Industry guide
What does custom manufacturing software built by Black Badger involve?
Black Badger Software Solutions publishes this guide and builds custom software for manufacturers, which is why a custom build appears on every list here. We build the quoting, scheduling, inventory or shop floor system your ERP handles badly, connect it to the ERP you keep, and you own the code and the accounts with no per-seat fee.
Who a custom manufacturing system is for
A custom manufacturing system is for manufacturers with one job that no product has handled well. The usual ones are estimating for custom or engineer-to-order work, production scheduling, shop floor tracking and inventory rules tied to jobs and customers.
We work mainly with companies of 50 or more employees. A smaller shop is usually better served by a product or by better use of the ERP it already owns, and we say so when that is the case.
How Black Badger builds a custom manufacturing system
A build starts with a conversation and then discovery, where we go through the process with the people who do it and read the spreadsheets they rely on. You get a written scope that names what will be built and which systems it connects to before anything is signed.
During the build you see working screens, and the people who will use them try them. Data is moved across and checked. At handover every account the system runs on is already in your name.
What you own when a custom manufacturing system is finished
You own the source code, the database, the hosting account and the connections to your ERP. Black Badger is invited in as an administrator and you can remove us whenever you choose.
There are no licenses. After launch you pay the running costs of the services the system uses, and adding an operator, a planner or a second shift costs nothing extra.
Why Black Badger ranks where it does on Best Software for Manufacturers
We spent years implementing and migrating ERP and operations platforms before we moved to building custom systems, so we know where each product fits a plant and where it stops fitting. These lists are written from that experience.
It would be easy to rank the custom route first everywhere. We do not, because most manufacturers should buy their ERP. Custom is first on the quoting list and on the list about production run on spreadsheets, and second or third on the rest.
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Ask Black Badger about a custom build
Questions buyers ask
What does custom manufacturing software cost?
We do not publish a price for custom manufacturing software. The number depends on what the system has to do, how your estimates or schedules are built and which systems it must agree with. Discovery and a written scope give you a firm number and a schedule.
Do we have to replace our ERP to get custom manufacturing software?
No, you do not have to replace your ERP. Most of what we build for manufacturers sits beside the ERP and connects to it. The ERP keeps the ledger, the items and the orders, and the custom system does the job the ERP was doing badly.
Does Black Badger still implement ERP products?
No, Black Badger no longer implements ERP products. Knowing those platforms well is why we stopped. If one of them fits your plant we will say so, and the first call is free.
Can a manufacturer with fewer than 50 employees get in touch?
Yes, a manufacturer with fewer than 50 employees can get in touch, and a person reads every message. We will tell you plainly if a product is the better fit for your size.