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Engineer to order (ETO) manufacturing software is software that helps engineering teams manage engineering projects. ETO manufacturing software helps organize the business side of engineering projects--such as price quoting, billing, and inventory management--so that engineering teams can focus on the engineering side. This helps teams reduce waste and operate more efficiently by using more accurate information.
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Engineer to order (ETO) manufacturing software is software that helps engineering teams manage engineering projects. ETO manufacturing software helps organize the business side of engineering projects--such as price quoting, billing, and inventory management--so that engineering teams can focus on the engineering side. This helps teams reduce waste and operate more efficiently by using more accurate information.
Completing an engineer to order (ETO) project can take from days to decades. While managing an engineering project can be daunting, usually the real challenge is managing the business of engineering. Asking engineers to design widgets is one thing; persuading them to complete the necessary paperwork (or electronic work, as the case may be) is another thing entirely.
There are hundreds of products designed to assist engineers with critical business functions. We’ve created this guide to help prospective buyers understand ETO systems and how they factor into the larger manufacturing market.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
What is ETO manufacturing software?
Common Features of ETO Software
Key Purchase Considerations
Benefits of Using ETO Software
In evaluating software, engineer to order manufacturers should consider the following functions to meet their unique requirements:
Quote to order | The ETO system should support quote creation. The system should use current inventory information and historical data to estimate costs and delivery dates. |
Bill of materials management | The system should create BOMs directly from orders, even the orders that are generated from quotes. The system should allow revisions to the BOM to provide additional levels of detail. In advanced systems, a conceptual BOM is used as part of the process to develop a quote. |
Make or buy decision support | Make or buy decision support applies job estimating to subassemblies to evaluate whether it is more profitable to make or buy components. Advanced systems will factor in time to build or buy as well as cost. |
Conditional order management | The system should be able to place conditional orders with suppliers to inform them which orders are likely on the condition that a particular bid is accepted. |
Cost plus pricing | The system should create cost plus bids if required. It should allow variable markups for components and subassemblies. |
Spare parts management | The ETO system should identify and account for the production or acquisition of any contractually required spare parts. The system should track lead times to decide which parts should be stocked, which should be built to order, and which can be ordered from vendors. |
Warranty and service contract management | The warranty and service contracts are detailed in the bid and final proposal. The ETO system should track the dates and milestones on the contracts. |
Estimate confidence level | The system should allow a confidence level to be assigned to each entry in a proposal. The confidence level should be able to either be kept internal or shared with the client as desired. |
Engineering change management | Tracks engineering changes and their impact on delivery date and profit on the project. It should also be easy to enter the changes into the system so that the changes can flow to other projects and the overall schedule. |
Failed bidder stipend accounting | If the RFP or bid process allows bidders to receive a stipend for failed proposals, the accounting system should correctly charge the costs of developing the response against the stipend. |
With the expanse of engineering systems on the market, it’s important to keep the following considerations in mind when selecting a system that fits the needs of your company:
Deployment: Most ETO manufacturing software installations are on-premises. Software as a service (SaaS) options are available. The attractiveness of a cloud-based alternative is primarily based on the information technology infrastructure already in place in the firm.
Integration: ETO systems generally include manufacturing resource planning (MRP) functions and often directly interface with manufacturing execution systems (MESes).
Other critical business applications that impact ETO software include:
The following are just a few benefits you can expect from implementing an ETO system:
Increased accuracy: Because of the nimble nature of most ETO projects, the ability to create fast and accurate quotes, bids and requests for quotations (RFQs) is crucial. Converting quotes to orders and bills of material (BOM) is also critical.
p>In order to give accurate quotes, the inventory system, including costs and quantities, must be current. In addition, there must be up-to-date information on vendors and components, with costs and lead times, to support make-versus-buy decisions for subassemblies.
ETO software helps engineers automate these workflows, increasing the accuracy of quotes, reducing the time required to answer RFQs and simplifying the process of converting quotes to orders.
Improved planning and resource allocation: An ETO system can offer a wealth of data and insight into critical business functions. Learn the true costs associated with inventory, equipment and personnel. Track historical performance and use trends analysis to predict high volume times of the year or low revenue days. Measure the time it takes to progress through the various engineering stages with the goal to reduce the time needed for planning and production.
Decreasing waste and reducing production time are pivotal lean manufacturing principles. And lean manufacturing, developed in the mid-20th century from the Toyota Production System, is a proven system for greener operations and improved customer satisfaction. Ultimately, ETO software can help engineers increase efficiency and maximize profits, thus growing their business.