Industries we serve
Real manufacturers. Real workflows. Already running on ALIX
ALIX is a manufacturing management platform for small and mid-size producers that have outgrown spreadsheets but don't need a full ERP. The manufacturers below are examples of the clients we work with today.
We work across many industries. If yours isn't listed here, it doesn't mean ALIX isn't a fit, book a demo and we'll tell you honestly.
See it live in 30 minutes. Go live in weeks.
Which types of manufacturers are already using ALIX?
From metal fabrication shops managing complex project quotes to food processors navigating traceability requirements, our customers share one thing in common: they needed something between a spreadsheet and a full ERP and they needed it to actually work on the shop floor.
Metal fabrication & steel distribution
Machining shops, welding & fabrication, from repeat parts to complex structural projects
Metal manufacturers rarely fit into a single production model. A machining shop might run standard catalog parts alongside fully custom jobs. A welding and fabrication shop might quote structural projects priced by steel weight, with mill test certificates required at every step. ALIX supports both realities and the hybrid scenarios in between within the same platform.
Use Case 1
Machining shops: custom, repeat, and series production
Machine shops often run three types of work simultaneously: fully custom one-offs, repeat orders on established parts, and production runs built to stock. Each has different scheduling, costing, and tracking needs. ALIX handles all three in the same environment, and the Equipment module adds machine park tracking and preventive maintenance scheduling directly into the production workflow.
Key challenges
- Mixed custom, repeat & series production
- Machine capacity & scheduling
- Tooling wear & maintenance tracking
- Job costing across varied work types
- Material traceability by lot or certification
How ALIX handles it
- Quote-to-cash, order-to-cash & make-to-stock
- Equipment module: machine park & maintenance
- Work order tracking by operation
- Built-in lot traceability (no add-on)
- Real-time WIP visibility on the shop floor
Customer scenario
A machining shop receives a custom order for a one-off part, a repeat order for 50 units of a standard component, and needs to replenish stock on a third SKU. ALIX manages all three simultaneously. Separate workflows, shared machine schedule, unified shop floor dispatching on tablets. The Equipment module flags a scheduled maintenance on the CNC lathe before it impacts the production run.
Lot traceability
Equipment & maintenance
Shop floor dispatching
Use Case 2
Welding & structural fabrication: project-based, weight-priced, certificate-traced
Welding and structural fabrication shops operate primarily in project mode. Every job is a custom assembly quoted and delivered as a whole. Pricing is often based on total steel weight in the project. Mill test certificates and heat number traceability are non-negotiable for clients in construction, energy, or OEM supply. ALIX manages the full quote-to-cash flow and ties material documentation directly to the work order and delivery.
Key challenges
- Weight-based project quoting
- Mill test certificates & heat numbers
- Multi-operation assembly tracking
- Material traceability to delivery doc
- Project profitability visibility
How ALIX handles it
- Quote builder with weight-based line items
- Lot traceability with certificate linkage
- Full quote-to-cash workflow
- Work order by assembly operation
- Zoho Books integration for project invoicing
Customer scenario
A fabrication shop quotes a structural steel assembly for a construction client — priced per kg of finished steel. ALIX builds the quote with weight-based line items, converts it to a work order, and tracks each assembly operation. Incoming steel is received against a mill test certificate, linked to its heat number, and traced through to the shipping document. The client gets full material documentation with the delivery.
Lot traceability
Quote-to-cash workflow
Zoho Books integration
Plastics — recycling & parts manufacturing
Recycled feedstock traceability and rotomoulded parts — make-to-order, make-to-stock, or both
Plastic manufacturers operate across a wide spectrum — from processors transforming recycled feedstock into pellets or finished goods, to parts manufacturers producing custom rotomoulded components on order or for stock. What they share is a need for material traceability, production visibility, and a platform that adapts to how their floor actually runs.
Use Case 1
Plastic recycling: feedstock traceability from intake to finished material
Plastic recyclers deal with variable incoming feedstock, different sources, grades, and contamination levels, that must be tracked through sorting, processing, and output. Knowing which feedstock lot ended up in which finished batch is essential for quality control and customer documentation. ALIX's built-in lot traceability handles this without a dedicated module or manual spreadsheet reconciliation.
