Feature Introduction
You produce goods for sale — baking cakes, sewing clothes, formulating cosmetics, assembling components — but at the end of each month, you still can't answer the simplest question: how much does it cost me to produce one of my products? Raw materials are recorded in one place, labor costs are estimated, and machine costs are "approximated." And right now, in the middle of a production run, you don't know where the line is, which station is bottlenecked, or which batch is about to finish.
From today, you don't have to guess anymore.
GTG CRM has a Production Management module integrated with the Inventory, Purchasing, and Accounting modules you're already using. You define product recipes (Bill of Materials - BOM), production orders automatically calculate the exact amount of raw materials needed, deduct them from inventory upon starting, and automatically calculate the cost of finished goods = raw materials + labor + overhead upon completion. Finished goods are stocked at this exact cost, and the cost of goods sold journal entry is posted directly to your accounting ledger — no more finished goods with a "zero cost.".
The latest update brings production directly to the shop floor: capacity-based scheduling with Gantt charts, and a real-time shop floor screen (MES) — touch-screen workstations for operators at each station, along with a dashboard (andon) mounted on the wall to see the entire line at a glance.
Problems Businesses Face
| Old Method | Consequences |
|---|---|
| Recording raw materials in a notebook, estimating labor costs mentally | Unknown true cost, incorrect pricing, perceived profit but actual loss |
| Not knowing if enough raw materials are available for upcoming orders | Running out of stock mid-production, or holding dead inventory of raw materials |
| Finished goods stocked at "zero cost" because the software can't calculate it | Inaccurate profit and loss reports, incorrect Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) |
| Not knowing the progress of the line mid-shift, which station is bottlenecked | Discovering delays only after the deadline, idle workers, managers having to go down to the shop floor to ask operators |
| Recording output, scrap, and running time on paper and re-entering it at the end of the day | Delayed and inaccurate data, incorrect costs, inability to trace responsibility |
| Inventory, purchasing, accounting, and production in separate software | Redundant data entry, inconsistent data across systems |
GTG CRM consolidates everything into one process: define recipe → schedule → issue orders to stations → operators start/complete directly on the shop floor → deduct raw materials → calculate cost → stock finished goods → post to accounting — all in one continuous flow within the same system you use for sales and invoicing.
Highlights
1. Multi-level Bill of Materials (BOM) — The Product's "Recipe"
- Define Once, Use Forever: list each raw material (quantity, unit, scrap percentage) and process steps (which work center, setup time + run time).
- Multi-level: a component in a recipe can itself be a semi-finished product with its own recipe — the system expands all levels.
- Activate When Ready: maintain multiple recipe versions, only use activated ones.
2. Production Orders Automatically Calculate Materials and Costs
- Automatic Recipe Expansion: select the product and recipe, enter the quantity — the system calculates the exact raw materials and process steps needed (including scrap).
- Deduct from Inventory Upon Start: raw materials are deducted from inventory when you click Start; shortages are immediately flagged.
- Automatic Cost Calculation Upon Completion: enter the quantity produced and actual time spent — the system calculates unit cost = (raw materials + labor + overhead) ÷ quantity produced, and finished goods are stocked at that cost.
3. Cost of Goods Manufactured (COGM) Posted Directly to Accounting — Calculated Based on Actual Production
- No More Zero-Cost Finished Goods: self-produced items always have a cost basis, ensuring accurate Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) and profit and loss reports.
- Accurate Roll-up from the Shop Floor: the quantity produced, scrap, and running time recorded by operators at each step roll up to the actual cost of the batch — eliminating discrepancies from end-of-day manual entry.
- Automatic Journal Entries: Cost of Goods Manufactured (COGM) is automatically posted to the general ledger, aligning with your chart of accounts.
- Accounting and Production as One: no manual reconciliation between two separate systems.
4. Material Requirements Planning (MRP) — Including Customer Orders
- Set Inventory Levels (minimum / reorder point / target) for each product, then run Planning (MRP): the system compares demand with inventory and suggests purchase orders (what to buy) and production orders (what to make).
- Based on Open Sales Orders: enable "include demand from sales orders" to plan based on customer orders — the system deducts ordered quantities from inventory and work-in-progress, suggesting production for the remaining deficit.
- Understand the Rationale Behind Suggestions: each suggestion clearly states its source (inventory levels, sales orders, or both).
5. Production Against Sales Orders — Directly Linked from Sales
- From Sales Order: open the order, check the Production Plan tab — it shows how much has been ordered, how much is in stock, how much is in production, and how much is still needed. Click "Create Production Order" for the deficit, and the order is directly linked to that sales order.
- Track Progress: the plan line on the sales order updates to "In Production" and then "Ready" upon completion; it will gently remind you if delivery is due before production is finished (it won't block you from delivering).
6. Quality Control and Cost Variance Analysis
- Quality Inspection: record inspections upon receiving raw materials, during production, or on finished goods (passed/failed, action taken: accept / rework / scrap / quarantine). Open a Non-Conformance Report (NCR) with corrective actions and close it upon completion.
- Variance from Standard: if a standard cost is set for a product, each completed order clearly shows the variance (actual vs. standard for materials, labor, overhead) — immediately identify why a batch exceeded or fell under budget.
💡 AI Assistant Support: explains cost variances, outlines corrective actions (CAPA), and interprets MRP results in easy-to-understand language.
7. Capacity-Based Scheduling — Gantt Chart for Coordination
Not only know what needs to be done, but also when: define work centers/production teams with their work schedules (calendars), and the system will sequence process steps based on finite capacity and generate a Gantt chart — each step is a bar on the timeline of the specific work center responsible for it.
- View by Timeframe: click Today / 3 Days / Week (or select a date range) to focus on the desired period.
