Bricks and blocks
Brick manufacturing software for fly-ash brick and block plants
The mix written down as a bill of materials for 1,000 bricks, a work order for every shift on the press, and a cost per thousand that follows fly ash and cement prices.
In short
SimpleERP is brick manufacturing software for fly-ash brick and block plants in India. The mix is a bill of materials per 1,000 bricks, each shift is a work order, and completion puts bricks in the curing yard at actual cost.
Illustration of a bill of materials with cost roll-up and a work order moving from planned to in progress to completed.
A production day at Thenpennai Eco Bricks
Production at Thenpennai Eco Bricks starts at the pan mixer. Fly ash, M-sand, cement and gypsum go in by the barrow in a set ratio, water is added, and the mix feeds two hydraulic brick machines that press about 9,000 bricks on a good shift. Green bricks are stacked in rows and watered for two weeks of curing.
The mix changes more often than the owner admits. When cement went up, the operators were told to cut it; when a builder complained about strength, it went back up. Nobody wrote either change down, so the cost per thousand on the owner's calculator belongs to a different mix from the one in the yard.
In SimpleERP the mix is a bill of materials for 1,000 bricks, with a new version for every change. A work order per shift records what was pressed and what was used, and completing it takes the raw material out of the shed and puts the bricks in the curing yard at that shift's real cost.
What do 1,000 nine-inch fly-ash bricks cost to press?
The BOM holds the mix for one thousand, a breakage allowance on the materials and the power, diesel and operator cost per thousand. SimpleERP prices each line at its current average cost.
- Breakage as a scrap percent on each material, so the plan already orders a little extra
- Cost per thousand moves when a new cement or fly ash bill changes the average
| Line | Quantity | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Fly ash | 1,500 kg @ ₹0.60 | ₹900 |
| M-sand | 1,100 kg @ ₹1.10 | ₹1,210 |
| Cement | 180 kg @ ₹7.20 | ₹1,296 |
| Gypsum | 45 kg @ ₹6.50 | ₹292.50 |
| Breakage allowance | 3% of ₹3,698.50 | ₹110.96 |
| Power, diesel and operators | per 1,000 | ₹1,050 |
| Cost per 1,000 | ₹4,859.46 |
What happens when the mix changes?
Save the new ratio as the next version of the BOM, say v5 with 200 kg of cement after the strength complaint. Work orders from today use v5; the shifts already completed keep v4 and the cost they were pressed at, so the yard's value is never rewritten after the fact.
- Every version kept, so you can show a builder which mix his bricks came from
- Cost per thousand shown as you type the new quantities, before you save the version
How does a shift's work order move the yard?
Plan the shift for 9 thousand bricks and SimpleERP works out the fly ash, M-sand, cement and gypsum, breakage included, and checks the shed. At the end of the shift enter what was actually pressed, say 8.6 thousand; consumption scales to match, any line can be corrected, and completion moves everything in one step.
- Shortfall shown on the plan, with a button to raise a purchase order for cement
- Complete from the munshi's phone, with large number fields
- Bricks land in the curing yard, not the ready yard, at the shift's actual cost
Illustration of stock on hand by warehouse at average cost, with a low-stock row highlighted and a movement ledger.
Can bricks and hollow blocks draw on the same raw material?
Yes. Each product has its own BOM: the six-inch hollow block uses more cement and no gypsum, written per 100 blocks. Both work orders draw from the same shed, so planning a block run on the same day as a brick run shows at once whether the cement will last.
- One shed, many recipes, each consuming from the same stock
- Make to order from a builder's confirmed sales order for blocks
One system
What a completed shift touches
Completion moves raw material out of the shed and bricks into the curing yard, posts the overhead, and sets the cost that each lorry invoice later carries.
Bricks and blocks
Bricks in thousands by yard, batch costs from a BOM, truckload GST invoices and builder credit.
See howGST billing for brick makers
One tax invoice per lorry, with bricks billed per thousand and blocks per piece, and the tax split from the site's state.
See howInventory for brick makers
Fly ash in tonnes, cement in bags and bricks in thousands, across the raw material shed, the curing yard and the ready yard.
See howAccounting for brick plants
Builder cheques, gate cash, diesel and supplier credit in one double-entry ledger, with the month-end checks a brick unit needs.
See howPayroll for brick kilns
Monthly staff on salary with shifts and advances, and the loading gang paid on its leader's bill, both posted to the same books.
See howManufacturing
Bills of materials with scrap and cost roll-up, and work orders from plan to complete.
See how
Honest limits
What SimpleERP does not do yet
- No production stages or shop-floor tracking; a work order is planned, started and completed
- No piece-rate pay or scrap by-product in the work order
- Work orders are internal; job work sent outside is a purchase, not a work order
- Curing and kiln firing are not tracked as stages; move bricks between yards with a transfer
- Water and meter readings per shift are not recorded on the work order; include them in the cost per thousand
Getting started
Start with manufacturing
Sign up with your phone
Name, phone number and a password. No card for the seven-day trial, and email is optional.
Tell us about the business
Type your GSTIN and the state fills itself. Accounts, GST rates, units, roles and numbering are seeded for you.
Add bills of materials
Write your current mix as a BOM for 1,000 bricks, with breakage on each material and power and labour per thousand.
Complete a work order
Components leave stock, finished goods arrive at real cost, and the journal posts in the same step.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Should I make one work order per day or per shift?
Per shift, if the two shifts use different operators or a different mix; per day if the yard runs one shift. Either way each work order records what was pressed and used, so the cost per thousand is known for that day and not averaged over the month.
How do I account for broken bricks?
Expected breakage goes on the BOM as a scrap percent on the materials, so it is already in the cost per thousand. Breakage found later while stacking or loading is a stock adjustment on the yard, with breakage as the reason.
Can I press bricks for a specific builder's order?
Yes. Pick the builder's confirmed sales order on the work order and it plans only the quantity still needed after what is in the ready yard. The work order list shows the builder beside the shift, so the munshi knows whose lorry is next.
Does it track kiln firing for red clay bricks?
No. There are no production stages, so moulding, drying and firing are not tracked one by one. Record one work order per kiln load with the clay, coal and labour it used, and move fired bricks to the ready yard with a transfer.
Related
Keep reading
Bricks and blocks
Bricks in thousands by yard, batch costs from a BOM, truckload GST invoices and builder credit.
Read moreInventory for brick makers
Fly ash in tonnes, cement in bags and bricks in thousands, across the raw material shed, the curing yard and the ready yard.
Read moreAccounting for brick plants
Builder cheques, gate cash, diesel and supplier credit in one double-entry ledger, with the month-end checks a brick unit needs.
Read more
See how manufacturing works in SimpleERP for bricks and blocks
Seven days free. No card. Your first GST invoice in minutes.