# Software Development for UK Manufacturers

Source: https://dijituldevelopments.co.uk/software-for-manufacturers/
Updated: 2026-10-10

> dijitul developments builds bespoke software for UK manufacturers: works order and job tracking, batch traceability, shop floor data capture, quality records and customer portals, integrated with ERP and accounting systems such as Sage 200, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Xero. Every project starts with a free chat, then a fixed-price quote.

## Problems this solves

- Works orders are printed, written on, then typed back into the ERP at the end of the week
- Nobody can say which batch of raw material went into a finished order without a paper hunt
- The ERP knows what was planned but not what actually happened on the line
- Quality checks live on clipboards and get scanned into a shared drive, if at all
- Customers phone to ask where their order is because there is nowhere else to look
- A key report is an Excel macro built by someone who left years ago

## Key facts

- We build around the ERP or MRP you already run, rather than asking you to replace it
- Common integrations: Sage 200, Dynamics 365 Business Central, SAP Business One, Unleashed, Katana, Xero
- Shop floor capture on tablets, barcode or QR scanners, with offline queues for patchy factory Wi-Fi
- Machine data via OPC UA or MQTT where your equipment supports it
- Batch and lot traceability that supports ISO 9001 records and customer recall requests
- EDI with large customers in EDIFACT or via a VAN or EDI provider's API
- Fixed-price quote after a free chat; you own the code and the data

## Where manufacturers lose time to software gaps

Most UK manufacturers already have an ERP or MRP system. Sage 200, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, SAP Business One, Epicor, Unleashed and Katana are common, and smaller firms often run Xero with a stock add-on. The problem is rarely the ERP itself. It is the gap between what the ERP planned and what happened on the factory floor.

That gap gets filled with paper travellers, whiteboards and spreadsheets. Operators write quantities and times on a works order, a supervisor keys them in later, and the figures arrive late and slightly wrong. Stock goes negative. Costing is based on standard times nobody has checked since the product launched. When a customer asks which coil or batch went into their order, someone spends an afternoon in a filing cabinet.

Bespoke software works well here because it can sit between the ERP and the people doing the work, capturing data once, at source, and passing it back through the ERP's API.

## What we build for manufacturing businesses

Typical projects from dijitul developments for manufacturers include:

- **Shop floor data capture.** A browser-based app on tablets or handheld scanners where operators book on and off jobs, record quantities, scrap and downtime reasons. It works as a [progressive web app](https://dijituldevelopments.co.uk/progressive-web-app-development/), so it can queue entries offline when factory Wi-Fi drops and sync when it returns.
- **Traceability.** Goods-in scanning of supplier batch numbers, consumption against works orders, and a finished goods record you can trace backwards or forwards in seconds. That is the evidence an ISO 9001 auditor or a customer recall request needs.
- **Quality and compliance records.** Digital inspection checklists, photos, non-conformance reports and certificates of conformity generated as PDFs.
- **Production dashboards.** OEE, throughput and scrap by line, shift and product, built as [dashboards](https://dijituldevelopments.co.uk/dashboard-reporting-development/) from the data you are now actually collecting.
- **Customer and supplier portals.** A [portal](https://dijituldevelopments.co.uk/customer-portal-development/) where trade customers check order status, download certificates and reorder, so the sales office stops answering the same calls.

## Integrating with your ERP, machines and customers

The integration is usually the hard part, and it is where we spend most of the scoping time. Business Central exposes OData and REST APIs. Sage 200 has the Sage 200 API (cloud and on-premise variants with different authentication). SAP Business One has its Service Layer. Unleashed and Katana have REST APIs with their own rate limits. We map which system owns which data (items, BOMs, routings, works orders, stock) and build the sync so nothing is written twice. See [ERP development](https://dijituldevelopments.co.uk/erp-development/) and [systems integration](https://dijituldevelopments.co.uk/systems-integration/) for how we approach that.

