Manufacturing & Engineering Bespoke Web and Software Development

Understanding Business Needs in Manufacturing & Engineering

The Manufacturing and Engineering industries often operate with extremely complex workflows, specialised equipment and unique compliance standards that off-the-shelf solutions may simply not be able to accommodate. Custom software solutions on the other hand, enable these organisations to integrate various systems (bespoke or otherwise) automate specific processes and enhance operational efficiency all of which can ensure the business remains viable and competitive in an already saturated market.

With regards to the manufacturing sector, bespoke software often include systems for production planning, inventory management and quality control, whilst web applications may support supply chain tracking, real-time monitoring and/or customer portals. For engineering organisations, software that includes tailored tools such as design automation, project management or simulation software are common.

Development Team and Platform Expertise

As with any industry, having a team of developers who have specific expertise in the manufacturing and engineering field is always going to beneficial. When developers have this specialised, working knowledge they are much better positioned to understand the intricacies and challenges of these sectors such as production workflows, design systems and compliance standards than those without the sector specific knowledge.

Let's take a closer look at some of the benefits of utilising a developer team with industry specific knowledge for software projects and how they can make the development process a more streamlined and effective process.

They Understand Industry Specific Workflows - Developers with experience working with the Manufacturing & Engineering sector have the experience to model common processes throughout the industry including CAD integration, supply chain optimisation and/or machine automation.

They Can Solve Problems Quicker - By using developers with readily available experience in these sector, you can be assured they are familiar with the common challenges these industries face which in turn, enables them to propose innovative and practical solutions quickly and effectively.

They Know How To Make Tools That Are Efficient And Precise - Having engineering and manufacturing working knowledge allows developers to create targeted tools that enhance productivity by addressing bottlenecks unique to manufacturing and engineering environments.

They Can Anticipate Future Trends - When developers have a background working with specific industries, they are better able to anticipate technological changes trends which can help them develop software that is future proof and ready to evolve, preparing businesses for growth and innovation.

Management Systems in Manufacturing & Engineering

Management Systems can refer to any number of different business systems that are used for day to day operations. Supply Chain Management, Enterprise Resource Planning, Quality Management and Asset Management Systems are all examples that are particularly prevalent across the Manufacturing and Engineering industries. Here, we take a closer look at these systems can offer to businesses.

Supply Chain Management (SCM) Systems

SCM systems allow organisations to co-ordinate their logistics, inventory and supplier relationships to ensure production flows are efficient and in some cases, automated whilst giving the business the ability to manage all of their supply chain elements from one single platform.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems

ERP systems allow businesses to integrate core business processes including procurement, production planning and inventory management. They are particularly useful in the Manufacturing and Engineering industries as they tend to be production driven and for this to be effective they need a streamlined and consistent way to obtain the components they need, to keep track of said components to avoid shortages and because the production process can be quite complex with multiple stages, they offer a one stop shop for monitoring and controlling these processes end to end.

Quality Management Systems (QMS)

QMS are widely used across the Manufacturing and Engineering industries and provide organisations with a centralised platform from which they can manage all aspects of quality control can be managed. Through the use of a QMS software system businesses are able to digitise the documents and processes that organisations adhere to when pushing out products to market that are safe and viable, that meet any relevant regulatory requirements and that meet their clients expectations.

Production Management Systems (PMS)

PMS are software solutions that are commonly use to plan, monitor and ultimately optimise production workflows. They usually consist of the end to end production based workflows of an organisation including the planning, scheduling, resource allocation, inventory tracking, quality control and reporting. Essentially, PMS take these activities and digitise them helping to increase efficiency via automation all whilst ensuring the consistent quality of the products in question.

Inventory Management Systems (IMS)

Inventory Management Systems (IMS) are critical tools in the Manufacturing and Engineering industries. They are use to track, manage and ultimately optimise the use of materials, components and finished goods and encompass everything from raw materials through to finished products and are particularly useful for multi-site organisations in that they can consolidate the inventories across all sites.

Cost-Effectiveness of Bespoke Solutions

Any organisation that chooses to invest in a software solution is right to expect a return in some way shape or form whether that be through improved efficiencies, streamlined operations, costs savings or a combination. For many, off-the-shelf solutions provide this but for others with more complex and unique workflows and processes (particularly prevalent in Manufacturing and Engineering), off-the-shelf solutions don't cut it. Bespoke software on the other hand allows organisations to design their software from scratch based on their requirements only - it is built to encompass the intricacies of a single organisation rather than to appeal to the masses. Here are some of the ways these bespoke solutions can be cost effective.

Relevant Features Only

Bespoke software is custom built to meet the exact needs of a business, which ensures that every feature adds value which in turn reduces or negates the need for additional tools and/or licensing. New features can also be added at the businesses discretion as needed rather than relying on a third party.

Future Proof

Custom software can be designed in a way that allows it the scale with the business, particularly if the organisation in question has an idea of any additions or changes that may be needed in the future to accommodate new hires, a wider service offering. This future-proofing avoids the repeated costs of purchasing and migrating to new software.

Integrations

Bespoke solutions can be designed to integrate with existing systems because they are being built from scratch. Off-the-shelf systems may offer some system integrations but this is generally to other off-the-shelf software which makes integrating off-the-shelf software with existing bespoke systems difficult if not impossible without incurring additional development costs.

No Licensing Fees

With off-the-shelf software, users usually pay an on-going monthly licensing fee to access the software system which also covers updates and changes which may not even be relevant to the business. With custom software, there are no on-going licensing fees - once the software is developed and implemented, it belongs to the purchasing company. Furthermore, updates and changes can be done without reliance on a third party and they will all be relevant to the organisation.

Increased Efficiency

Bespoke systems can significantly improve efficiency for businesses through the automation of tasks, improving workflows and integrating with other existing systems to create smooth and streamlined operations. They can also reduce the need for manual labour and help reduce errors.

How Can We Help?

Cool Code Company have worked closely with the Manufacturing and Engineering industries for over 15 years, developing and implementing bespoke solutions that streamline workflows, enhance productivity and provide cost savings. We understand the intricacies of these industries and how software can target and overcome industry specific challenges including clunky production processes, duplication of work and inefficient resourcing. We work with our Manufacturing and Engineering clients to get a thorough understanding of their current environment and what they would like to achieve, provide options on how to get there and then we make it happen!

But Don't Just Take Our Word For It....

Why not take a look at how we helped Leicester based Metalworking suppliers Westermans International transform their operations with a fully bespoke hybrid CRM/WFM system that increased productivity in the workplace upwards of a whopping 75%!