From ERP to the Intelligent Manufacturing Operating System: Architecture, Role of AI and Implications for Textile and Apparel Factories

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems integrated finance, purchasing, inventory and sales around a common database, and manufacturing execution systems (MES) brought shop-floor control closer to real time. In many textile and apparel factories, however, these systems coexist with spreadsheets, paper and messaging apps, and most decisions are still made on information that is hours or days old. This paper examines why the ERP-plus-MES model has struggled in labour-intensive, high-variety manufacturing, and defines an alternative category we call the intelligent manufacturing operating system (IMOS): a single platform with one operational data model from order to shipment, an append-only event record, configurable workflows and an embedded intelligence layer whose outputs are explained and approved by people. We compare ERP, MES and IMOS on scope, data latency, process granularity and the role of AI; review where AI adds value in manufacturing operations; and discuss adoption paths for factories with existing systems. The paper is conceptual; it synthesises published research and practitioner experience and does not report a controlled study. Intelactory Working Paper Series, WP-2026-05. https://intelactory.com