Here’s three most commonly observed gaps in any sales order management that will lead to lost sales and clients.Human-Generated Costly ErrorsManual data entry and management can lead to costly mistakes.

Your sales order information should be accurate without any typing error and verbal miscommunication between your staff and clients.

These errors may include the entry of wrong product codes and quantities, inaccurate prices and billing details or wrong shipping address, etc., in the sales order.Stock counting with the help of spreadsheets or papers on clipboards will not only slow down the process, but also increases the risk of human errors in your collected data.

Another dimension where you may have a maximum rate of human error is when you have to make adjustments in your pricing under particular conditions.

The best solution to reduce human errors in your sales order processing and management is automation through best ERP software.

For creating just one order, their staff needs to enter the same information (about product, client and billing, etc.)

It contains the requirements about products to be manufactured including product quantity and the due date.In contemporary times, ERP systems are used to generate accurate digital work orders to facilitate the production department.

Generating a Work OrderA work order is a piece of paper having product specifications.

If you utilize the best ERP software for this purpose, then it will automate the entire process without leaving the chances of errors.ERP enables you to create a work order if it is for one item and not having a job number.

You can view the available information only entered in the system and develop a work order even from scratch within no time.2.

This is the advantage over manual work orders where you have to create work orders all over again if the changes seem necessary.You can make changes in the material quantity, costing, number of products and delivery date, etc.

You can release the work order which means giving a go ahead for the production of required items.

With this in mind, it’s important to reconsider the way you handle your sales to make your business run swiftly and efficiently.Reviewing your sales order means:Improved productivity and profitability.Decreased wasted time and money.More focus on core business activities.

Reducing the risk of costly mistakes.Maintaining good customer relations.Here’s few best practices you can bring into play to optimize and automate your sales management.1.

In this way you can easily turn RFQs, purchase orders, and your estimates into sales orders quickly and without mistakes.

Ensure a well-maintained, clean environment to ensure safety and comfort at the shop floor and warehouse, etc.

More Sales Opportunities: Think about and implement the best possible alternatives to grow your sales potential.

Here’s a few ideas to help you boost your sales.Inventory Kitting:Make your products more competitive, but at the same time select the right strategy to market them.

Material cost calculation often involves a lot of information.

In my previous blog, I mentioned many of the data points involved in the material cost calculation including Parts Size, Blank Size, Stock Size, Safety Stock Size, and others.One of the reasons you need the part size is because raw material is usually a “commodity”.

For example, let’s discuss flat parts that are cut out of wood, metal, plastic, etc.

The first thing you need to get is the proper part size.

The part size is the minimum amount of material required to make the part.When estimating, you can take the part size as the smallest rectangle that will be large enough to make the part.

Now, in the days of nesting software, it is possible to nest parts together to save considerable amount of material costs.

Manufacturing process automation along the production line using an ERP system will help you get more control and scale your business.Production management and optimization is important for manufacturers.

You can call it an optimization problem because the ultimate goal of production management software is to improve the efficiency of your shop floor and production line.Production Management:It refers to manufacturing operations management that involves planning, streamlining and optimizing the production line processes – converting raw materials into finished products.The primary function of production planning software is to determine and achieve the right amount of quality products at a certain time and at the right cost.

You need to set up, change and modify the production/assembly line, depending on the nature of the products (parts or complete systems) to be produced.2: Batch manufacturing: Producing the items in a specific quantity as per customer demand through sequential processing and testing across multiple stages (and often discrete facilities that follow a sequential model).3: Continuous manufacturing: Producing items without interruption and in the same facility from start to finish – processing raw materials without hold time through a single, fully integrated workflow.4: Repetitive manufacturing: Producing items in rapid succession.

It involves ongoing production of the same item on a specific production line for an extended period using conveyor belts and employees/robotics.5: Job shop manufacturing: Producing custom items using workshops and separate production areas – shop floors with distinct setup and manufacturing processes.

Job shops typically involve small production systems to handle custom manufacturing.The production management process includes any of the above manufacturing workflows which involve these key functions.Production schedulingProduction monitoringQuality & cost controlMaintenance of machinesProduction management is essential for manufacturers to get more control of their business operations, but often it gets overwhelming.

For this, you need to make well-informed decisions at the following three stages of the entire process.Production Planning:Plan your production processes for shop floor and assembly line optimization.