Manufacturing
ERP software for small manufacturers
Bills of materials, work orders, raw-material stock, invoices and shop-floor payroll in one system, so the cost of what you make is a number you can trust.
In short
SimpleERP is ERP software for small manufacturers. Bills of materials roll up cost with scrap, work orders consume raw materials and produce finished goods at actual cost, and invoices, purchases and payroll post to the same ledger.
Illustration of a bill of materials with cost roll-up and a work order moving from planned to in progress to completed.
A day in a manufacturing business
A small workshop runs on three questions: what do we need to make, do we have the material, and what did it cost.
The day starts with an order. Northside Retail wants twenty steel racks by Friday. Someone checks whether there is enough steel sheet and angle in the store room, someone else calls the steel stockholder for a price, and the supervisor writes a job on a whiteboard.
By evening the racks are half made. Material has been used, a little has gone to scrap, and two welders worked overtime. None of that is in the books yet. The cost per rack is a guess based on last year's price list, and the stock register will be corrected at month end, if anyone has time.
SimpleERP replaces the whiteboard and the guess with two documents: a bill of materials that says what goes into one rack, and a work order that records what was actually used and made. Completing the work order moves the stock and puts the real cost on the finished rack, so the invoice that follows shows a real margin.
Bills of materials
Know what one unit costs before you quote
A bill of materials lists the components for one batch, the scrap you expect on each and the labour or overhead per batch, and SimpleERP rolls them up into a unit cost.
- Scrap per component. A 2% allowance on sheet metal raises the planned quantity and the cost.
- Additional cost per batch for labour, power or overhead, absorbed into the finished good.
- Versions. Save a changed recipe as a new version; past work orders keep the plan they used.
| Line | Quantity | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Steel sheet 1.2 mm | 14.5 kg @ $1.10 | $15.95 |
| Angle 25×25 | 6 m @ $1.40 | $8.40 |
| Bolts and nuts | 1 set @ $0.90 | $0.90 |
| Powder coat | 0.4 kg @ $6.00 | $2.40 |
| Scrap allowance | 2% of $27.65 | $0.55 |
| Labour and overhead | per unit | $4.50 |
| Unit cost | $32.70 |
Work orders
Work orders that move stock only when the job is done
A work order goes from plan to start to complete, and only completion moves stock: components leave the source warehouse at average cost and finished goods enter the target warehouse at the actual unit cost.
- Plan freezes the materials from the BOM and checks availability in the source warehouse.
- Start marks the job as in progress without touching stock.
- Complete records actual consumption, receives the output and posts any overhead to the books.
- Make to order. Create a work order straight from a confirmed sales order line.
Purchase and inventory
Raw materials you can count on
Raw materials, work in hand and finished goods sit in the same stock ledger, valued at weighted average cost, so steel sheet shows on the low-stock list before the job stops.
- Purchase orders and supplier bills receive material into the right warehouse at the bill cost.
- Low stock list turns shortfalls into purchase orders, grouped by supplier.
- Stock adjustments in count mode fix the numbers after a physical count, with a reason.
- Transfers move material between the store room and the shop floor.
Illustration of stock on hand by warehouse at average cost, with a low-stock row highlighted and a movement ledger.
Billing
Invoices that know what the goods cost
When you invoice finished goods, SimpleERP issues the stock, posts the cost of goods sold at the current average and writes the tax in the same step, so margin is visible per invoice.
- Your tax rate on each product, picked up by every invoice line.
- A tax summary by rate at the foot of the print.
- Clean A4 print with your bank details and the amount in words.
Illustration of tax invoice INV-2026-0213 to Northside Retail with tax 10% and the amount in words.
People and payroll
Pay the shop floor right, from attendance
Mark attendance for the whole floor in one screen, and the monthly payroll run reads paid days and loss of pay from it, with your deductions on every payslip.
- Shifts with grace minutes and weekly offs, so late marks are consistent.
- Salary structures with basic pay, allowances and deductions per employee.
- Advances recovered through the payslip, month by month.
- Payroll posts to the books when you approve and pay.
Illustration of a payslip with Basic salary, Allowances, Bonus and net pay of 4,440.
Ready on day one
What you don't have to set up
SimpleERP seeds the boring parts when you sign up, so the first work order is about your product, not about configuring software.
