How a Plastics & Rubber Manufacturer Increased Efficiency by 61% Using Odoo ERP Software

Client Overview

A mid-sized Plastics & Rubber components manufacturing company, based in Maharashtra, India, approached us to digitally transform their plant operations. With a workforce of 250+ and a monthly production volume exceeding 750 metric tons, the company specializes in producing high-precision rubber seals, molded plastic components, and extrusion profiles for the automotive and industrial OEM sector.

Project Overview

The project was aimed at unifying disconnected operations into a single source of operational truth — eliminating silos between procurement, production planning, inventory, and quality control.

Challenges & Objectives

The client was stuck in a whirlpool of manual tracking, fragmented software tools, and reactive maintenance. Here’s what wasn’t working:

• Purchase Delays: Manual vendor comparison led to slow procurement cycles and frequent stockouts of critical raw materials like EPDM, HDPE, and silicone rubber.
• Inaccurate BOM Planning: Excel-based planning made it hard to align demand forecasts with Bill of Materials (BOMs), especially with variable customer orders.
• Inventory Chaos: Mismatched batch numbers, high dead stock, and inconsistent FIFO usage resulted in over 8% material wastage monthly.
• No Real-Time QC Checks: Quality inspections were paper-based, reactive, and only post-production — causing high rework and delayed dispatches.
• Unplanned Downtime: Maintenance logs were maintained on whiteboards. Machines like injection molding units and rubber extruders would break down mid-shift, leading to productivity loss and idle labor.

Objectives Set:

• Automate Purchase RFQs and vendor selection
• Implement dynamic Material Requirements Planning (MRP)
• Introduce in-line Quality Control checkpoints
• Predictive & Preventive Maintenance scheduling
• Create real-time traceability across inventory movement and batch production

Scope of Work

To address the complex, variable, and high-volume production cycles of the plastics and rubber manufacturing sector, the scope was tailored across five fully integrated Odoo modules, each mapped to an industry-specific need:

1. Purchase Management (Raw Material & Vendor Control)

The manufacturing process relies heavily on timely procurement of raw polymers (like HDPE, LDPE, PP, PVC) and rubber compounds (NBR, EPDM, Silicone). The purchase module was configured to:

• Automate Request for Quotation (RFQ) generation based on MRP signals and minimum stock levels.
• Manage multiple vendor price lists, quality ratings, and lead time tracking via vendor scorecards.
• Control import documentation, packaging variations, and landed cost calculations for international suppliers.
• Streamline approval workflows for capex procurement (molds, dies, tooling).

2. Inventory & Warehouse Management (Batch Traceability & FIFO Enforcement)

Material movement and traceability are crucial in an industry dealing with:

• Granules, masterbatches, additives, and bulk packaging components
• Lot-based production, expiration tracking (especially for rubber compounds), and FIFO rules

The inventory module covered:

• Barcode-enabled warehouse operations for raw material receipt, internal transfers, and production input.
• Multi-location routing with defined stock zones (RM Store, WIP, FG Store, QC Hold, Scrap Yard).
• Batch/Lot tracking across entire lifecycle — from GRN to final dispatch — ensuring ISO and IATF compliance.
• Stock aging reports to avoid expired or degraded rubber compound usage.

3. Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP) — Multi-Level BOMs & Capacity Planning

Plastic & rubber production involves tool-specific planning, curing time constraints, and frequent mold changes. Odoo MRP was customized to:

• Handle multi-level BOMs for assemblies like gaskets with steel inserts or molded rubber with metal bonding.
• Configure work centers for Injection Molding, Extrusion, Compression Molding, and Secondary Operations (trimming, bonding, printing).
• Implement real-time capacity planning with machine-hour forecasting, tool/mold scheduling, and maintenance-aware work orders.
• Enable dynamic scheduling based on customer priorities, urgent orders, and available raw material.

4. Quality Control (Inline Checks & SPC Integration)

Given the criticality of product durability and dimensional accuracy (e.g., ±0.05mm tolerances), the QC module was enhanced to include:

• Incoming Quality Control (IQC): Rubber compound viscosity checks, polymer MFI test, masterbatch color match validations.
• In-Process QC: Shot weight variance, wall thickness, flash/burr checks, tensile strength sampling, and visual inspections using pre-configured SPC templates.
• Final QA: PPAP-based validation with rejection tagging, photo capture, and non-conformance (NCR) logging.
• Integrated Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA) with rework instructions and inspection routing.

5. Maintenance Management (Predictive + Preventive)

Machine uptime directly affects production output in this capital-heavy industry. Molding and extrusion machines require:

• Scheduled preventive maintenance based on run-hours and cycle count.
• Predictive triggers via IoT for parameters like hydraulic oil temp, mold clamping pressure, or screw RPM drift.
• Spare part inventory tracking with automatic alerts for critical parts (e.g., heaters, thermocouples, linear guides).
• A unified maintenance calendar, technician scheduling, and downtime analytics integrated into production dashboards.

