Production Tracking
Factory Management System Checklist for Job Shops and Small Manufacturers
A floor-first checklist for evaluating factory management systems across dispatch, QR travelers, latest files, blocker visibility, inspection notes, customer status, and ERP/MES boundaries.
Dispatch should show what needs action now
A useful factory management system should surface late work, blocked jobs, ready work, station load, due risk, and the next action. If supervisors still need a separate meeting to learn what matters, the system is not close enough to the floor.
- Late work
- Blocked jobs
- Next action
QR travelers should open the right context
A QR traveler should take the worker to the current job record, released files, route step, operation notes, proof requirements, and allowed update actions. It should not expose every account function to the floor.
- Current job
- Released files
- Scoped update actions
Files and revisions need release control
Operators need confidence that the drawing or CAD file they open is approved. The checklist should include released-file markings, revision notes, approval owner, and a way to avoid producing from old attachments.
- Released-file markings
- Revision notes
- Approval owner
Blocker notes should be structured
Factory blockers are not all the same. Material, approval, machine, inspection, labor, outside process, and shipping blockers need enough detail for someone to act without chasing the story.
- Blocker type
- Owner
- Resolution path
Quality notes should become job evidence
Inspection notes, photos, measurements, nonconformance comments, rework history, and shipment proof should stay attached to the job. This makes customer updates stronger and helps performance history survive beyond one order.
- Inspection notes
- Photos
- Shipment proof
Decide what belongs outside ERP
ERP and accounting systems may remain the source for back-office records. The factory management system should own the daily operating layer: dispatch, travelers, files, stage updates, blockers, proof, and customer status.
- Daily operating layer
- ERP boundary
- Customer status
FAQ
Common questions
What should a factory management system include?
It should include dispatch, job records, released files, QR travelers, route steps, floor updates, blocker visibility, inspection notes, customer status, and production history.
How is a factory management system different from ERP?
ERP often manages accounting, inventory, purchasing, and back-office records. A factory management system focuses on daily production flow, travelers, status, blockers, proof, and customer-ready updates.
Why are QR travelers useful in a factory management system?
QR travelers connect physical work to the current digital job record so operators and supervisors can open files, update status, add notes, and preserve proof from the floor.
How does ShopDesk by Taktum fit this checklist?
ShopDesk by Taktum covers the shop-side workflow: quoting, job release, QR travelers, production tracking, files, notes, and customer updates, with optional Taktum marketplace context.