The success of a company often depends on how efficient its production is. Every company aims for that, but in reality it is very hard to achieve, especially given the nature of today's market. Priority orders arrive in production every day because customers cannot wait, which is why planning production "by hand" has become almost impossible.
ERP software and production automation make production processes considerably easier and simpler. With automated production there is very little manual work, which leaves you far more time to focus on the actual production and on product quality. The software follows every step in production with very precise cost control in order to maximise efficiency. The result is higher profit, more satisfied customers and better use of company resources.
In this article we explain how you can increase your production with the help of Toscana ERP software.
Better production planning
Because production in Toscana is followed in real time, at any moment you know the current situation and which resources are occupied. The calendar view shows exactly how busy a machine or an employee is on a given day, so you can decide how to schedule new orders accordingly. A simple drag and drop lets you move work orders and slot in priority jobs when things change. That way you make sure there are no gaps in the schedule and that all resources are used to the fullest.
Illustration 1: Example of production planning by machine
Following the stock situation
Following stock is essential for production to run smoothly. Companies often have several warehouses that are physically apart, so it is very important that they are all connected into one centralised system, so that everyone can see the real stock situation and no mistakes occur. Such mistakes often lead to late deliveries and higher costs, and they are very easy to avoid with software.
In Toscana you can follow the real situation of all warehouses, and at any moment you know how much material you have available and how much is reserved for individual projects. Everyone can see that certain goods are already reserved for a project, so there are no double reservations. Immediately after a quotation is created, the program shows the materials needed for that project and their availability. If the material is not in stock, it offers to put it on the order list for that supplier.
All orders are also tracked in Toscana and organised so as to keep the related logistics costs as low as possible.
Illustration 2: Stock tracking
Accurate calculation of production costs
In Toscana, for every completed project you get a detailed report on the time spent per work order and on the material used. Every production worker logs on to a work order, and the time spent is recorded that way. When the job is done, the worker enters the material used and you get the real balance, that is, the real cost of a particular project.
Mistakes in production always happen and it is very hard to give precise assumptions at the very start of a project. That is why there is often a difference between the preliminary and the final calculation.
In Toscana you follow the real costs and can orient yourself accordingly in the future: set a different price, increase the margin, point out particular mistakes and so on.
Illustration 3: Example of a final calculation