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MANUFACTURING PROCESS
FLOW AND BEST PRACTICES
Manufacturing is a complex endeavor under any circumstances. But in the case
of products that are Engineered-to-Order (ETO), that complexity is multiplied
due to the engineering, costing and change management that is often required.
In the production of ETO products, it is critical to have a robust and flexible ERP
system in place to help manage that complexity.
The main reason for this is that the engineering requirements often require long,
global supply chain efforts on top of manufacturing. These parts and
components can be custom-made, expensive or highly specialized. And the
bottom line is that human management of a far-reaching, global and complex
production and supply chain to produce ETO goods outpaces human ability to
manually manage.
Studies have shown that as high as 50% of manufactured ETO products are
through global sales channels. As a result, having a strong, cloud-based ERP
system is essential in managing the unique and custom aspects of ETO products.
Adding to this environment is the push for mass customization by consumers
and purchasers of ETO products, requiring an already difficult process to move
faster with a higher degree of customized design.
Engineer-to-Order Workflow
So, what does an ETO workflow look like? An ETO workflow is different than Make to Stock
(MTS). It has additional steps that require extensive quoting and engineering on both the
sales side and the product design side. It also requires an accurate change management
system throughout the production process, and it requires continuous monitoring and
assessment of the cost to make sure that real-world production conditions remain within
the quoted cost structure.
Engineer-to-Order Workflow
Here are the basic ETO workflow steps:
This does not limit innovation. Rather, it will help the manufacturer understand
how the product fits into its current production capability and capacity, how to
accurately structure its Bill of Materials (BOMs), costing and other critical
manufacturing functions and will help determine what, if any, components need
to be produced by sub-contractors.
Best Practices for Engineer-to-Order
To help manage the unique requirements of ETO, factories should look toward
cloud-based, dynamic and flexible ERP systems. These software systems allow
the creation of accurate and dynamic BOMs. With many systems, these BOMs
can be duplicated and then adjusted to save time in creating each one from
scratch.
The Case for Cloud-Based ERP
Many of these systems allow direct upload of newly engineered products within
API connections or through the upload of CSV, reducing many manual steps and
automating an important part of the process.
With accurate BOMs, a factory can use its ERP to develop equally precise cost
functionality and tie it to finance departments. The manufacturing department
then has access to current and reliable data that can be used for labor planning,
inventory management, and shop floor control to keep cost on track and reduce
waste and idle time.
The Case for Cloud-Based ERP
While ETO can be challenging for any manufacturer, a robust cloud-based ERP
system will allow all of the above best practices to be operationalized within the
factory’s culture to produce ETO goods that deliver the desired profit margins
with the least waste.
https://manufacturing-software-blog.mrpeasy.com/engineer-to-order-
process-flow-and-best-practices/
https://www.mrpeasy.com/