Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for solar component manufacturers.
A checklist built from how solar component 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.
- String diagrams and bills of materials
- Cable reel and connector lots
- Crimp and continuity tests
- Combiner box wiring sheets
- Stock of small parts
- Site-wise labelling and packing
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For the owner
- For planners
- For bench operators
- For stores
- For dispatch
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Orders by stage and dispatch date
- Cable reel use and remnants, by gauge
- Crimp and pull-test results by operator and tool
- Combiner boxes passed and reworked
- Small parts used against reorder levels
- Rejections by cause
- Packing lists by site
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- SMS
- WhatsApp or other messaging
- Label printer
- Accounting export
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Does it handle both cable assemblies and combiner boxes?
- Can it follow a cable reel?
- Where do crimp readings go?
- How are wrong-rated fuses stopped?
- Can the same diagram be reused?
- Can we label each carton by site?
- Is certification handled?
- How do we start with the parts we already hold?
- Who owns the order data?
- What decides what we pay?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Cable lengths are cut from a verbal note
- Crimp tool checks are not recorded
- Cable reels lose their lot after cutting
- Fuse and surge device ratings get mixed
- Cartons go out without a site label
Prefer to talk it through? See the solar component manufacturers page.