Many manufacturers grow out of a register before they grow into an ERP. Production is planned on a whiteboard, material is issued from the store against a slip, output is counted at the end of the shift, and stock is "roughly right". It works at a certain size. Past it, the gaps show: material runs short mid-batch, finished goods do not match orders, and nobody can say what a unit really cost.
What production tracking needs to answer
- What are we making, and for which orders?
- What material does it need, and do we have it?
- What was actually issued and used, versus what should have been?
- What came out — good output, and scrap?
- Where is it in the process — which step, which work centre?
The core records
- Bill of materials (BOM) — what goes into each product, in what quantity.
- Routing — the steps a product goes through, at which work centres.
- Production order — make this much of this product, using that BOM and routing.
- Material issues and consumption — what the store gave out, and what was used.
- Output — finished quantity, into stock.
- Scrap logs — what was lost, where, and why.
How production works in Zaqnet
Zaqnet's production records follow that shape:
- BOMs with their material lines, and routings with steps at work centres.
- Production orders that plan what to make, with work order steps tracked through the routing.
- Material issues from stock and material consumption against the order.
- Outputs that add finished goods to stock — with batches and expiry where the product needs them.
- Scrap logs, so losses are recorded where they happen instead of disappearing into a stock adjustment.
Because production sits on the same records as sales, distribution and stock in ControlRoom, the finished goods you make are the same goods your sales team sells and your dispatchers deliver.
You cannot reduce scrap you do not record. Most "stock differences" are scrap that nobody wrote down.
Starting without disruption
- Begin with your top products' BOMs. Accuracy here matters more than coverage.
- Issue material against production orders, not against slips.
- Record scrap at the step where it happens, with a reason.
- Compare planned and actual material every week for your top five products.
The difference between planned and actual is where your margin is.