did was we just kind of removed all the excess complexity.” This user-focused approach enables companies to roll out functional MES in stages, without specialist intervention, and maintain adaptability as business needs change. The message for leaders: avoid being intimidated by MES’s reputation—systems built on operator needs are achievable for all manufacturers, not just the largest with sky-high budgets.
From Spreadsheets to Real-Time Digital Workflows
It’s not uncommon to find factories managed by a patchwork of spreadsheets, paper forms, and years of manual workarounds. These processes seem flexible at first, but Amaral warns about the invisible pitfalls: “You’re going to find that there’s hundreds of these trees.” Errors go undetected, reporting is slow and unreliable, and scaling improvements is an uphill battle. His advice? Start small and prove value quickly.
“Land and expand” is the proven method—identify the most critical workflow or problem area and digitize it first. Amaral recounts, “They took the hottest spot of issues and problems… and they put a workflow activity there. And it was, I don’t know, three months. They reduced 90% of the errors.” Instead of overwhelming staff, a targeted digital workflow delivers immediate benefits, which in turn earns buy-in for digitizing other parts of operations. This iterative, problem-first method helps organizations avoid costly missteps and see returns quickly. Amaral outlines the pattern: ask, “What is the problem here?” and address it with digital workflows that are easy to expand as confidence grows.
Making Processes Predictable: Management, Training, and Operator Support
Consistent results in manufacturing require more than good machines—they depend on people making the right choices each shift. Amaral sees the operator’s role as central, stressing, “We keep forgetting a big chunk of a factory’s PNL, which is the operator.” When factories rely on tribal knowledge and paper instructions, mistakes multiply, and training new staff takes years. Digital workflows change that equation, offering “a copilot that’s telling, hey, do this now,” ensuring each operator follows the exact steps needed for every product.
Amaral describes how embedding rules and checks directly into digital workflows “reduces mistakes and wastes,” and that these systems “report a massive reduction in training requirement.” By capturing best practices and business rules in software, companies don’t just track data—they manage operations proactively, even as staff turnover increases. The predictability that results—from correct raw materials to standardized recipe changes—means fewer costly errors, better compliance, and a foundation for continuous improvement.
Key Quote From The Episode
“It’s basic principle. It’s operator first, and it’s meant to be used by somebody that’s not an engineer.” – Rafael Amaral
Key Takeaways
MES has a reputation for needless complexity; operator-first systems reduce barriers and speed adoption.
- Shifting from spreadsheets to digital workflows should start in the most problematic areas and build from proven results.
- Digitally managed processes improve quality, lower mistakes, and cut training times thanks to embedded guidance and business rules.
Wrap Up
This conversation with Rafael Amaral breaks down the walls around MES adoption. For manufacturing teams and leaders, the path forward starts with understanding that modern, user-centric MES platforms need not be complicated. By digitizing one workflow at a time—starting where the need and payoff are clearest—organizations can reduce errors, trim training times, and make factory operations transparent and reliable.
Readers should identify processes buried in spreadsheets or paper, choose a single pain point to digitize, and insist that their MES tools focus on operator usability. Doing so will help build a foundation for more consistent operations and quicker returns on technology investments, all while keeping staff engaged and empowered.
About the Guest
Rafael Amaral is CTO and cofounder of TilliT, specializing in manufacturing workflow and MES software solutions. With 20 years’ experience across SAP consulting, custom solutions, and digital operations management, Amaral has worked extensively to simplify complex manufacturing systems and champion operator-centric design for organizations worldwide.