On the machine side, modern PLCs and controllers often expose OPC UA, and many IoT gateways publish over MQTT. Where that exists we can read cycle counts and machine states directly. Where it does not, a simple operator button on a tablet often gets most of the value for a fraction of the effort, and we will say so.

Larger retail and automotive customers often demand EDI. We connect to an EDI provider's API or handle EDIFACT messages (orders, despatch advice, invoices) so they flow into your order book without retyping.

## Rules and standards the software has to respect

Manufacturing software is rarely regulated in itself, but it has to produce the records your obligations depend on:

- **ISO 9001** and sector standards such as IATF 16949 or AS9100 expect controlled records, traceability and corrective action. The software needs audit logs and versioned documents, not editable spreadsheets.
- **UKCA and CE marking** (CE still applies in Northern Ireland) need technical files and declarations of conformity tied to the product version actually shipped.
- **Plastic Packaging Tax** and **packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR)** need accurate packaging weights per product. Under packaging EPR, businesses with turnover over one million pounds that handle more than 25 tonnes of packaging a year must report data, and large producers report every six months, according to Environment Agency guidance. A product data model that stores packaging components makes those returns a report rather than a project.
- **UK GDPR** still matters for employee data captured on the shop floor, such as clock-in times.

## How a manufacturing project runs

We start with a free chat, then walk the process with you: goods-in, stores, production, quality and dispatch. From that we write a scope covering screens, data model, the ERP integration and what happens when the network drops. You get a [fixed-price quote](https://dijituldevelopments.co.uk/how-we-work/) for that scope, or a phased plan where phase one is often the shop floor app alone.

We build in PHP 8 and Laravel or Node.js and TypeScript, with MySQL or PostgreSQL, deployed to cloud or on-premise servers if your IT policy requires it. You own the code. Ongoing support is available through [dijitul support](https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/).

## What we deliver

- A works order and job tracking app for the shop floor, usable on tablets or rugged handhelds
- Batch, lot or serial traceability from goods-in through to dispatch
- Two-way integration with your ERP, MRP or accounting system
- Digital quality checks, non-conformance reports and corrective action logs
- OEE, scrap and throughput dashboards fed from real production data
- A customer portal for order status, certificates of conformity and reorders

Technologies: Laravel, Node.js, Dynamics 365 Business Central API, Sage 200 API, OPC UA, MQTT, PostgreSQL

## FAQs

### Do we have to replace our ERP to get better shop floor data?

No. Most of our manufacturing work sits alongside an existing ERP such as Sage 200 or Business Central. dijitul builds the capture app and syncs works orders, stock and labour back through the ERP's API, so finance and planning keep the system they know.

### Can operators use the app without reliable Wi-Fi?

Yes. We build shop floor apps as progressive web apps that store entries locally and sync when the connection returns, with conflict handling so a booking is never lost or duplicated. Rugged Android handhelds with built-in scanners work well for this.

### Can you read data directly from our machines?

Often, yes. If your controllers or an IoT gateway support OPC UA or MQTT, we can read cycle counts, states and alarms. Older machines may need a sensor or a simple operator input instead. We check what your equipment supports during scoping.

### Will the software help with ISO 9001 audits?

It can produce the evidence auditors ask for: traceable batch records, inspection results, non-conformance reports and corrective actions with timestamps and user names. The software supports your quality system; it does not replace your quality manual or certification body.

### Can you handle EDI with our big customers?

Yes. We either connect to your EDI provider's API or process EDIFACT orders, despatch advice and invoices directly, mapping them to your sales orders and products. That removes the manual keying of large customers' orders.

### How is a manufacturing software project priced?

Every dijitul project is a fixed-price quote after a free chat and a scoping stage. Larger systems are split into phases, each with its own fixed price, so you can start with the shop floor app and add traceability or portals later.

## Pricing and contact

Every project gets a fixed-price quote after a free initial chat and a short scoping stage. You own the code and the data. Book a free chat: https://dijituldevelopments.co.uk/contact/ · 01623 650333 · info@dijitul.uk