Solution Design & Implementation

Solution Approach:

Given the high-precision, high-volume, and machinery-dependent nature of Plastics & Rubber Manufacturing, our solution was strategically crafted with three pillars in mind:

1. Modular Deployment with Functional Cohesion

Rather than a “big bang” approach, we used a modular rollout plan with tightly integrated phases. This enabled progressive adoption across core functions — starting with procurement and inventory, moving to MRP and QC, and culminating in predictive maintenance. Each phase included built-in feedback loops.

2. Manufacturing-Centric Configuration

All modules were configured with process-specific logic such as:

• Granular BOM setups for injection molding and extrusion operations
• Multi-level routing for operations like molding → trimming → bonding → inspection
• Machine-linked work orders and tool-specific scheduling
• Batch-specific tracking for material traceability and regulatory compliance

3. User-Centric, Shop-Floor Friendly Interface

We designed workflows optimized for:

• Barcode scanners and touchscreens on the shop floor
• Real-time KPI dashboards for management (OEE, scrap %, MTBF)
• Minimal click workflows for warehouse staff and QC technicians

Implementation Process: 5 Phases of Structured Execution

Phase 1: Process Discovery & Blueprinting

Activities:

• Conducted plant walkthroughs, BOM analysis, and shadowed departments (store, QC, maintenance).
• Mapped “As-Is” workflows and identified bottlenecks like duplicate entries, paper-based QC logs, and reactive maintenance.
• Created To-Be Process Maps aligned with lean principles, material flow logic, and Odoo’s capabilities.

Outcome: A validated Solution Blueprint across 5 modules + integration plan for barcode scanners and IoT data feeds.

Phase 2: Configuration & Customization

Activities:

• Configured Odoo Purchase, Inventory, MRP, Quality, and Maintenance modules as per blueprint.
• Enabled dynamic reordering rules, batch controls, and routing for real-time production planning.
• Customized Quality module to handle:
• Developed custom dashboards for:

Outcome: A manufacturing-specific ERP backbone ready for UAT testing with real client data.

Phase 3: Data Migration & Master Data Mapping

Activities:

• Cleansed and mapped:
• Used scripts and import tools to bring in batch numbers, QC logs, and historical maintenance jobs.

Outcome: 100% reconciled master data with traceability and costing accuracy intact.

Phase 4: Pilot Testing (UAT) & Training

Activities:

• Executed end-to-end pilot run for:
• Conducted role-based training sessions for:

Outcome: Staff confidence boosted, SOPs validated, edge cases discovered and resolved before full rollout.

Phase 5: Go-Live & Post-Go-Live Support

Activities:

• Staggered go-live by department, ensuring minimal disruption.
• Provided hypercare support for 4 weeks to handle post-go-live issues, adoption, and bug fixes.
• Set up weekly monitoring dashboards to identify gaps and initiate corrective action.

Outcome: Stable live environment, real-time production visibility, with performance KPIs tracking above target.

Execution Challenges

Not everything was smooth sailing:

• Change Resistance: Shop floor staff were reluctant to adopt barcode scanning and digital work orders initially. We addressed this with hands-on workshops and simplified UIs.
• Data Mapping Complexity: Historical data for over 5 years had to be cleaned, categorized, and structured for import — especially BOM variants and vendor contracts.
• Custom Reporting Needs: Management needed industry-specific KPIs — OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), First Pass Yield (FPY), and Scrap Rate Analytics — which required custom BI dashboards and pivot views.

Despite the hurdles, iterative UAT cycles and cross-functional training ensured stable go-live within 14 weeks.

Results & Impact

The outcomes were dramatic, and measurable within 3 months post-implementation:

• Efficiency increased by 61% across production and procurement due to better planning and fewer stoppages.
• Material wastage dropped by 43% owing to traceable batch-wise inventory and inline quality checks.
• Unplanned Downtime reduced by 58% with predictive maintenance alerts tied to actual machine runtime.
• RFQ cycle time decreased by 3X, giving purchase teams more control over cost-effective buying.
• QC turnaround improved by 67%, resulting in faster approvals and fewer returns from clients.

For the first time, the plant had complete real-time visibility across operations, with one-click reporting and proactive alerts.

Client Feedback & Innovations

“We never realized how much productivity we were losing daily. Odoo helped us plug the leak at every step — from raw material procurement to the final QC stamp. It’s like moving from walking blindfolded to driving with GPS,” — Operations Head, Client Manufacturing Unit

The client has now expanded the implementation into a multi-plant rollout, with IoT integration in progress for real-time equipment health tracking.

Key Learnings & Project Team

Key Learnings:

• Process adherence before automation: Aligning people with digital SOPs made adoption easier.
• Modular implementation works best: Rolling out modules in sprints reduced confusion and allowed for focused training.
• Quality control isn’t just a gate — it’s a feedback loop that should be live and integrated into every shift.

Project Team Highlights:

• Project Lead — Solution Architecture & Module Mapping
• Functional Consultant — MRP, QC, Purchase, Maintenance
• Technical Team — Custom BI dashboards, Barcode & IoT integration
• Client Champions — Production Manager, Store In-charge, Maintenance Head

Efficiency isn’t an abstract goal. It’s a measurable outcome. ERP for manufacturing software gives you the structure, visibility, and agility to reach it — day after day, shift after shift.

If you are stuck and need help with your manufacturing operations drop us a line at sales@apagen.com or call us at +91–9971800665.