Every industry leaks in its own way.
Find yours. Here are a few problems factories like yours often face, and the workflows that could catch them.
Metals and engineering
Processes forging, casting, machining, fabrication
| Problems you may be facing | Workflows that could help |
|---|---|
| Alloy surcharges move every month, and customer prices lag behind. | Track the surcharge in each customer agreement, and draft the price revision the week it moves. |
| Every heat (one batch of melted metal) needs its mill certificate matched to the parts made from it. | Match each heat number to its certificate before dispatch. |
| Scrap and rework never get costed back to the job, so some parts quietly lose money. | Log scrap and rework against each job, to show the real margin on every part. |
Who decides: Your people negotiate prices and sign every dispatch pack.
Plastics and rubber
Processes injection moulding, extrusion, compounding
| Problems you may be facing | Workflows that could help |
|---|---|
| Customers pay for their moulds, but the payments are tracked in spreadsheets and some never get invoiced. | Keep one ledger of every mould: who owns it, what’s been billed, and what’s still owed. |
| Resin prices follow oil, and a quote goes stale within weeks. | Check every quote against today’s resin price before it goes out. |
| Colour and grade changes between runs waste material and machine hours. | Suggest a run order that groups similar colours and grades. |
Who decides: Your planner sets the run order. Your commercial head sends every quote.
Ceramics and glass
Processes pressing, firing, glazing, forming
| Problems you may be facing | Workflows that could help |
|---|---|
| Shade lots (tiles fired together, which match in colour) get mixed between orders. | Tie each shade lot to its order, and flag a mixed lot before loading. |
| Gas and power are a big part of the cost, and they move faster than prices. | Track energy cost per batch, and flag orders whose margin falls below your line. |
| Breakage claims arrive after delivery, and nobody can check them. | Match each claim to the loading photos and dispatch records. |
Who decides: Your team decides what to offer the customer.
Textiles and apparel
Processes spinning, weaving, dyeing, finishing, garmenting
| Problems you may be facing | Workflows that could help |
|---|---|
| Each buyer wants its own test reports for every lot, at the last minute. | File lab reports by lot as they’re issued, and list anything missing before the ship date. |
| Small changes to sizes, colours or trims arrive by email and get missed. | Compare every order change with the last version, and list what’s different. |
| A late shipment means air freight at your cost, or a discount. | Watch ship dates against production progress, and flag a slip while there’s time. |
Who decides: Your merchandiser approves every change. Labs issue the reports.
Food and ingredients
Processes blending, processing, packing
| Problems you may be facing | Workflows that could help |
|---|---|
| Certificates, shelf life dates and specifications sit in different places. | Gather each batch’s certificates, and check them against the customer’s specification. |
| Each customer has its own specification for the same product. | Keep one specification per customer, and check every order against it. |
| Stock close to expiry is noticed too late to sell. | List stock near expiry every week, with the customers who could take it. |
Who decides: Your quality team releases every batch. Your lab writes every certificate.
Electronics
Processes board assembly, box build, cable harnessing
| Problems you may be facing | Workflows that could help |
|---|---|
| Component lead times change faster than the plan. | Watch lead times against every open parts list, and flag shortages weeks ahead. |
| A part goes out of production, and nobody notices until the reorder. | Match end of life notices to the parts you use. |
| A customer’s design change leaves stock nobody pays for. | List the stock each change leaves behind, and what the contract says the customer owes. |
Who decides: Your engineers approve any alternative part. Your commercial head raises the claim.
NEXT STEP
Not listed? Most of these problems show up in other industries too. A free call is the quickest way to find out which ones are yours.
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