Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1539960
16 SMT007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2025 the industry is experiencing. For nearly every soft- ware 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 eco- system that actually works together—and often strug- gling 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. Based on what respondents said, what kind of challenges do they face? We saw consistent themes across open-ended feed- back: issues with training, lack of internal resources, implementation time lines slipping, and especially the need for heavy customization. One company noted that they could replace a legacy system, but had to build in multiple customizations and retrain their teams. Another respondent mentioned that it took almost three years to get a MES system up and running, and even then, it was still in development. These are not plug-and-play solutions; they require broad alignment of people, processes, and systems, all while keeping the business running. What seems to be the most successful approach(es) to integrating effectively? Any trends? One theme was using seasoned external imple- mentation partners, especially those who under- stand EMS operations specifically. A few respon- dents emphasized the value of not relying entirely on vendor-led deployments and instead hiring third-party firms that could bridge gaps and advo- cate for the manufacturer's needs. Flexibility, trans- parency about limitations, and realistic training time lines also came up as key factors during both selec- tion and implementation. T hiago Guimaraes 7% 6% 18% 16% 10% 10% 12% 30% 45% 56% 27% 42% 18% 38% 38% 23% 8% 38% 20% 32% 35% 26% 26% 18% 20% 27% 40% 16% ERP MES PLM QMS LMS Quoting CRM Satisfaction, by Software Type Dissatisfied (0-39) Neutral (40-59) Moderately Satisfied (60-79) Highly Satisfied (80-100) S at i sfa ct i o n , by S of t wa re Ty p e