Spectr vs other systems

Make-to-stock ERP vs engineer-to-order

Make-to-stock ERP plans inventory from forecasts and standard BOMs. Engineer-to-order ERP waits for design, then tracks actual cost on a unique job. Facade fabrication is ETO. Buying MTS software and “being careful” is how item masters explode.

See this on your jobs ETO BOMs in Spectr

Key facts

MTS: build to forecast, stock, ship. ETO: design after award, build once, maybe install.
Standard cost is a lie when you have never made that panel before.
MRP explosions need a BOM you do not have at kickoff.
Spectr’s planning is project- and phase-driven, not forecast-driven finished goods.

How shops handle this

Classify your revenue
If 80% of dollars are unique buildings, you are ETO even if you stock a few extrusions.
Stock the commodities, project the products
Coil and screws can be inventory. Panel A-237 is a project record.
Reject dummy SKUs
“PANEL-MISC” is how cost and traceability die.
Measure actuals weekly
ETO profit is a trajectory, not a standard-cost variance report.

Common questions

We stock ACM sheet — doesn’t that make us MTS?

You stock material. You still engineer and fabricate unique products.

Can one ERP do both well?

Platforms claim yes. Facade depth usually loses to the MTS core.

Experience how Spectr could fit in your shop

From the jobs you're quoting now to the installs you're managing next month — we'll walk through your actual work, not a canned tour.

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