Pothera ERP · Production planning
Production Planning Software for Indian Manufacturers
Pothera ERP production planning turns sales orders and stock targets into production orders using multi-level BOMs, in make-to-order, make-to-stock or mixed mode. It allocates machines and manpower, feeds material requirements to MRP purchase, and tracks output by machine, shift and operator — so the plan, the stores and the shop floor work from one record.
Who it is for: Pothera ERP production planning is built for Indian manufacturers with roughly ₹10–500 crore annual turnover that plan from BOMs across several machines, lines or shifts and are outgrowing Excel plans.
Built by Bsquare Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Noida · part of The Nambiar Group · 25 years in business · 1,000+ manufacturing and trading clients.
Production planning in Pothera — at a glance
| Inputs | Sales orders, stock targets, multi-level BOMs |
|---|---|
| Modes | Make-to-order, make-to-stock, mixed |
| Resources | Machine and manpower allocation |
| Material | Requirements flow to MRP purchase indents |
| Tracking | Output by machine, shift and operator; lot traceability |
| Outputs | Production orders, production analysis |
Bsquare’s take
“A production plan in Excel is out of date the moment a customer changes a date. The plan has to live where the order, the stock and the machine are — otherwise the shop floor quietly runs its own plan.”
How production planning works in Pothera ERP
- DemandConfirmed sales orders and make-to-stock targets.
- ExplodeMulti-level BOMs give sub-assemblies and components.
- PlanProduction orders created by item, quantity and date.
- AllocateMachines and manpower assigned to each order.
- MaterialShortfalls go to MRP for purchase indents.
- TrackActuals by machine, shift and operator update the plan.
Planning problems and how Pothera ERP handles them
| What planners struggle with | How Pothera ERP handles it |
|---|---|
| Plans in spreadsheets that nobody trusts | Production orders created from sales orders and BOMs in the ERP |
| Mixed make-to-order and make-to-stock | MTO, MTS and mixed modes |
| Overloaded machines and idle ones | Machine and manpower allocation per order |
| Material arrives after the plan | Requirements flow straight to MRP purchase indents |
| No feedback from the floor | Production analysis by machine, shift and operator |
| Customer asks “where is my order?” | Order status visible from sales order to dispatch |
Free tool: capacity load calculator
Check whether this week’s orders fit your capacity. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
Questions to ask any vendor
- Your data: Can you create production orders from our own sales orders and BOMs in the demo?
- Modes: How do you handle make-to-order and make-to-stock items in the same plan?
- Resources: How are machines and manpower allocated, and what happens when one is unavailable?
- Material: How do shortages in the plan reach purchase?
- Feedback: How does actual output update the plan?
Who it is for
A strong fit if you…
- Discrete, process or mixed-mode plants planning from BOMs
- Plants with several machines, lines or shifts
- Planners currently working in Excel
Probably not the right fit if you…
- You need only a finite-capacity scheduling (APS) tool with no ERP
- Single-product, single-machine workshops
Frequently asked questions
What is production planning software?
Production planning software converts customer orders and stock targets into production orders, works out the materials and capacity needed, and assigns work to machines and people, so a factory knows what to make, when and with what.
What is production planning and control (PPC)?
Production planning and control is the function that plans what a factory will make and then monitors actual output against that plan, adjusting for delays, shortages and rejections.
What is the difference between production planning and scheduling?
Planning decides what to make, how much and by when, and what material and capacity that needs. Scheduling sequences that work on specific machines and shifts. Pothera ERP plans production orders and allocates machines and manpower to them.
Can Pothera ERP plan both make-to-order and make-to-stock?
Yes. Pothera ERP supports make-to-order, make-to-stock and mixed production modes.
Does production planning connect to purchase?
Yes. Material requirements from the plan flow to MRP, which raises purchase indents based on requirements, reorder levels and stock in hand.
How do you calculate production capacity?
Capacity per day = machines × shifts per day × hours per shift × efficiency. Compare it with the hours your orders need — order quantity × cycle time — to see the load percentage and how many days the work will take.
Is production planning software suitable for small manufacturers?
Yes, once you plan from BOMs across several machines or shifts. Very small workshops with one product and one machine can usually manage without it.
Related
MRP
Purchase indents from MRP runs, reorder levels and stock. Free MRP calculator.
Shop floor & work orders
Production orders and analysis by machine, shift and operator. Free shift calculator.
Make-to-order & make-to-stock
Run make-to-order, make-to-stock or both. Free promise-date estimator.
BOM & routing
Multi-level BOMs that drive planning, purchase and cost. Free cost roll-up.
ERP for manufacturing
One system from enquiry to dispatch, built around production.
ERP demo questions checklist
35 questions to ask every vendor, with a free scoring tool.
See it on your own data
Send us one sales order, its BOM and last month’s production report. We will run them through Pothera ERP in the demo.