Solutions — Product-based manufacturing
Manufacturing software built for product-based operations
ALIX is a manufacturing management system (MRP) that helps small and mid-size manufacturers manage items, bills of materials, production recipes, and inventory in one real-time platform. Whether they build to order, build to stock, or run both models at once.
Items & BOMs
BOM & Recipes
Inventory management
Make-to-order (MTO)
Make-to-stock (MTS)
Hybrid mode
See it live in 30 minutes. Go live in weeks.
The problem
Why spreadsheets break down in product manufacturing
Product manufacturers typically manage more SKUs, more BOM versions, and more inventory locations than their tools can handle. These are the four walls most hit before switching to ALIX.
BOM versions out of sync
Engineering updates the recipe. Production runs the old one. No one knows which BOM is live on the floor today.
Inventory you can't trust
Stock levels in your spreadsheet don't match what's actually on the shelf. So every promise date is a guess.
MTO and MTS in the same spreadsheet
Custom orders and standard replenishment share the same rows. One urgent job disrupts everything else.
No visibility end to end
Orders live in the CRM, inventory in Excel, and the floor runs on a whiteboard. Nothing is connected in real time.
The flow
How does order-to-cash work in a product-based operation?
In a product-based manufacturing environment, every customer order triggers a defined sequence. From production planning through delivery and invoicing. ALIX connects each step without manual hand-offs or duplicate data entry.
Receive
Orders
→
Plan
Production
→
Produce
Recipes + Work Orders
→
Update
Inventory
→
Invoice
Analyze
Key modules
What modules does ALIX include for product-based manufacturers?
ALIX includes six interconnected modules that cover the core needs of a product-based operation. Each module is designed to work independently and as part of the full system.
Items & catalog
ALIX manages your full product catalog from finished goods, sub-assemblies and raw materials with individual costing rules, units of measure, and replenishment parameters per item.
- Finished goods, sub-assemblies, raw materials
- Item variants and configurations
- Standard, average, or actual costing
- Reorder points and min/max rules per SKU
Bills of materials
A bill of materials (BOM) in ALIX defines every component, sub-assembly, and raw material required to build one unit of a finished product. BOMs are versioned with effective dates so the shop floor always runs the correct recipe.
- Multi-level BOM with sub-assemblies
- Version control
- Component substitution rules
- Scrap and yield factors per operation
Production recipes
Production recipes in ALIX define the step-by-step operations required to manufacture each product including who performs each step, on which machine, and how long it takes. Lot traceability is built in as a standard feature, not a paid add-on.
- Operations with setup and run time standards
- Resource and machine assignment per step
- Labour tracking per operation
- Built-in lot and serial number traceability
Work orders
Work orders in ALIX are the bridge between your production plan and the shop floor. Each work order is generated from a sales order (MTO) or a replenishment trigger (MTS), dispatched to the right operators, and tracked in real time from start to close.
- Auto-generated from sales orders or stock rules
- Operator assignment and dispatch per operation
- Real-time status tracking on the shop floor
- Actual vs. standard time and cost reporting
Purchasing
ALIX links purchasing directly to your production needs. Purchase orders are generated from material requirements, driven by your BOMs, reorder points, and open work orders, so you buy what you need, when you need it, without manual cross-referencing.
- PO generation from material requirements
- Supplier management and lead times
- Receiving against PO with lot capture
- Purchase cost vs. standard cost variance
Inventory management
ALIX keeps inventory accurate in real time by connecting stock movements directly to production. Components are reserved when a work order is released and finished goods are received automatically when production closes, no manual counting required.
- Real-time stock levels by location
- Component reservation on work order release
- Automatic finished goods receipt on close
- Cycle count and physical inventory tools
Hybrid mode
Does ALIX support both make-to-order and make-to-stock in the same operation?
Most product manufacturers don't fit neatly into one production model. ALIX supports a hybrid mode where each item in your catalog follows its own production trigger — MTO, MTS, or both — within a single system.
Make-to-order (MTO)
Production triggered by a confirmed customer order
Nothing is built until a customer order exists. Ideal for custom, configured, or high-value products where carrying finished goods inventory doesn't make sense.
Custom fabricated or configured parts
High-value, low-volume items
Products with unique specs per order
Make-to-stock (MTS)
Production triggered by inventory replenishment rules
Finished goods are built to target stock levels before orders arrive. Ideal for standard, fast-moving products where short lead times matter and demand is predictable.
Standard catalogue products
High-volume, low-variability items
Products with predictable seasonal demand
ALIX supports MTO and MTS simultaneously — different items follow different rules within the same production plan, on the same floor, in one system. This is the hybrid model most real manufacturers actually run.
Frequently asked questions about product-based manufacturing with ALIX
Answers to the questions manufacturers ask most when evaluating ALIX for a product-based operation.
What is product-based manufacturing software?
Product-based manufacturing software manages the full production cycle for companies that build defined, repeatable products. From item catalogs and bills of materials to work orders, inventory, and invoicing. ALIX is purpose-built for manufacturers who have outgrown spreadsheets but don't need the cost and complexity of a full ERP.
Can ALIX run MTO and MTS items in the same operations?
Yes. ALIX supports a hybrid production model where each item in your catalog follows its own production trigger. You can configure some items as make-to-order and others as make-to-stock. Both run in the same production plan, on the same floor, within one system. This eliminates the need for separate tools or spreadsheets per production model.
How does ALIX keep inventory accurate during production?
When a work order is released in ALIX, the required components are reserved automatically. When the work order closes, finished goods are received into stock and consumed materials are deducted in real-time on the shop floor. This real-time connection between production and inventory eliminates the gap between what your system shows and what's actually on the shelf.
What is the difference between make-to-order and make-to-stock?
Make-to-order (MTO) means production starts when a confirmed customer order exists, nothing is built speculatively. Make-to-stock (MTS) means production is triggered by inventory replenishment rules, so finished goods are ready before orders arrive. The right model depends on your product, lead time, and demand predictability. Most manufacturers use both.
What is a bill of material and how does ALIX manage BOM versions?
A bill of materials (BOM) is the complete list of components and raw materials required to produce one unit of a finished product. ALIX stores multi-level BOMs with version control. So when engineering updates a recipe, production automatically uses the correct version. No manual communication required between engineering and the floor.
Is lot traceability included in ALIX or is it a paid add-on?
Lot traceability is a standard built-in feature in ALIX, not a paid add-on or an advanced tier. Every item can be tracked by lot or serial number from receiving through production to shipping. This is particularly important for manufacturers in food, plastics, and regulated industries where end-to-end traceability is a compliance requirement.