Can anyone recommend simple to use, PC based,affordable software for a small job shop business (< 5 employees) for tracking orders through production? Preferably with barcode capability so that each station can scan the work order router. Could also track inventory, create POs, etc. and be able to spit everything out into accounting software for taxes.
Figured some of you would know.
Thanks.
What do you consider "affordable"?
========== Some other considerations are:
NB ==> * Perhaps the most important question -- how is your current system working? Unless you have a working manual system, computerization is almost impossible as your entire business database must be created including accounts payable/receivable, material/tool inventory, op sheets / routers, BOMs, etc. The time/cost to create and input these records will *GREATLY* exceed the cost of the computer program and the computers/LAN.
I was once involved (for a while) in a project like this and when I told the owner what records would need to be created and input he replied "If I knew all that I wouldn't need the computer." In the past a drive to "computerize" has put many business out of business. The acronym GIGO [garbage in - garbage out] is still fully operational.
Unka' George [George McDuffee] ============ Merchants have no country. The mere spot they stand on does not constitute so strong an attachment as that from which they draw their gains.
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), U.S. president. Letter, 17 March 1814.
Good luck! If you are a short run job shop, and ESPECIALLY if you do repair or emergency work, you will spend more time fiddling with the computer than making chips.
Been there through a couple of different softwares. Last one was called DCD Vista. Great production shop software, sucked for a job shop.
I've known a couple of small manufacturers that used Peachtree, and modified it to fit.
The small business version of Quicken can handle a lot of it, depends how detailed you want.
Sounds like it might be easier to keep it manual.
Do a Google for "Job shop software". 123 MILLION hits. Lots of them offering free trials. There is probably the ideal software in there somewhere, I just don't know what it is.
Easier to keep it manual? Maybe. Depends on how big you want to grow. At some point you will probably have to take the plunge. Just hope you don't get buried in the details. The last software I messed with would NOT allow me to order anything (even a special one time item for a job) without setting it up in the inventory module. Within 2 years we had over 9 THOUSAND line items in inventory! What a PITA. Made quarterly physical inventory really interesting.
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