Bonjour,

Discrete manufacturing produces a distinct, identifiable item, typically via assembly. Process manufacturing usually implies batch or continuous production based on a recipe, such as you’ll find in food & beverages or pharmaceutical industries.

These distinctions are important when selecting or configuring an ERP system. Process manufacturing tends to be a tad more complicated, and some systems can handle both while others struggle with some of the requirements.

A recipe is not structured the same way as a bill of materials and routing. For instance, a recipe needs to consider potency, by-products and co-products. Potency represents the variable strength of an active ingredient. An example of a by-product is the whey you obtain when making cheese curd.

In process manufacturing, we sometimes make multiple products from one input, such as in meat cutting. We also require Lot Traceability, Expiry, and significant Quality Control.

Moreover, in some situations, Catch Weight units of measure may be required. Catch Weight applies when quantity varies based on weight. All chickens are not created equal.

These are all features that can be challenging for some ERP solutions.

Please don’t hesitate to write if you have questions or comments.

Cordially,

Sylvain.

 

Last updated: August, 2023