Turning shop-floor wisdom into an organizational asset: Routing in Beas Manufacturing

2026.05.12

Manufacturing

Are your Routings slowing down production or making it difficult to scale?

 
Many factories rely heavily on the experience of long time employees and the unique ingenuity they have developed on the shop floor over many years. However, when that valuable expertise exists only in the minds of individuals, the foundation of the organization becomes fragile. As senior workers retire, the skills they have accumulated over decades risk disappearing with them. It is an invisible threat quietly creeping into the operations.

In environments where only a few individuals understand the details of certain processes, even one absence can disrupt the entire production line. Managers struggle to understand what is happening on the shop floor, and this lack of visibility becomes a barrier to improvement. The real issue lies in this very structure that allows stagnation of information.

If we call the Bill of Materials the heart of manufacturing, then Routing represents the very lifeblood flowing through the shop floor. If the steps, resources, and timing required to complete a product are not clearly defined and this information is available only to a limited number of individuals, the sustainability of the organization is put at risk. SAP Business One and Beas Manufacturing provide the tools to break this pattern and turn individual expertise into shared organizational knowledge.
 
 

A new approach to Routing with Beas Manufacturing

 
Beas Manufacturing offers three features that make it easier to standardize your Routings. By converting shop-floor expertise into data and continuously refining it through ongoing improvement, you can create a cycle that transforms individual skills into a shared organizational asset.

  1. From tacit to explicit knowledge: Break down the expertise of skilled workers into resources and operation catalogs. By creating a shared language that anyone can reference, the speed and accuracy of knowledge transfer improve dramatically.
  2. From specialized to standardized operations: Convert your resources and operation catalogs into unified operational sequences, that is, Routings. By establishing a highly repeatable operational structure, you build organizational strength that no longer depends on the abilities of specific individuals.
  3. From overwriting to keeping valuable records: Instead of simply overwriting data with the latest updates, preserve the history of adjustments through version control. (For more information on version control, see our article on Bill of Materials in Beas Manufacturing.) With a clear record of past changes to your Routings, you can take the next step forward based on solid evidence.

The example above shows two Routing versions in Beas Manufacturing. In Version 1, the entire process is grouped into a single operation. In Version 2, the same work is divided into four steps.
Once the steps are separated, it becomes clear that the drying stage alone takes 40 minutes. As the level of detail in your Routings increases, inefficiencies and delays become more visible, enabling you to plan improvements based on actual data.
 
 

Data that becomes the key to unlocking your future

 
When information bottlenecks are eliminated and a smooth flow of knowledge is restored to the shop floor, the organization is freed from the burdens that constrain its future, such as the fear of losing technical expertise and the lack of transparency in management. The skills of experienced workers are passed down through the system, allowing the entire organization to operate based on a shared language. As these efforts are recorded and accumulated, quality and speed stabilize, bringing significant change to everyday factory operations.

The data created through the above-mentioned three Beas features becomes a foundation for meeting delivery commitments and maintaining quality, even as market conditions change. It is not just a record of past work; it becomes a powerful asset that enhances your competitiveness and helps shape future strategy.

If you are interested in learning more about Routing or version control in Beas Manufacturing, please feel free to contact us.