Key challenges
- Variable feedstock quality & sourcing
- Lot traceability from intake to output
- Material reconciliation & yield tracking
- Repeat customer order management
- Inventory of finished pellets or parts
How ALIX handles it
- Lot traceability across all incoming material
- Full forward & backward trace by batch
- Order-to-cash production workflow
- Inventory control with reorder alerts
- Zoho Books integration for invoicing
Customer scenario
A plastic recycler receives three feedstock lots from different suppliers in the same week. Each lot is graded on intake and assigned a lot number. As processing runs, ALIX links the output batches to the source feedstock lots. A customer requests traceability documentation for a shipment. ALIX generates the full chain from supplier lot to finished goods lot in seconds.
Lot traceability
Inventory management
Shop floor dispatching
Zoho Books integration
Use Case 2
Rotomoulding: custom parts, mould management, and hybrid production models
Rotomoulding manufacturers produce plastic parts in custom moulds. Some made strictly to order, others built to stock based on demand forecasts. The moulds themselves are significant assets that require lifecycle tracking and maintenance scheduling. ALIX supports make-to-order, make-to-stock, and hybrid production on the same account, with the Equipment module managing mould history, usage cycles, and maintenance intervals.
Key challenges
- Mould lifecycle & maintenance tracking
- Mixed make-to-order & make-to-stock
- Resin lot traceability by production run
- Cycle time tracking per mould
- Customer-specific part variants
How ALIX handles it
- Equipment module: mould tracking & maintenance
- Quote-to-cash & order-to-cash in one platform
- Make-to-stock production with inventory replenishment
- Lot traceability on resin & finished parts
- Tablet-ready shop floor dispatching
Customer scenario
A rotomoulding shop runs a custom order for a new client (make-to-order) while simultaneously replenishing stock on three standard part numbers (make-to-stock). The Equipment module tracks the cycle count on each mould and triggers a maintenance alert at a pre-set threshold, before a mould failure affects an active production run. All resin consumed is traced back to its source lot.
Equipment & Tooling maintenance
Lot traceability
Shop floor dispatching
Food processing & agri-food
Full lot traceability, certification management, IoT-connected weighing, and digitalized quality systems
Food and agri-food manufacturers face traceability and compliance requirements that go beyond what spreadsheets can reliably handle, whether it's maintaining organic and fair trade certification chains across a roasting and packaging operation, or segregating conventional, organic, and non-GMO soy streams through a bulk transformation process. ALIX handles both ends of the spectrum, with lot traceability, quality management, and IoT device integration built in from day one.
Use Case 1
Coffee roasting: certification traceability from green bean to palletized case
A coffee roaster's traceability challenge starts at the green bean, origin, supplier lot, and active certifications (Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance) must be carried through roasting, grinding, and packaging all the way to the finished pallet. Each roasting batch has its own parameters and requires equipment cleaning checklists before the next run. The finished product flows through multiple packaging levels before it leaves the facility.
Key challenges
- Certification traceability (Organic, Fair Trade)
- Green bean lot tracking by origin & supplier
- Roasting batch parameters & records
- Equipment cleaning checklists between runs
- Multi-level packaging (bag → case → pallet)
- Finished product traceability to source lot
How ALIX handles it
- Lot traceability with certification attributes
- Batch production records with roast parameters
- Digital checklists on equipment before each run
- Multi-level packaging & nesting (bag → case → pallet)
- Full forward & backward trace to green bean lot
- Audit-ready documentation at any level
Customer scenario
A roaster receives two lots of green coffee, one certified Organic/Fair Trade, one conventional. Each lot is assigned a lot number in ALIX with its certifications attached. Before each roasting run, the operator completes a digital equipment cleaning checklist in ALIX. The roasting batch record captures parameters (temperature profile, roast time, yield). Finished coffee is packaged into bags, cases, and pallets, each level linked back to the source roasting batch and green bean lot. A customer requesting certification documentation for an organic shipment gets the full chain in seconds.
