A note on bias: we make CycleWright, so we aren't neutral. This guide is the list we would use ourselves to judge any vendor, including us.
The three kinds of systems
| Type | Good at | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| ERP only | Orders, inventory, shipping, accounting | Production is typed in, so it lags the floor; little or no machine data. |
| Monitoring or MES only | Live status, downtime, OEE | A second system next to the ERP, with counts re-entered or integrated. |
| Combined | Machine data flows straight into jobs, schedules, quality and shipping | Needs to be strong on both sides; check the ERP depth for your customers. |
13 questions to ask any vendor
1. Can it read my oldest machine?
Ask to see it on a relay-controlled press, not only on a new one with Ethernet. If a system only works through the controller's own protocol, older machines are left out.
2. Does it need per-brand connectors or OPC server licenses?
Each connector and license adds cost and a failure point. A standard signal harness reads every machine the same way.
3. Is downtime captured automatically, with reasons?
Stops should start and end on their own, to the second. Reasons should take seconds to pick, at the press or on a phone.
4. How is OEE calculated, and from what data?
Ask which numbers come from the machine and which are typed in, and whether each mold is judged against its own ideal cycle.
5. Can it act on problems, not just display them?
Dashboards don't stop bad parts. Look for interlocks (such as diverting parts when a TCU fails), help calls and alerts.
6. Does it start read-only?
On a running plant, a new system should read everything and write nothing until your team decides.
7. Does the ERP understand molding?
Resin, colorant, regrind percentage, inserts and packaging on the BOM; tools with cavities and shot counts; blanket orders with firm and forecast releases.
8. Is production typed in or captured?
If people key in part counts, the ERP is always behind. Counts should come from the machines, tagged with the job.
9. Can schedules use real cycle times?
A schedule built on routing cycle times is wrong as soon as a press runs slow. Ask whether it re-times from live production.
10. What about EDI and labels?
Automotive and industrial customers expect 830, 862, 856 and 810, and ASNs that match their label scans.
11. What happens when the internet goes down?
Monitoring and interlocks should keep running on the plant floor without the cloud.
12. Who owns the data, and can you get it out?
Look for exports and an API, and history that stays on your own PC.
13. What does the price include, and can you pilot first?
Ask what the price counts: users, modules, machines, setup and changes to fit your plant. Per-user and per-module fees grow with you. A pilot next to your current system keeps the decision small and reversible.
Where CycleWright fits
- Good fit: molders with mixed brands and ages, shops without an ERP or with one that is blind to the floor, suppliers that need EDI and labels, and teams that want to start small.
- Check carefully: if you are committed to a large ERP, CycleWright monitoring can still feed it through the API. If a customer requires a direct AS2 connection, today that runs through an AS2 gateway.