One system instead of seven acronyms.
ERP, MES, MRP, QMS, WMS, and the rest of the acronyms, what each one actually does, and which ones WorkCell replaces.
| System | Stands For | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| ERP | Enterprise Resource Planning | The system of record for quotes, jobs, inventory, and the ledger. |
| MES | Manufacturing Execution System | Operator terminals reporting quantities, scrap, and status at the machine. |
| MRP | Material Requirements Planning | Demand collected and exploded through the bill of materials. |
| APS | Advanced Planning and Scheduling | Finite scheduling against real machine and labor capacity. |
| QMS | Quality Management System | Inspections, nonconformances, and 8-D corrective action. |
| WMS | Warehouse Management System | Receiving, put-away, picking, shipping, and cycle counts. |
| CRM | Customer Relationship Management | Customers, contacts, and every touchpoint on the same record as the quote. |
| CMMS | Computerized Maintenance Management System | Machine maintenance tracked against the resources that run the work. |
| SCM | Supply Chain Management | Purchasing, supplier performance, and inbound material flow. |
| CPQ | Configure, Price, Quote | Configurable quoting that carries structure and pricing into the order. |
| OEE | Overall Equipment Effectiveness | Availability, performance, and quality measured from production data. |
| ECC | Engineering Change Control | Revisions and effective dating across BOMs and routings. |
Each of these started as a separate product because each was sold to a different buyer. The ledger went to finance, the terminals went to the floor, the inspections went to quality, and the schedule went to whoever shouted loudest.
A shop does not experience them as separate systems. It experiences the gaps between them, which is where the double entry, the stale quantities, and the disagreeing reports come from. WorkCell is one database doing all of it.
What is the difference between ERP, MES, and MRP?
ERP is the system of record for quotes, jobs, inventory, and the ledger. MRP explodes demand through the bill of materials to tell you what to buy and make. MES captures what actually happened at the machine. Most shops run all three, ideally on one database rather than three.
Do I need separate ERP, MES, and QMS systems, or can one system do all three?
One system can cover all three, and for a shop under a thousand employees it usually should. Separate systems mean the same job, part, and operation exist three times, kept in sync by integrations or by people retyping. A single database removes that reconciliation work entirely.
What is the difference between MRP and APS scheduling?
MRP answers what to buy and make, and roughly when, assuming unlimited capacity. APS answers whether the floor can actually do it, sequencing work against real machine and labor capacity. MRP gives you a material plan; APS gives you a schedule you can promise a delivery date from.
Which manufacturing systems should a small shop buy first?
Start with the system of record: quoting, orders, inventory, routings, and job costing. Add shop floor data collection next, because scheduling and costing are only as good as the actuals feeding them. Quality, maintenance, and warehouse modules follow once the basic transaction flow is reliable.
How much does manufacturing software cost?
WorkCell publishes four plans: Core at $995 per month, Professional at $2,495, Scale at $4,995, and Enterprise by quote. Annual billing takes twenty percent off, and every plan includes unlimited users. Most systems we compare against are quoted per user, so their cost tracks headcount.
Stop reconciling systems that should agree.
Tell us what you run today and we will show you what replaces it.