Manufacturing software development
Manufacturing software and portals that connect the shop floor to the office.
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Tell us about your manufacturing project. We reply within two hours.
The challenge
Manufacturers lose time to manual tracking and disconnected systems, with no live picture of production, inventory, and orders.
We build production tracking, inventory, quality, and portal software that connects your shop floor to the office and to the systems you already run, so you spend less time on paperwork and more on output.
Who this manufacturing software development page is for
This page is for small and mid-sized manufacturers, job shops, fabricators, food and packaging producers and distributors in Canada. Custom manufacturing software usually starts with one painful gap: job status lives on a whiteboard, inventory counts are wrong, quality records are paper, or customers phone for order status because the ERP has no portal.
Systems manufacturing businesses already run, and what we connect to
Custom software rarely starts from nothing. These are the systems we usually find in place, and the integration approach we take with each.
- ERPs, from small-business accounting platforms to Epicor Prophet 21, Sage, NetSuite and others, connected by API or database view
- Machine controllers and PLCs where a data interface exists, otherwise operator input on a tablet
- Barcode and label printers for lots, bins and shipments
- Quality and calibration records, often still in spreadsheets
- Customer EDI and supplier portals for orders and advance ship notices
- Time and attendance systems for labour costing
Build, buy or connect: what usually makes sense in manufacturing
We recommend off-the-shelf software whenever it fits. Custom development earns its cost only where the row says so.
| Need | Off-the-shelf | Custom build |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting, purchasing and general ledger | Keep the ERP. Rebuilding it is the wrong project. | Build the shop-floor and customer layers the ERP lacks. |
| Shop-floor job tracking | MES products fit large plants with standard processes. | Build a lightweight tablet app when you need a fast, simple screen per work centre tied to your ERP jobs. |
| Inventory management software for manufacturing (lots, bins, kits) | ERP inventory modules cover the basics. | Build scanning, cycle counts and kitting screens that write to the ERP when the module is too slow for the floor. |
| Customer portal (order status, documents, reorders) | Rare in mid-market ERPs. | Usually the highest-value build: fewer status calls, faster reorders. |
What a first release usually includes
We scope a first release that a real team can use within weeks, then add phases. For manufacturing projects that first release typically contains:
- Job and work-order status per work centre, entered from a tablet on the floor
- Barcode receiving, moves and cycle counts that sync with the ERP
- A live board for the office: what is running, late, or waiting on material
- Quality checks captured as structured data with photos
- Customer portal with order status and shipping documents
What drives the cost
We do not publish prices because these drivers change the number more than anything else. Your quote is fixed-scope and written after discovery.
- ERP integration depth and the quality of its API or database access
- Number of work centres and how different their steps are
- Machine data capture versus operator input
- Traceability requirements: lot, serial, expiry and recall reporting
- Rugged devices, label printing and plant Wi-Fi coverage
- Multi-plant or multi-company setups
Timelines for manufacturing software, and what moves them
Ranges below are typical for the scope described on this page. They are not a promise for your project; the right-hand column is what makes a project land at the short or long end.
| Phase | Typical range | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery and ERP access | 2 to 4 weeks | How quickly the ERP vendor grants API or database access |
| First release (floor tracking, scanning, board) | 10 to 16 weeks | Work-centre count and integration depth |
| Portal, quality, reporting phases | 4 to 8 weeks each | Traceability rules and document volume |
Privacy and compliance in Canada
- Food, pharmaceutical, medical device and aerospace manufacturers have traceability and record-keeping rules from their regulator or standard. Software must keep the records those rules require; a quality consultant and counsel should confirm the exact scope.
- Employee data (labour tracking, time on jobs) is personal information under PIPEDA or provincial laws, including Quebec Law 25 for Quebec plants.
- Customer portal data should be hosted in Canada unless customer contracts say otherwise.
- FourCents holds no ISO certification. We build to support your quality system and document the software for your auditor. Confirm with counsel.
This is general information, not legal advice. Laws and regulator guidance change; confirm your obligations with counsel and your regulator before launch.
Common mistakes we help you avoid
- Trying to replace the ERP in the same project as fixing the shop floor
- Tablet screens designed like office software, with too many fields for a gloved hand
- Skipping the plant Wi-Fi survey, then blaming the app
- Collecting machine data before anyone has decided what report it feeds
Illustrative example
Illustrative example, not a client story: a metal fabricator runs its ERP for quoting and invoicing but tracks jobs on a whiteboard. A manufacturing app on tablets at each work centre shows the queue, lets operators start and finish steps with one tap, and writes status back to the ERP. The office sees late jobs before the customer calls. A later phase adds a customer portal for order status and drawings.
Manufacturing software we build
How we build manufacturing software
A simple, transparent process from first call to long after launch.
Free quote & plan
Tell us your idea. We reply within two hours with a clear, fixed-scope quote and a plan, at no cost and no obligation.
Design & build
A senior team designs and builds your product in focused phases, with regular updates so you always know where things stand.
Launch & grow
We launch, hand over code you own, and stay on to improve it as your business grows. We are in it for the long term.
Common manufacturing software questions
Do you integrate with Epicor P21 or other ERPs?
Yes. We have a dedicated page on P21 integration. For other ERPs we work through the API, a reporting database or scheduled file exchange, depending on what the vendor allows. We confirm access before quoting.
Can you build a manufacturing app for the shop floor?
Yes. Typical builds are a tablet app for job status and labour, a scanning app for inventory moves and counts, and a quality capture app with photos. They sync with the ERP so the office and the floor see the same numbers.
What does custom manufacturing software cost?
It depends mostly on ERP integration depth, work-centre count and traceability rules. We quote after a short discovery. The blog has a longer guide on custom manufacturing software and where the money goes.
Do I own the software?
Yes. Everything we build is yours, documented and handed over with no lock-in. You receive the source code, the infrastructure setup and the documentation.
How do you quote?
After a short discovery we send a written, fixed-scope quote for the first release. Later phases are quoted separately so you only commit to what you need next. We do not publish prices because the drivers above change the number a lot.
Related pages
Build manufacturing software that works
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