Understanding the synergy between MES and other (bio)pharmaceutical manufacturing systems can empower companies to plan strategically, optimize production processes, and advance toward higher digital plant maturity. By following the guidelines and recommendations, this BioPhorum collaboration paper facilitates alignment between companies and vendors, enabling them to realize the benefits of a comprehensive and efficient manufacturing ecosystem. Used during implementation, our paper will help you consider factors such as quality impact, automated interfaces, business continuity, security, and data governance for successful deployment.