Guide · 2 min read
ERP software for manufacturers: what it is and where to start
What manufacturing ERP software is, which modules it includes, how it differs from a trading ERP, and where a factory should begin.
Wood & furniture
A piece of furniture is several sub-assemblies, each with many parts, moving through milling, shaping, assembly, finishing and packing. And every timber lot yields differently.
( 01 )Common problems
When the buyer changes one part, norms are edited in several files. The version on the floor is often not the latest.
Timber comes in by volume and goes out by dimension. Nobody is sure of the real yield of each lot.
Machined parts wait between stages without being recorded, so nobody knows how far along an order is.
Export orders need the right carton count, labels and container. Checking on paper misses things.
( 02 )How the system handles it
Products, sub-assemblies and parts are defined in levels. Each change creates a new version, and the floor uses the one in effect.
Receipts, issues and stock by timber lot. Issues are compared with norms to show the real yield of each lot.
Each stage records what it receives and what it passes on, so order progress is visible per sub-assembly.
Packing lists are generated from the order. Cartons are scanned at packing and loading to check against it.
( 03 )FAQ
Yes. Each order can have its own BOM based on a template product, with production orders tied directly to it.
Origin details are stored per timber lot and traceable to the products that used it. Reports for a given certification are built to the factory's needs.
They are steps in the production order, with output, rejects and rework, so bottlenecks show up before packing.
Other industries
Quoting from drawings, multi-stage production orders, machine tracking across three shifts.
See the solution →02Norms by size and colour, material balancing, output by sewing line.
See the solution →03Resin by lot, blend formulas, production orders by machine and mould.
See the solution →Insights
Articles that help factory leadership understand cost, process and options.
Guide · 2 min read
What manufacturing ERP software is, which modules it includes, how it differs from a trading ERP, and where a factory should begin.
Comparison · 2 min read
A comparison of packaged and custom-built ERP for small and mid-sized manufacturers: cost, time, fit, ownership and risk, and when to choose each.