Business Central gives manufacturers a solid ERP foundation—but for production-heavy operations, the out-of-the-box tools often fall short. If you’re juggling spreadsheets for scheduling, struggling to track costs, or missing real-time shop floor visibility, you’re not alone.
This post looks at how Business Central users are filling those gaps using integrated apps that streamline planning, data capture, and forecasting—without leaving the ERP system they already rely on.
Is manual scheduling slowing down your shop floor?
Business Central’s built-in production scheduling tools require a lot of manual work. Many users turn to visual and automated options to plan capacity, sequence jobs, and reduce setup times. A graphical interface helps teams move jobs around with drag-and-drop tools, while APS systems generate optimal schedules based on constraints like labor, material, and capacity.
The result? Less firefighting, fewer delays, and schedules that actually hold up under pressure.
How can you get real-time visibility into shop floor activity?
Paper timecards and manual production reporting don’t cut it anymore. With a real-time data collection app, employees can log time, progress, and downtime directly from the floor—using scanners, touchscreens, or mobile devices. This not only improves accuracy but gives planners live updates on how jobs are progressing.
Tracking labor and machine performance helps you spot issues before they become bottlenecks.
What helps manufacturers manage complex BOMs and cost tracking?
For multi-level assemblies, standard BOM views in Business Central can be hard to work with. Tools that offer a hierarchical BOM display—with drill-down and supply-demand insights—make it easier to plan, edit, and troubleshoot. And when it comes to costs, many manufacturers rely on apps that break down actual vs. expected cost across labor, material, and subcontracting.
This level of insight helps teams make smarter decisions about production efficiency and pricing.
Can inventory forecasting be improved inside Business Central?
Yes. Many users extend Business Central’s forecasting with tools that bring in AI-powered demand predictions. These apps use historical trends, item-specific rules, and vendor lead times to improve planning—so you're not stuck with reactive purchasing or deadstock. The right worksheet view can even filter forecasts by location or category.
This helps manufacturers avoid supply disruptions, reduce overstock, and improve margins.
You can explore the specific tools helping Business Central users solve these issues in this blog post.
Disclosure: This post summarizes solutions for manufacturers using Business Central. No paid promotions or affiliate links are included.
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