Shop floor productivity is a make-orbreak factor in manufacturing, with time tracking playing a significant role in ensuring business efficiency. Whether a manufacturer’s approach to production is agile or a more traditional model, they need robust time-tracking tools to oversee employee progress, team efficiency, and labor costs.

“A high-quality time tracker is integral to the manufacturing ecosystem, as it gives them a significant sway over their resource allocation, capacity planning, and cost containment,” says Norbert Donnelly, president of NAV Masters, LLC.

A leading manufacturing software provider, NAV Masters helps manufacturers optimize performance and productivity and improve their bottom line with its purpose-built time collection agent and bespoke ERP services. Its MasterTime platform is a custom time collection and analysis tool built using its proprietary shop floor data collection system. Designed for manufacturing and other industries dependent on controlling labor costs, the platform excels at collecting time against department codes, and production and assembly orders. This enables manufacturers to effectively manage their labor costs while improving operational efficiency.

MasterTime’s efficacy was put to the test when a leading manufacturer approached NAV Masters to enhance real-time visibility across all their geographically isolated facilities. The client needed a comprehensive dashboard that could simultaneously manage all shop floors. NAV Masters offered a master dashboard integrated with MasterTime, giving them a bird’s eye view of each job site. Built-in location filters facilitated easier monitoring of the work carried out in all departments where employees were clocked in. The client could also compare full-time and contract workers, enabling them to gain a clear picture of the actual count (available staff) and the target count needed to complete prioritized works. It also improved resource allocation and supplemented on-time delivery commitments.

“The right combination of our purpose-built solution and customer-focused business model sets us apart from the competition,” says Donnelly.

Time-Tested Solution for Employee Time Collection

MasterTime was initially designed as a plug-in time collection tool to integrate with Dynamics Navision (NAV). Production orders, employee information, and labor rates were contained and calculated within the ERP system. Committed to addressing ever-evolving client needs, NAV Masters evolved MasterTime as an all-inclusive time-tracking platform capable of functioning as a standalone system. It can also be integrated with any ERP, including Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, NetSuite, and SAP.

The standalone version—developed for small manufacturers—works in tandem with any ERP by exchanging flat files, while the integrated model allows data synchronization from client applications and includes production order and employee files. For example, a manufacturing facility using SAP can directly import production orders, routings, employees, customers, and work centers into the MasterTime platform.

Offered as a cloud-based solution, MasterTime comes with powerful management consoles that comprise twotime collection agents and a sync module (in the integrated version). The platform consists of a host of master data applications, dashboards, and filters, enabling real-time visualization of employee clock-ins. Shop floor supervisors can leverage the generated reports to easily track overtime for regular and contract employees. Built on Microsoft Visual Studios, MasterTime ensures higher degrees of flexibility and can be configured to work on one metric or many, based on client requirements.

A recent case in point involves a business that wanted to calculate employee time against department codes only. It had a complex, parent-child department code set up and wanted to use the same framework with NAV Masters’ shop floor data collection system. The team customized its solution, allowing the client to gain visibility over all parent-child departments. The platform was also designed to generate comprehensive reports and consolidate data while providing concise summaries for parents, as well as intricate details regarding each (child) department.

NAV Masters offers a wide range of solutions, such as drag-and-drop scheduling for service, assembly and production orders, RFID production tracking, and shipping solutions. All of these complementary offerings provide clients with a comprehensive suite of tools to streamline their operations and maximize efficiency across the board. A host of services around manufacturing technology, including the implementation and customization of Microsoft Business Central also add to its offerings.

“Our business is really in customizing software, so we customize the actual ERP systems as well as our time collection solution,” says Donnelly.

Regimented Process to Customization

NAV Masters follows a comprehensive process for customization. In the initial step, it carries out an in-depth analysis to understand client requirements and concerns. The team usually does an on-site visit or remote assessment to evaluate the time collection processes, analyze the business model, and assess factors like multi-location operations and employee volume. It also conducts a review of their existing systems to address aspects like the inclusion of contract workers and preferred methods of time collection—department, production orders, and assembly orders.

Labor rates, direct and indirect overhead and time approval processes are also explored. This extensive process enables it to uncover all potential pitfalls and perform a gap-fit analysis to identify areas where customization may be necessary to fulfill specific needs.

Based on the findings, NAV Masters drafts a detailed gap analysis document outlining the standard functionalities and estimated costs for required customizations. Detailed descriptions are then carefully reviewed and approved by customers, ensuring alignment with their needs. The project is scheduled upon receiving a green light, and the development team meets to discuss project specifics and address any inquiries. Agile project management techniques, including daily scrum meetings, are deployed to monitor progress, mitigate bottlenecks, and resolve additional resource allocation challenges. The software is thoroughly tested by the team before it is deployed into a client’s sandbox environment. Once all the boxes are checked, the solution moves into the implementation phase.

NAV Masters maintains a tracking system for these software development documents, which gives clients the ability to trace customization history and refer back to original documents as needed.

Our Business Is Really In Customizing Software, And So We Do Customization Of The Actual Erp Systems As Well As Our Time Collection Solution

A customer-first company, NAV Masters practices a high-availability customer service model. Its ticketing system categorizes service-level agreements (SLAs) into two categories— standard model (6-hours response time) and premium (2-hour turnaround time).

A Nurturing Environment for Fostering Innovation and Growth

Setting NAV Masters apart is its dedication to continuous improvement and education. The majority of its developers are Microsoft-certified, and the company is committed to providing training and certification opportunities for employees. This dedication ensures it delivers cutting-edge solutions that align with latest technology trends. Its ongoing investment in employee development not only helps attract top talent but fosters a culture of innovation within the organization.

It is committed to sharing its knowledge and expertise with the broader community, and has developed an extensive library of training videos, the NAV Masters Training Series, which cover various topics related to Dynamics NAV, Business Central and other relevant subjects. Making these resources accessible, it empowers organizations to harness the full potential of its technology solutions and drive continuous improvement. These initiatives illustrate why NAV Masters is a top choice for manufacturers seeking to augment their shop floor operations with optimized performance and productivity.