[Cloud Solutions Spotlight] Oracle NetSuite Advanced Manufacturing Solution

The Oracle NetSuite Advanced Manufacturing Solution replaces the siloed systems currently used by manufacturers with a single, integrated cloud-based solution. This solution offers comprehensive functionality designed to help manufacturers of all sizes reduce operating costs, increase revenue, and better manage their business and end-to-end supply chain processes.

1. Key Benefits

Improve Operational Efficiency

Reduce Production Costs

Achieve Value Faster

Unified Solution—Reduce Reliance on Third Parties

Improve Quality, Service, and Throughput

Variance Management: Compare Actual Data Against Standards

Single Source of Truth

Integrated “Plant-to-Enterprise” (P2E)

Manufacturing Information and Intelligence

“Oracle NetSuite Advanced Manufacturing Solution provides us with an outstanding business and manufacturing system. The solution is seamlessly integrated and stands out among all the systems I’ve used, including large Tier 1 solutions.” — A leading U.S. private-label bakery company

2. Feature Overview

Advanced Manufacturing Hub

Oracle NetSuite offers a powerful, vertically integrated solution that helps manufacturers better manage their operations from “order to cash” to “manufacture-to-ship,” thereby increasing profitability. Oracle NetSuite’s advanced planning and scheduling capabilities enable customers to effectively plan shop floor and supply chain activities, improve capacity and resource utilization, and ultimately reduce operating costs.

Features for Discrete or Process Manufacturers

Oracle NetSuite’s Advanced Manufacturing solution is tailored for discrete or process manufacturers, incorporating all the features required for discrete manufacturing while extending the manufacturing work order structure to include: spare assets, co-products, detailed recipe management, and optional quality management capabilities. Additional features include: support for FIFO-based material issuance for raw materials and items controlled by batch, support for batch movement cards (barcode-enabled), full batch traceability through automatic batch ID generation, and enhanced material issuance controls. Full MES and manufacturing operations management capabilities are also supported. These features are available to OneWorld customers.

3. Features for Discrete/Assembly Manufacturers

Oracle NetSuite Advanced Manufacturing Solutions provide in-depth industry-specific capabilities, such as location-based configurable options, configurable work order completion logic, and enhanced BOMs and work order records, to help discrete/assembly manufacturers manage their core business operations. Features of the integrated manufacturing work order record system include: enhanced process routes, primary and alternative finite planning parameters, labor requirements, detailed work instructions, and optional quality management. Additional features: configurable shop floor mobile cards (barcode-enabled), rough-cut capacity planning, dynamic scheduling codes, finite production scheduling, and enhanced work order release capabilities. Full MES and manufacturing operations management capabilities are also supported. OneWorld customers have access to these features.

Manufacturer Pain Points

Discrete/process/batch manufacturing environments with recipe management

Resource Capacity Planning

Constrained Production Scheduling (Calendar, Gantt Chart, or Schedule Sheet views)

Enhanced Work Order Release Management

Integrated Quality Management with Full Batch Traceability

Native Mobility: Web-based barcode scanning/wireless data capture options

Full Advanced Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Capabilities

Advanced Work Order Completion Options

Real-time Capture and Visualization of Manufacturing Performance Metrics

4. Quality Management and Mobile Capabilities

Quality Management

Quality management capabilities support quality and inspection standards for incoming materials, work-in-progress, and finished goods inspection analysis. Customizable QA test and inspection records support statistical parameters (N, LCL, UCL), pass/fail, signatures, lot numbers/serial numbers, inspector names, non-conformance codes, and integration with the Oracle NetSuite workflow engine and document repository features. Quality sub-inspection checklists are integrated into the Oracle NetSuite workbench record system and inventory item master data files. Features include customizable data entry formats and dashboards. This feature set is optional.

Mobile Capabilities

Oracle NetSuite features native mobile capabilities, supporting fully integrated barcode scanning and wireless tablet functionality, and providing real-time Manufacturing Execution System (MES) reporting capabilities: rapid data entry, work order completion (partial or full), material issuance, downtime, quality management, and reports on actual labor hours or machine runtime by employee ID.

Manufacturer Pain Points

Lack of critical manufacturing execution and control capabilities

Limited manufacturing process management capabilities

Silosed systems not designed for collaboration, requiring significant effort to patch together

Lack of standardized manufacturing processes

Inability to continuously improve processes

Lack of real-time dashboards and actionable insights

Mismatch between inventory and working capital management

High operating costs

Factories not connected to enterprise business systems (P2E)

Reliance on Excel spreadsheets or manual systems

Outdated business systems

Oracle NetSuite’s scanning capabilities also support streamlined WMS transactions, including: purchase order receipt and staging, material issuance, transfer or movement, as well as picking, packing, and shipping. You can select additional scanning features and default behaviors based on location or configuration settings (e.g., automatic completion of work orders or material transactions).

Extended Configuration Standards

Running a manufacturing business requires multiple ways to control how and when work orders and other processes are issued. On the Advanced Manufacturing Solutions main console, you’ll find all the settings needed to configure Oracle NetSuite for efficient operations tailored to your environment. 

Oracle NetSuite Manufacturing Solution Editions

Oracle NetSuite offers three solutions to help you deploy manufacturing capabilities so the system meets your manufacturing needs. Additionally, if you have multiple manufacturing locations, you can choose to produce the same items differently at each location.

The Work Orders and Assembly solution is suitable for companies engaged in small-scale assembly that do not need to track work-in-progress (WIP) or labor separately.

The WIP and Routing solution offers more features, allowing you to define work centers, routing, track labor costs, perform unlimited capacity scheduling, and provides Gantt chart functionality with drag-and-drop capabilities.

The Advanced Manufacturing solution is designed for companies seeking comprehensive control over all aspects of the manufacturing process, including limited capacity scheduling, quality management, and manufacturing execution. You can seamlessly upgrade from one version to another.