Manufacturing is a very complex process that doesn’t just need focus on workflow but also on order processing. Managers need to be in touch with customers in order to know what to produce. Most manufacturers know how they can plan their workflow with product configurations.
The most important part is that produced goods should be delivered properly and on time. But long order processing can add a pause in production, and a lack of instructions can also create issues with quality.
And that is why custom manufacturing software development comes into play. This software helps businesses remove common informational bottlenecks in production. It also helps in collecting data and making sure that the data reaches the right stakeholder.
In this guide, we will explain what custom manufacturing software can do and the main reasons to use this software.
Custom manufacturing software is an application that helps streamline production and circulation processes in manufacturing. Firstly, apps of this type help their users collect information on orders. They record data from order forms and turn it into formats that are usable for production. These apps also provide built-in warnings when some important information is missing. Using those tools, customers or managers can record product configurations and automatically calculate the prices of their orders.
Secondly, these apps can help with planning production and automating workflows. Many modern production gadgets are capable of automated production. They need minimal involvement from manufacturers. This is the case for 3D printers, for example. What matters is the ability to give them correct instructions for production. Custom manufacturing software is capable of organizing these instructions and even checking them for potential problems. Users can preconfigure long workflows that software will then automate, using the available hardware.
Lastly, these systems are also good at recording production information. Using modern innovations like generative AI, they can quickly create supporting documents and prepare them for expert approval, transform financial reports for ERP and accounting integration, and deliver full-scale reports on production outcomes.
Manufacturing workflows involve dozens, if not hundreds, of steps. Many of them need a lot of manual work for generating templates or communicating with customers. These tasks can take days and even weeks to complete. Automation software is a perfect solution here because it reduces the amount of time these tasks take.
Modern custom manufacturing software is capable of reducing time expenditures across all dimensions. It can streamline the order process, enabling customers to fully produce order specifications. The goal of the sales managers is to simply double-check whether everything is right. Well-prepared instructions also enable automated production for modern machine tools with software integration or 3D printers.
Ultimately, all these reductions in production time enable you to achieve two goals. Firstly, it’s possible to deliver products at a lower price than in the past. Machines use materials efficiently and often require supervision only to ensure no production errors occur. Secondly, you can deliver products faster. What used to take around five weeks in the previous time now takes only 1-2 weeks.
Modern manufacturing workflow software generally has one or several features from the following list:
Modern manufacturers often produce based on orders from various clients (both businesses and consumers). In case of custom production, the number of orders can be genuinely large. For example, if 300 customers want to buy custom cups or forks, all these orders will have to be treated separately. Manufacturers must take different demands for those orders into consideration and make sure to deliver them on time. B2B manufacturing apps automate order management.
They can process information inserted by the customer on a website and turn it into a request for production. This approach reduces the probability of errors, which often occur with traditional systems. Small problems like bad sound quality during a phone call won’t lead to cancelled orders.
Custom manufacturing attracts customers because it enables them to make a product that fits their specific requirements. Without custom manufacturing software, managers have to create order specifications based on phone calls and written descriptions. The probability of mistakes is high in those cases.
Product configurators visualize all modifications and enable the customer to see the outline of a product they want to order or at least give them a complete list of specifications. If you use standardized components, the customer will also be able to see the end price of their order.
This type of software also enables producers to plan production and automate workflows. Modern machine gadgets and 3D printers often only need pre-programmed instructions. Custom manufacturing apps can form production plans and automate workflows based on order information. If fully automated production is impossible, they can set up a set of workflow instructions for workers, forming a complete plan for production. Instead of having to plan production for a long time, workers can immediately begin creating products.
Production requires resources; produced goods need to be stored. Timely delivery of materials for production and their proper storage are important for speed and quality. Modern manufacturing apps integrate with ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and accounting apps. They can transfer data about available amounts of production materials and showcase which products were produced and sold. Thanks to this, tracking expenditures and income in production is simple: everything is recorded automatically.
It’s possible to automate document generation in custom manufacturing software. Produced goods sometimes require a lot of additional documentation. Some of it serves an accounting purpose. It explains what product your company sold and in what quantities. Other types of documentation include instructions. Many of those documents are quite standardized and require only partial editing and supervision. Custom manufacturing software can produce those documents and prepare them for final edits.
Custom manufacturing apps are also strong at reporting and data management. They record all order and production details within their systems. Thanks to this, you can review the entire order, production, storage, and delivery process for every good. Based on this information, your analytics specialists can find patterns that need improvement and propose new processes for improving production.
All outlined features inevitably reduce manual work in manufacturing. Thanks to order constructors and price calculators, managers no longer have to call or write customers. Orders form automatically; only unique requests demand personal communication. Similarly, production instructions become automatic. Your workers no longer have to plan them manually.
The connection between sales and production is one more benefit that stems from manufacturing process software features. These systems share details between your sales and production departments. Orders from company websites get turned into production plans. In turn, sales and accounting departments immediately receive requests for purchasing production materials and information on produced goods. Thanks to these features, gaps between manufacturers and sales experts vanish, making communication seamless.
Let’s take a look at a real case. ADS is a leading Ukrainian manufacturer of aluminum decorum systems. The company deals with unique, complex products, which complicate order processing. Keenethics, a software development company, developed a custom manufacturing solution for them. It visualizes custom designs for aluminum decorum systems, enabling clients to build their custom pieces of furniture. Then, this system also calculates the cost of the chosen product. Thanks to this system, ADS reduced the amount of work necessary for processing orders and improved sales. Visualized products generate better incentives for customers to continue their orders.
The main issue with standard manufacturing software is that it targets the general market. There are thousands of manufacturing companies. Big software developers have to create a product that satisfies mainstream requirements. But what if you have some unique processes?
For example, what if you require configuration for niche products like tabletop miniatures or souvenirs? In those cases, off-the-shelf software can’t help. Only custom development is capable of satisfying your requirements.
Custom manufacturing software works best in conditions where off-the-shelf software doesn’t suit your requirements. You have to pay attention to the following cases when deciding between custom and off-the-shelf apps:
Ans: It is the use of tailored software to connect sales, production, purchasing, engineering, and quality control into a single place.
Ans: The software checks whether the machines are available, labor capacity, and current floor schedules. It automatically builds and sequences work orders without any manual intervention.
Ans: After finishing a product, it automatically generates quality inspection tasks before the product moves forward; it also enforces strict quality gates.
