Industry use cases · 08 / 20

Manufacturing & ERP

Connect the work behind production.

Reduce repeated information handling across sales orders, purchasing, inventory, production reporting and quality actions.

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Manufacturing operator using a production control panel in a factory. — Manufacturing & ERP · Industry overview

Order administrator comparing a sales order with an ERP screen overlooking a factory. — Sales Order & ERP Data Integration

Use case 01 · UC-036

Sales Order & ERP Data Integration

The challenge

Sales orders are copied between email, spreadsheets and ERP screens, creating duplicate work and inconsistent references.

How SBS Ltd can help

Validate incoming order data, match customer and product references and prepare controlled ERP entries with exception handling.

The transfer would use verified product codes, customer references and order revisions. Rejected or incomplete records would stay visible for correction, and the process would avoid creating a second ERP order when an incoming message is retried. A named process owner would maintain the agreed rules, check exceptions and ensure staff understand how to handle failed or incomplete records.

Illustrative UK business scenario

A manufacturer checks approved sales orders before transferring them into its production system.

Potential benefits

Less rekeying and more consistent order information.

We would agree a baseline and success measures before implementation, then compare handling time, record quality and unresolved exceptions during a controlled pilot.

Appropriate controls

Validate quantities and prices, prevent duplicate orders and approve system changes.

Implementation would be quoted to scope after assessing your systems, available integrations and required controls.

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Production planner reviewing a delay alert on a tablet beside a guarded assembly line. — Production Exception & Delay Alerts

Use case 02 · UC-037

Production Exception & Delay Alerts

The challenge

Production delays become visible only through manual status meetings, limiting time to respond to customer commitments.

How SBS Ltd can help

Monitor agreed production milestones, highlight overdue operations and assign investigation tasks with current supporting information.

Alerts would identify the affected order, missed milestone and latest recorded status. Planners could distinguish a data-entry delay from a real production problem and record an agreed response before revising any customer-facing delivery commitment. A named process owner would maintain the agreed rules, check exceptions and ensure staff understand how to handle failed or incomplete records.

Illustrative UK business scenario

An engineering manufacturer flags an order missing a planned production checkpoint.

Potential benefits

Earlier awareness of delays and more focused operational follow-up.

We would agree a baseline and success measures before implementation, then compare handling time, record quality and unresolved exceptions during a controlled pilot.

Appropriate controls

Check data freshness and require planners to approve schedule or commitment changes.

Implementation would be quoted to scope after assessing your systems, available integrations and required controls.

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Factory supervisor reviewing a tooling requisition with a purchasing colleague at a workstation. — Purchase Requisition & Approval Workflows

Use case 03 · UC-038

Purchase Requisition & Approval Workflows

The challenge

Purchasing requests arrive through informal emails, with incomplete specifications and uncertain spending authority.

How SBS Ltd can help

Capture required items and justification, route requests against agreed limits and record approval before order preparation.

Requests would include the item specification, quantity, reason and relevant cost reference. Approvers could review the complete request rather than an isolated email, with rejected or incomplete items returned for clarification before any purchase order is prepared. A named process owner would maintain the agreed rules, check exceptions and ensure staff understand how to handle failed or incomplete records.

Illustrative UK business scenario

A factory team requests replacement tooling through a standard internal requisition.

Potential benefits

Less approval chasing and clearer spending responsibility.

We would agree a baseline and success measures before implementation, then compare handling time, record quality and unresolved exceptions during a controlled pilot.

Appropriate controls

Apply approved authority limits and separate request, approval and payment roles.

Implementation would be quoted to scope after assessing your systems, available integrations and required controls.

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Materials planner checking a stock shortage report beside labelled component storage bins. — Stock Replenishment & Shortage Reporting

Use case 04 · UC-039

Stock Replenishment & Shortage Reporting

The challenge

Spreadsheet stock checks can miss shortages or use outdated quantities when production requirements change.

How SBS Ltd can help

Compare authorised stock and demand records with agreed replenishment rules and prepare shortage reports for buyers.

The shortage view would consider the agreed demand period, units and available stock records. Buyers could investigate a proposed requirement against supplier lead times and existing orders before placing additional commitments or changing production priorities. A named process owner would maintain the agreed rules, check exceptions and ensure staff understand how to handle failed or incomplete records.

Illustrative UK business scenario

A component manufacturer identifies materials at risk of running short before planned assembly.

Potential benefits

Earlier buying decisions and fewer manual status checks.

We would agree a baseline and success measures before implementation, then compare handling time, record quality and unresolved exceptions during a controlled pilot.

Appropriate controls

Verify units, lead times and stock accuracy; buyers approve purchase commitments.

Implementation would be quoted to scope after assessing your systems, available integrations and required controls.

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Quality inspector examining a metal component beside a digital inspection record. — Quality Non-Conformance & Corrective Actions

Use case 05 · UC-040

Quality Non-Conformance & Corrective Actions

The challenge

Quality issues are recorded in separate forms, making repeat problems and outstanding corrective actions difficult to track.

How SBS Ltd can help

Capture issue evidence, assign investigation owners and monitor agreed corrective actions through verified closure.

The issue record would connect observations, affected batches and supporting photographs. Corrective actions would have named owners and evidence requirements, with a qualified reviewer confirming whether the action addressed the issue before the record is closed. A named process owner would maintain the agreed rules, check exceptions and ensure staff understand how to handle failed or incomplete records.

Illustrative UK business scenario

A manufacturer links an inspection finding to its batch record and a quality-manager review.

Potential benefits

More consistent issue handling and clearer action ownership.

We would agree a baseline and success measures before implementation, then compare handling time, record quality and unresolved exceptions during a controlled pilot.

Appropriate controls

Qualified staff determine acceptance and root cause; retain traceable evidence.

Implementation would be quoted to scope after assessing your systems, available integrations and required controls.

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From idea to practical improvement

Understand. Simplify. Automate where justified.

Understand the work

Review the business problem, existing systems, information and decision owners within an agreed scope.

Choose a useful starting point

Assess value, feasibility and controls before agreeing a focused pilot and implementation scope.

Check the result

Test with realistic examples, confirm ownership and monitor agreed measures before wider use.

Common questions

Before you start

Are these completed SBS client projects?

No. These are illustrative scenarios showing how a workflow could be improved. They do not claim measured customer results or guaranteed outcomes.

Will we need to replace our existing systems?

Not necessarily. We first consider existing processes and tools. Feasibility depends on supported integrations, licences, permissions and data quality.

Can we start with one use case?

Yes. A focused assessment can identify a useful starting point, define success measures and establish an appropriate implementation scope.

How much will implementation cost?

Implementation is quoted to scope. The initial review helps establish the requirements, system dependencies, delivery responsibilities and controls before a solution is commissioned.

A practical next step

Where could a better workflow make a difference?

Start with the business problem. We assess the process, the available information and where automation could add measurable value.

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Consultancy led by SBS. Implementation matched to your needs.

SBS leads the business assessment, workflow design and business case. We select suitable technical delivery expertise alongside discovery, based on the systems, skills and capacity your project requires. Implementation scope, costs, responsibilities and support are agreed after technical validation.