- Visual Coordination: anticipate bottlenecks, identify overloaded work centers, and see the estimated completion date for each order.
- Includes Changeover Time: when a machine/work center switches from one product to another, requiring cleaning/setup time — this time is factored into the schedule to make estimated delivery dates more realistic.
- Benefits: promise realistic delivery dates, avoid overloading work centers, reduce downtime due to changeovers.
8. Real-Time Shop Floor Screen (MES) — Operator Terminals and Andon Boards
This step brings production directly to the shop floor. Enable "Real-Time Shop Floor Screen" in Production Settings with a single toggle, then open the Shop Floor Screen application on tablets placed at each station (and a large screen mounted on the wall for the entire line).
Operator Workstations — a touch screen, tap to start, no need to navigate through the entire CRM software:
- See Only Your Station's Work: queue of process steps for that specific station, with ready jobs appearing at the top.
- Check Materials Before Starting: open a job and immediately see if enough materials are available to proceed (needed / available / short) — avoid starting only to discover shortages later.
- Start → Complete On-Site: tap Start, then tap Complete upon finishing and enter quantity produced, scrap, downtime — data enters the system instantly, rolling up directly to the cost.
- Machine Status at Your Fingertips: switch machine status between running / idle / changeover / stopped directly on the screen.
- One-Tap Breakdowns (Andon): machine failure or material shortage — tap a button to alert management immediately, no need to search for someone.
- Quality Checks & Lot Label Printing at Station: when required by the process step, perform quality checks and print lot labels directly on-site.
Shop Floor Dashboard (Andon) — a large screen for the entire line:
- The Entire Line at a Glance: all stations with their current status (running / idle / changeover / stopped), jobs in progress, and progress.
- See Breakdowns Immediately: stations that are stopped or lacking materials are highlighted for timely resolution.
- Overall Line Productivity & OEE: quantity produced, scrap, and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) for the entire line, updated continuously.
- Automated Machines and Manual Labor Share the Same Board: whether a process step is reported by an automated machine or entered manually by an operator, all data appears consistently on the same board — suitable for both a factory with connected machines and one where "machines are people at workstations."
ℹ️ Clear Role-Based Permissions: operators only run process steps at their assigned station; planning and order issuance are for production managers — everyone performs their own tasks, ensuring safety and accountability.
9. Co-products/By-products, Fractional Units & Lot Traceability
- Co-products/By-products: a batch can yield multiple finished products or by-products — define them directly in the recipe.
- Fractional Units: entering fractional quantities (e.g., 1.25 kg) no longer corrupts product lists.
- Lot Traceability + Genealogy + Expiration Dates: each batch has its own lot number, allowing tracing of raw material lots used (genealogy) and alerting before finished goods/raw materials reach their expiration dates.
- Benefits: quickly trace the root cause of quality issues; prevent expired stock.
10. Smart MRP Advisor, OEE/SPC, and Lot Label Printing
- MRP Advisor: suggests safety stock, batch sizes, raw material blending, machine changeover optimization, and demand forecasting — presented in easy-to-understand language, using actual product names, not cryptic codes.
- OEE/SPC: monitor equipment effectiveness and quality variations for continuous improvement.
- Lot Label Printing (PDF): print lot labels for finished goods for labeling and traceability.
- Benefits: make informed decisions on purchasing, production, and inventory based on clear recommendations, reducing waste and downtime.
Benefits for Your Business
| Feature | Actual Benefits for You |
|---|---|
| Multi-level BOM | Standardized recipes, ensuring consistent output and cost regardless of who produces it |
| Production orders with automatic cost calculation | Know the exact cost to produce an item — enabling accurate pricing |
| Cost of Goods Manufactured (COGM) posted directly to ledger | Accurate profit and loss reporting, eliminating "zero-cost" finished goods |
| Actual output/scrap recorded at each step | Accurate cost roll-up based on real-time data, preventing discrepancies from end-of-day entries |
| MRP based on customer orders | Avoid stockouts during production, eliminate holding dead inventory |
| Production directly linked to sales orders | Produce exactly what customers need, when they need it, ensuring timely deliveries without shortages |
| Quality control + variance analysis | Control waste, identify problematic batches and their causes |
| Capacity-based Gantt scheduling + changeover | Promise realistic delivery dates, prevent work center overload, reduce idle time |
| Real-time shop floor screen (MES) | See line progress in real-time; operators report/complete tasks on-site |
| Full line Andon board | Immediate visibility of issues, enabling swift management response without having to go to the shop floor |
| Lot traceability + expiration dates | Trace issues to their root cause, prevent expired stock |
| MRP Advisor + OEE/SPC | Reduce waste, minimize downtime, maintain optimal inventory levels |
Who Is It For?
- Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturing Plants: food, beverages, cosmetics, apparel, furniture, metalworking, printing, home appliances.
- Plants with Multiple Stations/Lines requiring real-time progress visibility and capacity coordination, without needing to constantly check each station.
- Shop Owners Who Also Produce (cakes, handmade items, custom manufacturing) wanting to know their true costs for pricing.
- Growing Businesses Looking to Move Beyond Excel/Separate Production Software and consolidate into a single system with sales, inventory, and accounting.
How to Get Started?
Navigate to Manufacturing in the system, define Units of Measure and Production Centers, build the Bill of Materials (BOM) for a product, and then create your first production order. Want to manage directly on the shop floor? Enable "Real-Time Shop Floor Screen" in Production Settings, then open the Shop Floor Screen application on a tablet at each station and a large screen for the andon board. Have existing raw material/BOM lists in Excel? Upload the file and let AI automatically match columns. See the step-by-step Production Management guide, or read the case study From Raw Materials to Finished Goods — Know the Exact Cost, Price Without Guessing.
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