Manufacturing Practice Group

Those of us involved in the broad range of manufacturing companies recognize manufacturing is intensive and complex. Many industries focus on the development of a relatively few products or services (software companies, professional services, young R&D and biotech companies). To be successful, manufacturing companies which produce hundreds, maybe thousands, of distinct products must control the product development, planning, supply, production, control, costing, packaging, pricing, marketing, sales and delivery of each of those products. All those products require several different raw materials and production processes. It is not an arena for amateurs.

Fortunately, software systems specifically designed to treat the complexities of manufacturing process control and reporting have grown stronger and more efficient. Major technology improvements now address the many demands the manufacturing environment places on a growing business. That simplifies the process and makes it more efficient. Still, the demands are considerable and require forethought about how best to include assemblies and formulations with appropriate inventory and work-in-process crossover points in the production flow.

Certain decisions, made when a system is first implemented, are mission-critical and irrevocable or difficult to modify, such as the choice of costing methods (FIFO, average cost, specific identification, LIFO, etc.), lot tracking, master budgeting systems and standard costing formulae. It is imperative to employ an experienced professional to review and assess your processes, then recommend the best practices to meet the company’s requirements, and, perhaps, assist in installation.

Do your systems address these critical processes?

We help evaluate and upgrade methods for the key processes in your operations, including:

• System Setup
• Country of Origin Tracing
• Lean Manufacturing
• Lot Tracking
• Process / Workflow
• Recall Procedures & Capabilities
• Materials Requirement Planning (MRP)
• Physical Unit Control and Validation
• Cost Capture
• Activity-Based Costing & Budgeting
• Materials
• Shrinkage
• Labor
• Overhead
• Shipment and Receiving
• Obsolescence / Slow-Moving Stock
• Job vs. Process Costing
• Personnel Assessment
• Lower of Cost or Market (LCM) valuation
• Warranty Reserves

Our Manufacturing Practice Group leaders bring decades of experience in a wide range of industries to assist you in meeting the demands of your industry.

Manufacturing companies that are just starting out. What software do I use? What personnel do I need? Do I start simple and become more complex over time? Or, better yet, do I start with a scalable system?

Are there breakdowns in meeting any of the critical processes in the bullet points mentioned above? Is the system producing accurate information? Are reports timely and actionable by management? Are my people qualified to produce the results I need to manage my business?

Needs change with time. What once served a small company in one location with a single production-line falls short of delivering the information needed to manage a multi-national, widely distributed, multi-functional workflow environment