Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for plating companies.
A checklist built from how plating companies work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Customer lots and receiving
- Process routes and work orders
- Racks, barrels and loading
- Bath analysis and chemical additions
- Thickness, adhesion and inspection results
- Rejects, rework and stripping
- Certificates, packing and dispatch
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For owners
- For planners and the front office
- For line operators
- For chemists and lab technicians
- For stores and dispatch
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Lots on the line by stage and due date
- Bath analyses overdue by tank
- Thickness readings by lot and specification
- Rejects by cause, customer and part
- Rework and strip cost by customer
- Chemical use by tank and month
- Dispatched lots awaiting invoice
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- SMS
- Accounting software export
- Spreadsheet import
- Barcode or label printing
- Gauge readings by file import
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Are each customer’s parts kept separate on the line?
- Can it work for anodising, galvanising or electroless nickel?
- How are bath analyses recorded?
- Can thickness readings be attached to a lot?
- How does it price a lot?
- Can it print a certificate of conformance?
- Are rework and rejects tracked?
- Are effluent and waste records held?
- Can we move our customer lists and open lots?
- What does it cost and how do we see it?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Lots lose their identity
- Bath records sit on a clipboard
- Thickness results are not tied to the lot
- Pricing changes by customer and part
- Rework and rejects are not costed
Prefer to talk it through? See the plating companies page.