Manufacturing operations
Software for Manufacturers, built around your floor
Production is tracked on paper or in a spreadsheet that one person maintains, the ERP is a day behind the floor, and every site keeps its own version of the stock number.
Where it hurts
If more than two of these are true, there is a project here
We hear these from plant managers, operations directors and the COO more than anything else.
- Operators log production on paper, and somebody types it in the next morning
- Two plants report the same SKU differently and nobody can say which is right
- Downtime gets discussed in the morning meeting instead of measured
- The ERP holds the truth but nobody on the floor can see it
- Quality checks live in a binder that only matters during an audit
What we build
The pieces that usually matter first
Shop-floor logging app
Tablet or kiosk entry at the line, built for gloves and bad lighting
Downtime and scrap capture
Reason codes at the moment it happens, not reconstructed later
Digital work orders and travellers
The job packet on a screen, with the current revision
Multi-site stock view
One number per SKU across every plant and outlet
ERP sync
Production, consumption and stock moving both ways on a schedule you set
Operations dashboards
Output, yield and downtime by line, by shift, daily
Systems we connect
None of this works in isolation
Whatever we build has to agree with the systems that already hold your numbers.
How we start
Small, and in production
We usually start with one line or one plant, four weeks, and a working app the operators actually use. If it does not survive contact with the floor there is nothing to roll out.
FAQ
Common questions
Our ERP has no API. Is this still possible?
Usually yes. Plenty of regional and older ERPs have no public API, and the answer is a read-only database connection, a scheduled export, or the file drop the system already produces. It changes the design and the cost, not the outcome. We confirm which applies in the first few days, before quoting.
Will operators actually use it?
They use it when it is faster than the paper it replaces. That means a handful of large buttons, no logins to type, offline tolerance, and nothing that makes them wait on a network. We design for that first and the reporting second.
Do we have to replace our ERP?
No, and we would argue against it. Replacing an ERP is a two-year project with a high failure rate. Putting a usable layer on top of it, and syncing properly, gets you most of the benefit in weeks.
What does a project like this cost?
It depends on scope and we quote it line by line after a call, never before. We run two delivery tracks: a blended squad at roughly $24 to $45 per hour for straightforward builds, and a senior-only pod at roughly $75 to $120 per hour where architecture, security review and a compressed timeline matter. Most first projects here land in the four to six week range.
Keep exploring
Other operations we build for
- Logistics and fleet operationsLoads are assigned by phone call and remembered, not recorded
- Field service operationsScheduling is a shared calendar and a lot of phone calls
- Healthcare operationsPatient intake is a clipboard, then re-typed into the system
- Retail operationsStore tasks go out by email or group chat with no way to see completion
- Agri and food processingEach machine holds its own data and nobody joins it up
Let's talk
Tell us what you're building.
Get a free 30-minute strategy call. You'll leave with a clear plan, a realistic estimate and our honest opinion — whether or not you work with us.
- Email usmail@voliom.com