Production management
Without precise management of your production, you quickly lose your grip on both capacity, delivery times and resource utilization. Dependencies between materials, machines and employees create complexity, and small deviations can have major consequences.
You need a management setup where planning and execution are closely related, and where data gives you a true picture of production in real time. Otherwise, decisions become delayed and often based on outdated information.
With production management in Business Central, you collect the entire production flow in one data basis. It gives you better control over processes, faster responsiveness and the opportunity to optimize capacity and output with greater precision.
Handling in Business Central
The production module in Business Central is designed for both discreet and process-based production, and can be used for both order-based manufacturing, series production and project production. The system allows you to control the entire process from forecast and planning to completion notification and post-calculation.
BOMs and routes
Create multi-layered BOM (BOM) lists with variants, subcomponents, and dependencies
Define production routes with operations, cycle times, work centers and resource groups
Use routing link codes to control which components are consumed in which operations
Capacity and resource planning
Plan based on fixed and variable setup times, cycle times and overlapping operations
Assign work centers, individual machines or employees
Use capacity plans and load summaries (Gantt-like) to visualize bottlenecks and distribution
Materials management and MRP
Calculate net needs for raw materials, components and semi-finished products via material accounting and MRP
Automatically propose and create production orders and purchases via planning runs
Take into account lead time, security stock and min/max stocks when calculating needs
Production types and order flows
Manage simulated, planned, released and completed production orders
Support both make-to-order (MTO) and make-to-stock (MTS)
Customize workflows with approvals, reservation and inventory locations
Completion and post-calculation
Actual record consumption of time, materials and waste directly from production
Compare planned and actual resource consumption in production calculations
Generate accurate item usage, update stocks and accounting automatically
What business value does it create?
Production management in Business Central is more than system support – it is a management tool that increases predictability, reduces errors and minimizes reliance on key people.
Operational effects:
- Lower lead time due to reduced coordination needs and better resource allocation
- Increased delivery precision and less need for urgent orders or fire response
- Clear identification of bottlenecks and possibilities for displacement or redeployment
- Automated linking of purchases, storage and production without manual intermediate bills
- Increased quality and compliance via documented and traceable production
Business gains:
- Better decision-making basis based on real-time data and simulated scenarios
- Better cost management and precise production calculations
- Greater flexibility in dealing with variations in demand or material availability
- Scalability – from one production to multiple locations or extended product lines
This is how we work
Our approach to production management is not about pressing buttons, but about getting the system to support your real flow. This requires an understanding of both the technical possibilities and the organizational everyday life.
We help e.g. with:
- Mapping of existing production setup and key figures (capacity, lead time, scrap, OTD)
- Setting up BOMs, routes, work centres and planning parameters
- Adaptation of standard processes to your needs: manual vs. automated approvals, reservations, batches etc.
- Integration with storage, purchasing and finance – including setting up planning flows and automatic documents
- Development of reports and dashboards for load, output, propulsion and deviations
Examples of typical industries and flows
- Food production: batches, durability, deviations, hygiene documentation
- Metal and machine production: tool control, scrap, operation time and multiterminals
- Pharma/medico: requirements for validation, logging, double documentation, traceability
- Project production: unique BOM structures, ad hoc planning and inventory reservation