Building an outsourcing planning app for machine building
Appfront builds apps for machine builders who outsource machining operations: milling, turning, laser cutting, bending, welding, hardening and coating at subcontractors. For each project, it shows which parts go out, to whom, in what material and to which drawing, when they must be back for assembly, where they are now, and whether they come back in good condition. That way assembly doesn't stall because a coated part is still at the coater, and the planner sees it a week earlier.
What is an outsourcing planning app in machine building?
A machine builder doesn't make everything in-house. Sheet parts are laser cut and bent by a sheet metal shop, shafts are turned at a turning shop, and parts are hardened, coated or galvanised. Sometimes a single part passes through three subcontractors in turn. All of these parts must be back before assembly starts. An outsourcing planning app tracks, for each project, what is out, where it is, and whether it will return on time.
Without such an app, outsourcing sits in purchase orders in the ERP, but nobody knows when the part actually returns. The production planner chases subcontractors by phone, keeps a spreadsheet, and remembers which part still needs to go to the hardening shop after milling. A delay at the coater only comes to light when the fitter goes looking for the part. And how reliable a subcontractor is becomes a matter of gut feeling.
We build custom software because planning has to line up with your projects and subcontractors: how your bills of materials and routings are structured, which operations you outsource and to whom, how material is delivered, how the assembly schedule works, and which ERP holds the orders. An ERP knows purchase orders; it often doesn't know the sequence of operations across different subcontractors or the return for assembly.
Everything that's out
Per project, every outsourced component with its operation, subcontractor, drawing and material, including where it goes through several subcontractors.
Alongside assembly
The expected return date for each component next to the assembly date, with an alert when a component looks set to arrive late.
Progress from outside
Subcontractors confirm and report progress in a portal, so chasing by phone is no longer needed.
How we build your outsourcing planning app for mechanical engineering
We start with a live project: how many components are going out, to how many subcontractors, and which ones arrived late for assembly last time.
Your projects, bills of materials and routings, the operations and subcontractors, the assembly schedule and your ERP.
Outsourced components per project from the bill of materials and routing, and outsourcing orders with drawing, material and date.
The subcontractor portal, dispatch and return, and the return date set against the assembly schedule.
Incoming inspection and deviations, supplier performance, integration with ERP, and ongoing management afterwards.
What an outsourcing planning app for mechanical engineering actually does
The components below come up at almost every machine builder that outsources. Which ones you need depends on how much you outsource and what.
Components per project
Outsourced components from the bill of materials and routing, with operations in sequence.
Outsourcing orders
An order per operation with subcontractor, drawing, material, quantity and requested date.
Chained operations
A component that goes from turning to heat treatment and then coating, followed as a single chain.
Portal
Subcontractors confirm orders, report progress and give a new date if it slips.
Installation scheduling
Expected return alongside the assembly date per project, with alerts for threatened delays.
Incoming inspection
Checks on return with deviations recorded, and delivery reliability tracked per subcontractor.
Who we build an outsourcing planning app for mechanical engineering for
The app is aimed at machine builders who currently track outsourcing by chasing by phone.
Builders of special machines
One-off machines with many custom parts. The chain per component and the installation date are the core.
Series machine building
Recurring components from fixed subcontractors. The portal and reliability matter most.
Installation builders
Large structural parts with coating or galvanising. Dispatch and return are what's needed.
Equipment builders
Many small components per product. Orders and incoming inspection are the core.
Test your idea first: a working prototype in 1 day
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →Technology and integrations
This page is about outsourced work. For the machine-building project as a whole, see our page on machine-building software; for planning your own production, see our page on production planning software; and for the stage before the order, see our page on the quoting process for capital goods. You can read about how we work under get software built.
Why Appfront for your outsourcing planning app for mechanical engineering?
A single missing component can stop an assembly crew for a day. We build around that: knowing what's out, seeing what's going to be late, and subcontractors who report it themselves.
Delay spotted in advance
A part that threatens to arrive late is flagged before assembly begins. The planner can reschedule or expedite.
Fewer follow-up calls
Subcontractors report progress and new dates themselves. The production planner only calls when something goes wrong.
Subcontractors compared
Delivery reliability and deviations per subcontractor are measured, not guessed.
Security and privacy for an outsourcing planning app in mechanical engineering
The app holds projects, drawings and subcontractor agreements: confidential technical and commercial data. Access is set by role: a subcontractor sees only its own orders and drawings, the production planner sees everything for their projects. Every drawing download is logged.
The app runs in a European data centre, with encrypted storage and daily backups. The ERP integration uses its own keys, which can be revoked.
Frequently asked questions about an outsourcing planning app for mechanical engineering
Questions machine builders ask before getting started.
It keeps track, per project, of which parts and operations have been outsourced, to which subcontractor, with which drawing and material. It follows chains of operations, lets subcontractors report progress, sets returns against the assembly schedule, and records incoming inspection.
Yes. A part that is first turned, then hardened and then coated is tracked as one chain. The app sees when it needs to move from one to the next.
No. They get access to a browser-based portal, where they confirm orders, download drawings and report progress.
From the bill of materials and routing in your ERP or engineering system, with the operations marked as outsourced. We will review which system you use in the first step.
By comparing the expected return date, taken from the order or the subcontractor's update, with the date assembly needs it.
Yes. On return, the part is inspected, with any deviations and photos recorded. This feeds into the subcontractor's delivery reliability.
Check this first. An ERP creates purchase orders for outsourced work, and that is enough if you outsource little. Custom development makes sense when parts pass through several subcontractors, when subcontractors need to report progress themselves, or when returns must sit alongside the assembly schedule.
Want to see which part is late before assembly grinds to a halt?
Tell us what you outsource, to how many subcontractors, and how you track it today. We will show you what the orders, the portal and the schedule look like.