- A chart of accounts with inventory, cost of goods sold and a manufacturing overhead account already mapped.
- Your country's tax rates, ready to pick on a product.
- Units such as pieces, kilograms and metres, and document numbering on your financial year.
- Salary components for your country and a default shift.
- Seven ready-made roles, from Owner to Employee self-service, to copy and adjust later.
By job
Manufacturing by job
Inventory for manufacturers
Castings, copper wire, bearings and finished pumps by warehouse at weighted average cost, with reorder levels and a movement ledger behind every number.
Read moreAccounting for manufacturers
A double-entry ledger that a pump maker's bills, invoices, work orders and payroll write by themselves, with the month-end checks laid out.
Read morePayroll for factories
Two-shift attendance, shift allowance, overtime lines and holiday advances turned into payslips that post to the books.
Read moreProduction for small factories
Bills of materials for stators and pumps, work orders that check material and move stock on completion, and the real cost of every unit.
Read more
One system
The modules that do this work
A completed work order writes stock movements and a journal; an invoice for the finished goods writes the sale, the cost and the tax.
Manufacturing
Bills of materials with scrap and cost roll-up, and work orders from plan to complete.
See howInventory
Stock on hand by warehouse at weighted average cost, with a movement ledger and a low-stock list.
See howPurchase
Purchase orders, supplier bills that receive stock, debit notes and payables.
See howInvoicing & tax
Tax invoices with VAT, GST or sales tax on every line, numbered by fiscal year and posted in one step.
See howPayroll
Salary structures, monthly runs and payslips with your earnings and deductions, posted to the books.
See howAccounting
A double-entry ledger with journals, bank registers, statements and a lock date.
See how
Honest limits
What SimpleERP does not do for manufacturers yet
We would rather you know now than find out in month two.
- Batch, lot, serial number or expiry tracking. Stock is tracked by product and warehouse.
- Job-work dispatch notes for material sent to or received from another unit.
- Partial completion. A work order completes once, so split long runs into several work orders.
- Routing, machine capacity planning or shop-floor scheduling.
- Piece-rate wages. Payroll is monthly salary with components.
- E-invoicing or transport documents filed through a government system.
Getting started
Start with your first invoice
Sign up with your email
Name, email and a password. No card for the seven-day trial.
Tell us about the business
Pick your country and, if you are registered, type your tax number. Accounts, tax rates, units, roles and numbering are seeded for that country.
Add what you sell
Import your raw materials and finished goods from a CSV file, with opening stock per warehouse, or add them one by one. Then build the BOM for your first product.
Post your first invoice
Pick the customer, add lines and save. Your first invoice can be out within 10 minutes of signing up.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Which tax rate applies to goods I manufacture?
It depends on the finished product and your country's VAT, GST or sales tax rules, not on the fact that you made it. In SimpleERP you set a tax rate on each product and every invoice line applies it. Rates differ by country and change, so confirm the rate for your goods with your accountant or tax authority before you rely on it.
How does SimpleERP work out the cost of a finished product?
On completion, components are issued at their current weighted average cost, any additional cost from the BOM is added, and the total is divided by the quantity produced. Finished goods enter stock at that actual unit cost.
Can I send material to a job worker?
There are no job-work dispatch notes yet. Many small units record the material sent out with a stock transfer to a warehouse named for the job worker, and record the job worker's bill as a purchase. Ask your accountant how to treat it for tax.
Can I create a work order from a customer order?
Yes. From a confirmed sales order line whose product has a BOM, create a work order with the product and the quantity still needed already filled in. The sales order shows the linked work orders and their status.
Does it track batches or expiry dates?
No. Stock is tracked by product and warehouse at weighted average cost. If you need batch-wise expiry for food or pharma, SimpleERP is not the right fit yet.
Related
Keep reading
Store & purchase teams
Low stock to purchase order, supplier bills, counts, transfers and work orders.
Read moreWeighted average cost
How weighted average cost values stock and cost of goods sold, with the formula, a worked example and how it compares with FIFO.
Read moreTextiles & garments
Fabric to garment bills of materials, stock by warehouse, invoices with the right tax and payroll.
Read moreWholesale & distribution
Keyboard-first billing, stock across warehouses at average cost, party ledgers and receivables ageing.
Read more
Run your whole business from one simple place.
Seven days free. No card. Your first invoice in minutes.