Output reported after the fact
Quantities are written on a sheet and keyed in later, so management sees yesterday's production, if that.
Custom Software · Manufacturing
Custom manufacturing software development for the shop floor
An ERP plans production. The shop floor needs tools that record what actually happened, operator by operator and machine by machine. We build that layer.
What is Manufacturing Management Systems?
Custom manufacturing software development is the building of production software tailored to a specific factory: shop-floor terminals, work order tracking, machine and downtime capture, in-process quality checks and production dashboards. It typically complements an ERP's planning module, such as Odoo MRP, by capturing execution data that standard screens do not handle well. The result works like a lightweight manufacturing execution system (MES) sized to the plant.
Most factories already plan production somewhere, whether in an ERP, a spreadsheet or the production manager's notebook. The gap is execution: output is reported at the end of a shift from memory, downtime reasons are never recorded, scrap is estimated, and the planned cost of an order has little to do with the actual one. A shop floor management system closes that gap only if operators can record data in seconds, on the machine, without leaving their station.
The gap between the production plan and the shop floor
Downtime without reasons
Machines stop for changeovers, breakdowns or missing material, but the causes are never captured consistently.
Standard ERP screens on the floor
Operators struggle with office-style forms on shared PCs, so they stop using them.
Actual cost unknown
Material consumption, scrap and labor time per order are estimated rather than measured.
Our Manufacturing Management Systems service
Fit-gap against Odoo MRP
We check bills of materials, routings, work centers, work orders and quality checks in Odoo MRP first, and list what needs extending or building.
Shop-floor terminals
Simple touch or tablet screens for start, pause, finish, quantity and scrap entry, designed for operators rather than office users.
Downtime and OEE tracking
Stop reasons, changeover times and performance data captured per machine, with availability, performance and quality reporting.
Machine and sensor data
Counters, PLC or sensor readings collected where machines expose them, reducing manual entry for cycle counts.
In-process quality checks
Inspection points at each operation with measurements, pass/fail results and holds on non-conforming lots.
Production dashboards
Live line status, plan versus actual, WIP and scrap by shift, shown on screens in the plant and on managers' phones.
Included capabilities
- Operator login by badge or PIN
- Work order start, pause and finish
- Scrap and rework recording
- Downtime reason codes
- Machine counter integration
- Lot and serial traceability
- Inspection checklists per operation
- Plan versus actual by shift
- Shop-floor TV dashboards
What Manufacturing Management Systems changes for your business
Same-shift visibility
Supervisors see output and problems while the shift is still running.
Measured, not estimated
Actual consumption, scrap and time feed costing and planning.
Downtime you can act on
Consistent reason codes show which stops recur and where.
ERP stays standard
Shop-floor needs are met in a separate layer, so the ERP remains easier to upgrade.
Where it makes the biggest difference
Discrete assembly
Multi-step assembly with serial-number traceability and inspection at each station.
Process manufacturing
Batch production in food, chemicals or plastics with weighing, lot genealogy and yield tracking.
Job shops
Make-to-order work with varied routings where knowing each job's status is critical.
Packaging and bottling lines
High-speed lines where machine counters and downtime matter more than manual entry.
From line walk to live shop-floor data
We pilot on one line or work center before extending to the whole plant.
Walk the line
Follow materials and work orders through the plant and note where data is lost or delayed.
Fit-gap with the ERP
Map requirements to Odoo MRP or your current ERP and agree what stays standard.
Design operator screens
Prototype terminal screens with operators and supervisors, not only managers.
Pilot one work center
Deploy on a single line, collect feedback and verify the data against manual records.
Connect machines
Add counters and sensor feeds where they are available and reliable.
Extend across the plant
Roll out to remaining work centers and shifts with training at each station.
Improve with data
Review downtime and scrap reports with your team and refine reason codes and checks.
What it connects to
Manufacturing Management Systems
- Odoo MRP and Inventory
- Other ERP systems via API
- PLCs and machine counters
- Barcode and RFID scanners
- Weighing scales
- Label printers
- Quality measurement devices
Built with
Odoo MRP alone, extended, or with a custom shop-floor layer?
| Criterion | Standard Odoo MRP | Odoo MRP with custom modules | Custom shop-floor layer + ERP |
|---|---|---|---|
| BoMs, routings, work orders | Included | Included | From the ERP |
| Operator terminal experience | Standard tablet view | Tailored screens | Designed for your stations |
| Machine data capture | Limited | Possible with development | Core feature |
| Upgrade impact | Lowest | Modules must be ported | ERP stays closer to standard |
| Best fit | Standard processes, manual reporting | Moderate gaps | Detailed execution and machine data |
Security, quality and scale
Operator accountability
Every entry is linked to the logged-in operator, station and time.
Network separation
Machine connections are designed with your IT team to keep production networks isolated where needed.
Local resilience
Terminals can queue data if the connection to the server drops, then synchronize.
Change control
Updates are tested on staging and deployed outside production hours.
What working with us looks like
Odoo MRP depth
We implement Odoo Manufacturing, so we know where its standard features end.
Built for operators
We design terminal screens with the people who use them during a shift.
Pilot before scale
One line goes live and proves itself before the rest of the plant follows.
Separate layer, clean ERP
We keep shop-floor customization out of the ERP core where possible.
What it costs
Fixed-price packages with the scope written down, paid stage by stage. Your project goes live once it's fully paid.
Related services, technologies and industries
Sources and further reading
Official documentation and guidance if you want to read more about this topic.
Manufacturing Management Systems: questions we hear most
Do we need a custom system if we already use Odoo MRP?
Not always. If operators can record work orders on Odoo's standard tablet view and you do not need machine data, configuration may be enough. Custom tools make sense when the plant needs faster operator screens, downtime tracking or machine integration that standard screens do not provide.
What is the difference between MRP and MES?
MRP plans what to make, when and with which materials, while MES records how production actually happens on the shop floor. A custom shop-floor layer brings MES-style execution data back into the ERP for costing and planning.
Can you connect to our machines?
Often, if the machine has a PLC, counter output or network interface that can be read. Older machines can sometimes be fitted with simple sensors. We assess each machine before including it in scope.
Can this work with an ERP other than Odoo?
Yes. A shop-floor layer can integrate with another ERP through its API or database interfaces, receiving work orders and sending back actual production data.
How do operators log in on shared terminals?
Usually with a badge scan or short PIN, so switching operators takes seconds and every entry is still attributed to the right person.
Next step
Show us where production data goes missing
Tell us how output, downtime and scrap are recorded today. We'll suggest what to keep in the ERP and what belongs on the shop floor.