Industrial SMEs
Digitalisation and automation for small and medium industrial companies that need to scale without increasing costs: processes, tools and integrations sized for small teams that do a bit of everything.
The business layer for industrial SMEs
Industrial SMEs often grow faster than their management tools: spreadsheets for planning, an invoicing program disconnected from the warehouse, and orders retyped by hand. The model works, but only on manual hours, so every new order adds administrative cost and scaling becomes expensive.
Captia Service works on the business layer: sales, purchasing, warehouse, planned production, invoicing and administration. Typical projects combine an Odoo ERP implementation as the central system, process integration to connect the tools the company keeps, and business digitalisation of repetitive administrative work. Projects start with a short review of real processes, then digitalise one high-impact flow first and extend in phases, so the factory never stops. For the plant data layer, see Captia Connect for industry; for a prior diagnosis and roadmap, Captia Consulting for industry.
Frequently asked questions
- Where does digitalisation start in an industrial SME?
- With the process that generates the most manual work today, usually order management, production reports or invoicing, where data is copied by hand between paper, spreadsheets and disconnected programs. That flow is digitalised first, checked with real users, and the next process follows from there.
- Does an industrial SME need a full ERP or is integration enough?
- It depends on the starting point. If the company runs on spreadsheets and isolated tools, an ERP such as Odoo is usually the soundest base: sales, purchasing, warehouse and accounting in one system. If a reasonable ERP already exists, integrating it with the rest of the tools often pays off more than replacing it.
- How long does a digitalisation project take?
- We work in short phases: a first module or operational process running in weeks, with real users on it, and extensions from there. Each phase closes with something in use, not with pending documentation. The exact calendar depends on scope and is defined at the start of the project.
- What about machine and sensor data from the plant?
- Captia Service covers the business layer: orders, planning, warehouse and administration. Capturing data directly from PLCs, sensors and production lines is a different layer handled by Captia Connect. They complement each other: the plant produces the data and the ERP turns it into purchasing, planning and invoicing decisions.