Lot and Serial Traceability from Blank to Ship
Optics customers in defense, medical, semiconductor and laser markets frequently require traceability from the substrate melt or boule lot through every process step. The system should record blank lot, vendor certificate, process operator, equipment used, inspection data and coating run, then link them to the shipped part. Check whether the ERP supports lot splitting and merging, because a single blank may become several parts, and several jobs may share a coating run.
If genealogy lives only in travelers and spreadsheets, a customer audit or a recall question becomes a manual hunt.
- Receiving inspection of blanks with vendor certs attached to the lot
- Lot splits when a boule or plate is cut into blanks
- Coating run records linked to every job in the chamber
Routings with Rework Loops and Yield
Optics routings are not straight lines. A part may go from polish to test and back to polish several times. Standard ERP routings assume a linear sequence with a fixed scrap factor, which hides real cost.
Look for support for rework operations, per-operation scrap capture with reason codes, and costing based on actual yield. Without this, job costing looks fine on paper while the shop loses money on tight-figure parts. Also check how the system handles start quantity versus ship quantity for small, high-loss lots.
Batch Processes: Coating and Block Polishing
A coating chamber run mixes parts from several jobs, and block polishing puts many pieces on one tool. The ERP must schedule these as shared resources with capacity in pieces or fixtures, not as one job per machine. It must also allocate run cost across the jobs fairly.
Many entry-level systems cannot do this cleanly, and shops end up scheduling the chamber on a whiteboard while the ERP shows nothing.
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Manufacturing Process Types and Product-Process Matrix Reference
Compare project, job shop, batch, cell, repetitive, assembly line and continuous processes by volume, variety, layout, planning approach and typical ERP setup.
Metrology and Quality Records
Interferometer files, profilometer data, spectrophotometer curves and centration measurements usually live on instrument PCs. The ERP does not need to store every file, but it needs a reliable link from job and lot to the data, plus nonconformance and corrective action workflows for ISO 9001 or AS9100 shops. Certificates of conformance should generate from the actual records, not be retyped.
Compliance and When a Simpler System Is Enough
If you handle ITAR or EAR-controlled optics, the ERP needs role-based access to controlled drawings and orders, plus a way to flag USML or ECCN classification on parts and customers. Hosting and support access must align with your own compliance plan. A very small shop making standard catalog optics may be fine on a lighter shop system plus spreadsheets for coating batches.
A mid-size shop with mixed prototype and production work, multiple compliance regimes and a coating chamber will outgrow that quickly.
Frequently asked questions
What ERP do optics manufacturers use?
It varies by size. Small shops often run JobBOSS, E2, ProShop or Fulcrum, mid-size makers use Epicor, NetSuite, Infor SyteLine or Global Shop Solutions, and some still rely on QuickBooks with spreadsheets. The deciding factors are lot traceability, rework handling, batch coating support and compliance needs rather than brand.
Does ERP handle coating chamber scheduling?
Some do, but many treat a coating run as just another operation on one job. Look for the ability to schedule a shared resource with capacity by fixture or piece count, group compatible jobs and allocate run cost across them. If the ERP cannot, a separate planning tool or a carefully maintained board is a common workaround.
Do I need an MES as well as ERP for optics?
Not always. Many shops get by with ERP plus shop-floor data collection for time and scrap. An MES becomes worthwhile when you need real-time tracking across many operations, electronic travelers with embedded inspection steps, or tight integration with instruments. Start with the traceability and yield gaps you actually have.
Already on SyteLine, NetSuite or another ERP and struggling to get answers about yield, coating batches or traceability? Netray adds a private natural-language layer over your existing data.