Custom Manufacturing

Ostendo Continuum (ERP) for Custom Manufacturing 

Custom Manufacturing

Ostendo Continuum ERP for Custom Manufacturing

Total Control for Make-to-Order, Engineer-to-Order & Job-Based Production

Custom manufacturing is where precision, flexibility, and responsiveness matter most. Unlike high-volume production, every job is different—unique designs, customer-specific bills of materials, customised routing, variable lead times, and constantly changing costs. To succeed in this environment, manufacturers need an ERP system that adapts as fast as they do.

Ostendo Continuum ERP is purpose-built for custom manufacturing. It gives you full control over quoting, engineering, production, costing, purchasing, inventory, subcontracting, and delivery—within one fully integrated system. From first quote through to final invoice, Ostendo provides a true single source of truth.

The Unique Challenges of Custom Manufacturing

Custom manufacturers typically operate in one or more of these environments:

  • Make-to-Order (MTO)
  • Engineer-to-Order (ETO)
  • Job Shop Manufacturing
  • Project-Based Manufacturing
  • Prototype & One-Off Production

These environments introduce critical challenges:

  • Constantly changing specifications
  • Complex multi-level bills of materials
  • Unpredictable lead times
  • Tight cost control per job
  • Customer-specific pricing and contracts
  • Frequent engineering changes
  • Subcontracted operations
  • Strict compliance and traceability requirements

Ostendo Continuum is designed to manage this complexity without forcing manufacturers into rigid workflows.

Fast, Accurate Quoting with Full Cost Visibility

In custom manufacturing, quoting accuracy determines profitability. Under-quoting destroys margins. Over-quoting loses jobs.

Ostendo Continuum allows you to:

  • Build detailed job-based quotes using real labour, material, overhead, and subcontract costs
  • Use historical job data to improve pricing accuracy
  • Apply customer-specific pricing rules
  • Instantly convert accepted quotes into live jobs and work orders
  • Lock in margin visibility from day one

Every quote becomes the foundation of full job tracking—no re-keying, no guesswork.

Engineer-to-Order & Custom BOM Management

Custom manufacturing lives and breathes engineering change. Ostendo Continuum handles this seamlessly with:

  • Fully configurable multi-level Bills of Materials (BOMs)
  • Version control for engineering changes
  • Revision tracking with full audit trails
  • Dynamic job-specific BOM creation
  • Alternate items and substitute materials
  • Automatic material requirements planning (MRP) from live jobs

This ensures production always works from the correct, approved specifications.

Shop Floor Control Built for Job-Based Production

Every custom job follows its own routing. Ostendo Continuum provides powerful shop floor control with:

  • Job-based work orders
  • Custom routings per job
  • Sequencing and scheduling by capacity
  • Labour time tracking
  • Machine utilisation tracking
  • Real-time job progress visibility
  • Production bottleneck identification

Supervisors can see exactly which jobs are on schedule, which are delayed, and why—before problems become expensive.

Inventory Management for Custom & Project Materials

Unlike standard manufacturing, custom manufacturers deal with:

  • Job-specific materials
  • Special purchases for individual customers
  • Long-lead imported components
  • Mixed stock and non-stock items

Ostendo Continuum delivers:

  • Job-linked inventory control
  • Batch and serial number traceability
  • Lot tracking
  • Expiry and compliance tracking (where required)
  • Auto-allocation of materials to jobs
  • Full material issue and return tracking

No more lost stock, double-purchasing, or unexplained job cost blowouts.

Subcontractor & Outsourced Process Control

Many custom manufacturers rely heavily on subcontractors for:

  • Laser cutting
  • Fabrication
  • Heat treatment
  • Plating
  • Machining
  • Painting

Ostendo Continuum allows you to:

  • Send subcontract operations directly from jobs
  • Track goods sent and received
  • Capture subcontract costs against each job
  • Manage delivery schedules
  • Maintain full quality and traceability control

This ensures outsourced operations stay fully visible inside your ERP system.

Real-Time Job Costing & Profitability

In custom manufacturing, true profit is known only after the job is finished—unless you have live job costing.

Ostendo Continuum tracks:

  • Actual vs estimated labour
  • Actual vs estimated materials
  • Actual vs estimated subcontract costs
  • Overhead absorption
  • WIP (Work-In-Progress)
  • Committed vs actual costs
  • Final job margin analysis

You can see profitability while the job is still running, not months later.

Industry Compliance & Traceability Requirements

Depending on your industry, custom manufacturers may need to comply with:

  • ISO 9001 Quality Management
  • Customer audit requirements
  • Batch and serial traceability
  • Engineering change control (ECR/ECO)
  • Material certifications
  • Test records
  • Inspection records
  • Calibration records

Ostendo Continuum supports:

  • Document control
  • Quality inspections
  • Non-conformance tracking
  • Corrective actions (CAPA)
  • Full job traceability from raw material to finished product

This makes customer audits and certification far simpler and less stressful.

Integrated Purchasing, Scheduling & Supply Chain Control

Custom manufacturing depends on getting the right materials at exactly the right time. Ostendo Continuum’s integrated planning tools provide:

  • Job-driven MRP
  • Supplier lead-time planning
  • Automatic purchase order generation
  • Supplier performance tracking (DIFOT, on-time delivery)
  • Landed cost calculation
  • Back-order management
  • Drop-shipping for project jobs

This prevents production delays due to missing components.

Mobility & Digital Job Tracking

For workshop and site-based production, Ostendo Freeway mobile apps allow your team to:

  • Start and stop jobs in real time
  • Enter labour and production quantities
  • Confirm job status remotely
  • Capture issues on the spot
  • Access job instructions instantly

This removes paper, improves data accuracy, and delivers real-time job visibility.

Accounting, Reporting & Business Intelligence Integration

Ostendo Continuum links with:

  • MYOB
  • Xero
  • MoneyWorks
  • QuickBooks
  • Reckon
  • Microsoft Power BI
  • Excel dashboards
  • Data warehouses

This provides:

  • Real-time financial visibility
  • Job profitability dashboards
  • WIP and revenue recognition reporting
  • Cash-flow forecasting
  • Performance KPI tracking

A True Single Source of Truth for Custom Manufacturers

With Ostendo Continuum, custom manufacturers gain:

  • One system for sales, engineering, production, purchasing, inventory, scheduling, subcontracting, accounting, and reporting
  • Real-time visibility across every job
  • Full traceability and compliance
  • Accurate costing and margin control
  • Flexible workflows that adapt to your business—not the other way around

Why Custom Manufacturers Choose Ostendo

  • Designed for make-to-order and engineer-to-order
  • Deep job costing and profitability control
  • Flexible BOMs and routings
  • Full shop floor visibility
  • Integrated inventory and purchasing
  • Subcontractor management
  • Compliance and traceability built in
  • Scales from small job shops to large project manufacturers