Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for pPE manufacturers.
A checklist built from how pPE 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.
- Buyer accounts and tender orders
- Product specifications and bills of materials
- Production planning by line
- Raw material lots and goods receipt
- Lot traceability and quality records
- Certificates and documents
- Dispatch, call-offs and invoices
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For owners and plant heads
- For planners
- For quality staff
- For stores and purchasing
- For sales and dispatch
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Lots in production and awaiting release
- Orders to ship and call-off balances
- Raw material stock against reorder level
- Rejects and rework by line and shift
- Test results by product and lot
- Certificates and documents nearing expiry
- Buyer balances, oldest first
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- SMS
- WhatsApp or other messaging
- Barcode and label printers
- Courier and freight booking
- Accounting software export
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Is it for masks, gloves, gowns or all PPE?
- Can we trace a finished lot back to raw material?
- Can quality results and test reports be attached to a lot?
- Does it help with certificates and shelf life?
- Can it handle large orders delivered in parts?
- Can it print labels with lot numbers?
- Can open orders and stock be moved in?
- Who owns the data?
- What does it cost?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Lots are not tied to raw material
- Test records sit apart from the lot
- Production plans follow orders by phone
- Certificates and expiry dates are scattered
- Call-off orders are hard to follow
Prefer to talk it through? See the pPE manufacturers page.