Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for plywood manufacturers.
A checklist built from how plywood manufacturers 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.
- Log intake and girth sorting
- Peeling and veneer recovery
- Dryer loads and veneer grading
- Glue mix and spread
- Press load register
- Bond test and grading results
- Pallets and dealer dispatch
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For owners
- For the yard and lathe crew
- For the dryer, glue and press teams
- For grading and dispatch
- For accounts
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Recovery of dry veneer per log lot and species
- Dryer loads by exit moisture and reject share
- Glue batches against press loads and test results
- Sheets by class and thickness per day
- Bond test failures by press load, glue batch and shift
- Pallets dispatched and returned by dealer
- Waste by type and use per day
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- SMS
- Weighbridge
- Label printer
- Accounting export
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Does it show recovery for each log lot?
- Can bond test failures be traced?
- Does it connect to the weighbridge?
- How are mixed-grade pallets avoided?
- Can we keep the dryer log inside the system?
- What does a glue record hold?
- Can returns and credit notes be linked to a pallet?
- What does a demo show?
- What can be exported?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Veneer recovery is a guess
- Dryer output is not graded in time
- Glue spread and mix are not recorded
- Press loads are anonymous
- Pallets leave without grade control
Prefer to talk it through? See the plywood manufacturers page.