Lot traceability
Digital checklist & quality
Production records
Use Case 2
Soybean transformation: bulk-to-bulk traceability, IoT scale integration, and digitalized quality system
A soybean processor handles incoming soybean deliveries across three distinct streams: conventional, organic, and non-GMO, each requiring strict segregation through dedicated silos and transformation equipment. The entire operation runs bulk-in, bulk-out: trucks are weighed on arrival and departure using a scale connected directly to ALIX via an IoT device, capturing weight values in one click with no manual transcription. The quality system, internal process monitoring and external lab controls is fully digitalized inside ALIX.
Key challenges
- Strict segregation: conventional / organic / non-GMO
- Bulk receiving & shipping weight accuracy
- Co-product traceability (meal + oil from same lot)
- Certification integrity across transformation
- Internal process quality monitoring
- External lab results management
How ALIX handles it
- Lot segregation by stream (organic / conventional / non-GMO)
- IoT truck scale — weight captured in one click, no transcription
- Co-product lot linking (meal + oil → source soybean lot)
- Certification attributes carried through transformation
- Digital quality system: process monitoring & lab results
- Full audit trail from incoming truck to outbound shipment
ALIX IoT — truck scale integration
An ALIX IoT device connects directly to the truck scale display. When a delivery truck is on the scale, the operator presses a single button in ALIX, the weight value is captured automatically and recorded against the incoming lot. No manual entry, no transcription errors. The same device is used at outbound shipping to record finished product weights. Both readings are tied to the lot record and appear on all traceability and billing documents.
Customer scenario
An organic soybean delivery arrives. The truck is weighed via the ALIX IoT scale device with one button press, weight recorded directly in the lot record. The delivery is assigned to the organic silo. After transformation, ALIX creates linked lot records for the resulting soy meal and soy oil, both traceable back to the source organic lot. Internal process data is recorded in ALIX throughout the run. A sample is sent to an external lab; results are entered in ALIX and linked to the production lot. At outbound shipping, the bulk tanker or truck is weighed again via the IoT device. The full audit trail from incoming certified organic soybean to outbound co-product, with quality data is available in ALIX at any point.
Lot traceability
IIoT device integration
Quality management
Zoho CRM & Books integration
Frequently asked questions
Does ALIX only work for the industries listed on this page?
No. Metal fabrication, plastics, and food & agri-food are examples of industries where ALIX is already deployed with real customers. ALIX works for any small or mid-size manufacturer that has outgrown spreadsheets but doesn't need a full ERP. If your industry isn't listed, book a demo and we'll tell you honestly whether it's a fit.
Is lot traceability included in ALIX, or is it a paid add-on?
Lot traceability is built into every ALIX plan at no additional cost. All manufacturers, including food processors, metal fabricators, and plastic recyclers, get full forward and backward lot trace, certificate linkage, and audit-ready production records from day one.
Can ALIX maintain certification traceability — such as Organic or Fair Trade — through a full production process?
Yes. Certification attributes are attached to incoming material lots in ALIX and carried through every production step. A food manufacturer can trace a certified ingredient lot through transformation and multi-level packaging, and generate the full certification chain for a customer or auditor at any point without manual reconstruction.
Can ALIX handle both project-based and product-based manufacturing at the same time?
Yes. ALIX supports quote-to-cash (custom and project-based work), order-to-cash (repeat production), and make-to-stock within the same platform. Customers running mixed models like a machining shop with custom jobs, repeat orders, and stocked parts manage everything from a single account without switching tools.
Does ALIX support equipment and tooling management across different industries?
Yes. The ALIX Equipment module tracks machinery, tooling, and moulds — including usage history, cycle counts, and preventive maintenance schedules. It is used by machining shops to manage their machine park, by rotomoulding manufacturers to track mould lifecycle, and by any operation where equipment availability directly affects production capacity.
Does ALIX integrate with external devices like truck scales or other shop floor equipment?
Yes. ALIX offers IoT device integration including a direct connection to truck scale displays. When a truck is on the scale, the operator captures the weight in ALIX with a single button press, eliminating manual entry and transcription errors. The recorded weight is tied directly to the lot record and flows through to traceability and billing documents.