# MESC

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The acronym **MESC** stands for *Material and Equipment Standards and Code*. It is a [tool](/source/Tool) of the materials [department](/source/Departmentalization) for [standardisation](/source/Standardisation) and handling of materials used in business. It was created in 1932 for internal use by [Shell](/source/Shell_plc), but later on licensed to every company who wished to pay for it.

The system is a catalogue of specifications in the English [language](/source/Language), to allow [buyers](/source/Buyer) to purchase standardised materials all over the world.

When MESC was initially introduced, materials were allocated a unique 7-digit number. This was increased to ten digits in 1946.[1] The system has a numerical "coding schedule" of 10 digits to code the materials. It consists of groups, sub- and sub-sub-groups of 2 digits each, and a "Buying description" of 3 digits. Local coding is allowed for every company. The last digit for central coded materials is a 1, the last digit for local coded materials is a 9. With a single 10 digit code materials can be purchased all over the world, independent of the [manufacturer](/source/Manufacturer) or [brand](/source/Brand).

Typical example: Somewhere in the world a buyer purchases 500 metre cable coded **68.68.61.301.1** He knows he gets a telecommunication cable, 110 volt, [polythene](/source/Polythene) isolated, [lead](/source/Lead) sheathed and [steelwire](/source/Steelwire) armed, PVC served, colour green, with conductors of high-conductivity solid plain annealed copper wire, polythene insulated and polythene inner sheath, grouped 1x4x0,8 mm according to a strict specification and known measures.

It does not matter whether the buyer works on a Shell refinery in [Oman](/source/Oman) or a [BP](/source/BP) plant in [Rotterdam](/source/Rotterdam) [Europort](/source/Europoort), it only depends on the local market which supplier will supply the cable.

A cable coded **68.68.61.301.9** would be the same cable as **68.68.61.301.1**, but with local requirements, e.g. according to the local colour standard.

The loose-leaf paper version of the MESC consisted of approximately two metre books.

## References

1. McDonald, K. [Materials Management Programme in Shell](http://www.pidx.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/KayMcDonald2013SpringPIDX.pdf) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150906064445/http://www.pidx.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/KayMcDonald2013SpringPIDX.pdf) 2015-09-06 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 26 December 2016

## External links

- [MESC-catalogus by Shell](https://web.archive.org/web/20080324212311/http://www.shell.com/home/content/globalsolutions-en/services_and_technologies/services/mechanical_engineering/products_services/cataloguing_services/cts_serv_me_mesc_170605.html)
- [ISO direction to Shell standards DEP and MESC](http://isotc.iso.org/livelink/livelink/4602127/15._ISO__An_example_of_global_standardization_-_Shell.ppt?func=doc.Fetch&nodeid=4602127)

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