practical mapping of what manufacturers expect → ERPNext modules & DocTypes.

Below is a clean, practical mapping of what manufacturers expect → ERPNext modules & DocTypes.

This is written the way you would explain it to a factory owner or operations manager, not as technical documentation.

1️⃣ Product Structure & BOM Control

Expectation

“I want to define my products properly and know exactly what goes into each one.”

ERPNext Module

1. Manufacturing
2. Stock

Key DocTypes

1. Item
2. Item Group
3. Bill of Materials (BOM)
4. BOM Operation
5. Workstation

What ERPNext does

1. Defines finished goods, sub-assemblies, and raw materials
2. Calculates standard cost per product
3. Supports multi-level BOMs

2️⃣ Production Costing (Material, Labor & Overheads)

Expectation

“Tell me the real cost of producing one unit.”

ERPNext Module

1. Manufacturing
2. Accounts

Key DocTypes

1. BOM
2. Workstation
3. Operation
4. Work Order
5. Stock Entry (Manufacture)

What ERPNext does

1. Rolls up:
2. Raw material cost
3. Operation cost (per hour)
4. Posts absorbed cost into inventory
5. Updates valuation automatically

3️⃣ Production Planning & Scheduling

Expectation

“Tell me what to produce, when, and if I have materials.”

ERPNext Module

1. Manufacturing
2. Stock

Key DocTypes

1. Production Plan
2. Material Request
3. Work Order

What ERPNext does

1. Converts demand → production plan
2. Checks material availability
3. Generates work orders and purchase requests

4️⃣ Raw Material, WIP & Finished Goods Control

Expectation

“I want to see where my materials are at every stage.”

ERPNext Module

1. Stock

Key DocTypes

1. Warehouse
2. Stock Entry
3. Stock Ledger Entry
4. Bin

What ERPNext does

1. Tracks:
2. Raw material stores
3. Work-In-Progress (WIP)
4. Finished goods
5. Provides real-time stock balances

5️⃣ Shop Floor & Operations Tracking

Expectation

“I want to know who worked on what, for how long.”

ERPNext Module

1. Manufacturing

Key DocTypes

1. Operation
2. Workstation
3. Job Card

What ERPNext does

1. Captures:
2. Operation start/stop time
3. Actual hours vs planned hours
4. Measures efficiency and bottlenecks

6️⃣ Quality Control & Traceability

Expectation

“I must control quality and trace every batch.”

ERPNext Module

1. Quality
2. Stock
3. Manufacturing

Key DocTypes

1. Quality Inspection
2. Quality Inspection Template
3. Batch
4. Serial No

What ERPNext does

1. Enforces inspections
2. Tracks expiry dates
3. Enables batch-level traceability

7️⃣ Scrap, Process Loss & Yield

Expectation

“Show me waste, losses, and yield differences.”

ERPNext Module

1. Manufacturing
2. Stock

Key DocTypes

1. BOM (Scrap Item / Process Loss)
2. Stock Entry
3. Work Order

What ERPNext does

1. Records scrap during production
2. Reflects loss in costing
3. Enables yield analysis

8️⃣ Financial Posting & COGS Integration

Expectation

“Production must automatically hit my accounts.”

ERPNext Module

1. Accounts
2. Stock
3. Manufacturing

Key DocTypes

1. Stock Entry
2. GL Entry
3. Account
4. Cost Center

What ERPNext does

1. Auto-posts:
2. Inventory value
3. Production cost
4. Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)
5. Eliminates manual journals

9️⃣ Reporting & Management Dashboards

Expectation

“Give me reports that help me make decisions.”

ERPNext Module

1. Manufacturing
2. Stock
3. Accounts

Key DocTypes / Tools

1. Query Report
2. Dashboard
3. Number Card
4. Report Builder

What ERPNext does

1. Shows:
2. Cost variance
3. Efficiency
4. Profitability by product
5. Supports executive dashboards

🔟 Scaling Across Plants & Processes

Expectation

“This system should grow with my factory.”

ERPNext Module

1. All Core Modules

Key DocTypes

1. Company
2. Warehouse
3. Cost Center
4. Workstation

What ERPNext does

1. Supports:
2. Multiple factories
3. Multiple warehouses
4. Centralized reporting

🧠 Simple Mental Model (Use this with Clients)

Sales Order → Production Plan → Work Order → Job Card → Stock Entry → Financials → Reports

This is the manufacturing heartbeat in ERPNext.

🎯 Consultant Tip (Very Important)

In demos, don’t start with BOM.

Start with:

“This is how the system shows you your true cost per unit and where money is leaking.”

That instantly connects with owners and CFOs.