Manufacturing tracking software

Manufacturing tracking software is designed specifically for any business that makes products and needs to track production, inventory, and operations by centralizing all the important production-related data into one place. 

These tools help you automate a large part of your manufacturing management by removing the need to track production progress manually with spreadsheets or updating several disconnected tools. With real-time manufacturing tracking software, when you receive a purchase order, when those materials move, or when they are consumed, the software automatically updates inventory levels across all your different storage locations. This means you and your team always have access to accurate data, so everyone knows exactly what needs to be done to fulfill an order. 

And if you have enough inventory on hand, the actual manufacturing process can begin. 

For manufacturing process tracking software to work properly, each manufacturing order (MO) contains a range of information, such as defined routings, work centers, and operation steps, so your workers can plan, release, and track work. As an MO moves through your shop floor, the software updates the status, timing, and output, giving managers visibility into what is running, what is completed, and what may be delayed.

Using manufacturing tracking software also gives you the tools to implement lean manufacturing processes into your business. 

For example, software like Digit records labor time, material usage, and production yields automatically, making it possible to calculate accurate job costs and understand how resources are being used. With this information, you can identify any weak points in your production lines that are causing bottlenecks or not meeting expectations, and perform an audit to uncover and address the issue. 

Some manufacturing tracking software even comes with features like barcode scanning and configurable labels that allow teams to track items quickly and accurately as they move through warehouses and production.

If you’re looking to get your production lines under control, you've likely stumbled across multiple different software tools that just sound like the same thing, only using different words.

For example, the Manufacturing Execution System (MES for short). 

There are differences between manufacturing tracking software and MES, but we’d also like to add that these are generally used interchangeably, and nowadays most software can perform the functions of both. So, for educational purposes, here are the differences: 

• Manufacturing tracking software — Focuses on monitoring shop-floor activity and is also referred to as Shop Floor Control. The main purpose of this software is to help collect and monitor data from production lines and inventory movements and levels, so you and your managers have a real-time, accurate picture of what is happening on the shop floor. Manufacturing tracking software usually comes with features such as job tracking, barcode scanning, and live inventory updates, all designed to improve accuracy, increase transparency, and keep all operational data in one place.
• MES — Does the same but on a more micro scale, by helping you and your managers take care of the production process itself and better plan your manufacturing routes, and how production should happen. You’d want to use a tool like this if you need to relay specific information to your team to support them at each stage of the manufacturing process, with guidance on quality control, compliance requirements, and process optimization.

So you can think of manufacturing tracking software as the big picture information (inventory levels, WIP jobs, master production schedule, etc.), and MES is how we take that information and act upon it. 

But as already said, don’t worry, you don't need to adopt two separate solutions to run your operations, as most software comes with all the functionality of both.

With all the different types of software available on the market, and all of them coming in different shapes and sizes, it can be a challenge knowing whether the one you're looking at is worth it. 

Before we give you a list of features to look out for, first things first: consider the specific industry your business operates in. So, for example, if you’re in the food and beverage industry, you should keep an eye out for software that is built to serve that industry. 

Once you have picked out a list of software, here’s what to look out for in your manufacturing tracking software: 

• Shop floor control — This is absolutely essential because it is the main functionality of manufacturing tracking software. SFC is a tool that helps businesses manage manufacturing orders with defined routings, workstations, and operational workflows. SFC allows your operators to record the progress of their jobs, while your managers get a real-time view of production, labor, and inventory.
• Real-time visibility — Nowadays, most manufacturing tracking software enables real-time updates, and the reason for this is that accurate and up-to-date information is essential to keep orders flowing. With your operators updating manufacturing orders in real time, you and your managers know exactly how everything is progressing and can order more inventory or redistribute resources as problems arise. 
• Cloud-based access — For a long time, many businesses had to rely on custom-built in-house solutions to manage their manufacturing. This meant any information or updates had to be made on-site and at a terminal. With cloud-based access, you and your team can open your manufacturing tracking software to make updates or view progress from anywhere with an internet connection. 

Barcode scanning — Most manufacturing tracking software can easily automate inventory tracking. But if you still need to manually count items to update a field, then it’s only a matter of time until a mistake leads to you operating on the wrong assumption of inventory levels. Some tools come with barcode scanning, meaning you can track inventory movements and even job progress with scanning (either with a specific tool or a mobile phone).