ERP Software

Shop Floor Software

At the end of the day, the reason businesses implement ERP software is to cut costs and generate profits. ERP, or Enterprise Resource Planning systems are made up of hardware and software organized to manage a company’s operational processes. Enterprise Resource Planning Systems attempt to link financial and operational ''back-office'' functionalities with front-end technology. They provide a way for processes within an enterprise to be integrated enabling different departments to utilize this unified database and make the business more effective and more streamlined.

ERP systems were developed for the manufacturing industry and in manufacturing, the shop floor is where most of the activity takes place. Therefore, it stands to reason that Shop Floor Software is crucial. There are many aspects to making a product. It has to be made correctly, the right amount must be produced, and it has to be ready in time for the delivery date. Whether the product is a simple one piece machined part or an assembly requiring hundreds of separate pieces, taking raw materials and the finished sub components until the final product has been assembled is known as the manufacturing process.
Once an order is received and transmitted to the shop; various individuals have to begin their part to provide the materials and the labor to make the product a reality.  A lot of support documentation will be needed: a shop packet or traveler contains a routing or map of the steps in the manufacturing process, a print or specification sheet, and any quality related documents.

Since MRP and MRPII first reached the market, it has been patently obvious to the business world that the manufacturing process is able to be made more robust by using specific manufacturing software.  An ERP software system goes beyond MRP in that it contains all of the required information in a central database core. This information can then be displayed at any operation in predefined formats.  Updates to the system are real time, so as the job progresses, the information stays current. Shop Floor Software provides many benefits for controlling documents on the shop floor, which can then prevent waste and costly mistakes.

The better Shop Floor Software systems are capable of assisting manufacturers’ shop floor production efficiency by managing people, machines, and orders. There is real benefit to be found in software that improves workflow, tracks work-in-process, time and attendance, and labor, but also integrates these components into a specialized tool so that factory supervisors can help the workers  do their jobs better.

Written by :

Amy Cruz