A leading global medical device company headquartered in the United States needed its ERP to run regulated, recipe-driven batch production with multi-level BOMs that change as fast as R&D does. EPIQ configured NetSuite Advanced Manufacturing to mirror the shop floor step by step, embedded quality control at every checkpoint, connected machine data, and has kept the system running through ongoing NetSuite support services ever since.
The production routing EPIQ modeled in NetSuite, one operation per shop-floor station, with quality hold points built in.
EPIQ Infotech configured Oracle NetSuite Advanced Manufacturing for a global medical device company so that recipe-driven batches run through a seven-operation routing, multi-level BOMs (4 to 5 nested levels) stay traceable by lot and serial number, and QC results are captured at incoming, in-process and final release checkpoints. Machine telemetry flows into NetSuite through a middleware gateway to calculate yield variance and OEE. Over more than three years of ongoing support, tickets have been limited to day-to-day operational adjustments, with no major system breakdowns.
The company develops, manufactures and distributes healthcare products across cardiology, orthopedics, endosurgery and in-vitro diagnostics. Part of its portfolio is produced through a regulated, pharmaceutical-style process flow, where active ingredients and excipients are combined and processed through weighing, mixing, granulation, drying, milling, compression and encapsulation.
That flow created requirements a standard discrete manufacturing setup could not meet:
EPIQ delivered six connected workstreams inside NetSuite, each designed so production, quality and finance work from the same records.
Configured NetSuite Advanced Manufacturing for recipe-driven production. Every active ingredient and excipient was mapped to an item record, and formula-based BOMs captured exact consumption ratios and scaling rules for precise batch costing.
Built 4 to 5 level BOM structures across Work Orders and Assemblies. Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) let R&D introduce new formulations without disrupting production already in progress.
Implemented the NetSuite Quality Management SuiteApp with electronic inspection forms, sampling plans and automated pass or fail rules at incoming, in-process and final release checkpoints. Results are stored in NetSuite for a full audit trail.
Used Advanced Manufacturing routing definitions to mirror the seven shop-floor operations, with SuiteFlow placing a lot on hold automatically when an in-process QC check fails.
Enabled lot and serial tracking across every BOM level to support GMP compliance and full traceability from raw material supplier to finished goods.
Connected production equipment to NetSuite through a middleware gateway, so runtime counts, scrap and timestamps feed yield variance and efficiency reporting.
The physical plant was translated into three NetSuite building blocks: work centers that represent machines, routings that define the order of operations, and work orders that carry each batch through production.
| NetSuite object | What it represents | Key attributes configured |
|---|---|---|
| Work Center / Resource | Each physical station: weighing station, mixer, granulator, dryer, mill, compression press, encapsulation line | Capacity, calendar, machine ID, operator skill levels, shift information |
| Manufacturing Routing | The ordered sequence of operations for a product or batch | Setup and run time, expected yield and scrap per step, assigned work center, linked BOM components and consumption |
| Work Order | One production batch | Inherits BOM and routing; holds planned timings and quantities for scheduling and WIP accounting |
| Assemblies and sub-assemblies | Each level of the 4 to 5 level BOM | Own routing where needed, lot or serial control for cross-level traceability |
| QC operations | Hold points within the routing | Sampling after granulation; failed results set lot status to Hold and block the next operation |
Operators use tablets or terminals running a lightweight shop floor app built as a Suitelet. For each operation they start the step (recording timestamp, operator and machine ID), record produced quantity, scrap and rejects with reason codes, record the lot numbers and quantities consumed, attach QC sample results, and complete the operation, which releases the next step in NetSuite.
Work order travelers and printed lot labels with barcodes or RFID tags move with each batch. Scanning a label ties the physical lot to its NetSuite record, so materials can be issued upfront or backflushed at the operation where they are actually consumed, while inventory is reserved and procurement is planned from expected consumption ratios.
EPIQ used an edge, middleware and NetSuite pattern. Machine signals are normalized and matched to the active work order before anything is written to the ERP, which keeps high-frequency telemetry reliable and auditable.
When the middleware reports good units and scrap for an operation, NetSuite posts the inventory and accounting impact automatically, in this order:
Both metrics are computed from timestamps and counts stored in Machine Data Log records, then surfaced through SuiteAnalytics workbooks and saved searches.
(Expected output minus Actual output) × Standard cost per unit
A scheduled SuiteScript compares planned BOM and routing output with actual good units, then creates variance journal entries or flags the work order for review.
Availability = Run time ÷ Planned production time
Performance = (Ideal cycle time × Total count) ÷ Run time
Quality = Good count ÷ Total count
OEE = Availability × Performance × Quality
For more than three years, EPIQ has provided continuous functional and technical support for this environment as part of its NetSuite support services. Because the manufacturing model was built to match real shop-floor behavior from the start, support work has stayed focused on day-to-day operational adjustments rather than recovery from failures. There have been no major system breakdowns.
Regulated manufacturers often need more than break-fix help. A certified NetSuite support partner that understands BOM changes, QC rules and lot traceability can adjust the system as R&D introduces new formulations, without putting compliance at risk. Teams that want proactive monitoring on top of that can extend into NetSuite managed services.
One system for production, quality and finance. Formula-based BOMs, routings, QC inspections and WIP accounting all run inside NetSuite, so costing reflects actual consumption at each operation.
End-to-end traceability. Lot and serial control across all 4 to 5 BOM levels connects every finished unit to the supplier lots it consumed, supporting GMP compliance and audit readiness.
Faster product change without disruption. Engineering Change Orders let R&D introduce new formulations while production in progress continues on the current version.
Measured efficiency. Machine-level data feeds automated yield variance journals and OEE metrics, replacing estimates with shop-floor facts.
Stable operations. More than three years of support with tickets limited to routine adjustments and no major breakdowns. If your manufacturing environment needs the same steady hand, explore EPIQ's NetSuite support plans and response times.
Yes. NetSuite Advanced Manufacturing supports recipe-driven production where raw materials are consumed in defined ratios. In this project, active ingredients and excipients were mapped to item records and formula-based BOMs captured consumption ratios and scaling rules for accurate batch costing.
NetSuite supports multi-level BOMs through assemblies and sub-assemblies. This medical device company runs 4 to 5 nested levels, each with lot or serial control, which provides traceability from supplier lot to finished goods.
GMP support comes from combining lot and serial tracking at every BOM level, QC inspections through the Quality Management SuiteApp at incoming, in-process and final release checkpoints, automated holds through SuiteFlow when a check fails, and stored inspection results that form a complete audit trail.
Yes. Machine signals exposed through OPC-UA, MQTT or REST are collected by a middleware gateway that maps each machine to its work center and active work order, then writes data to NetSuite through RESTlets, SuiteTalk REST APIs or an integration platform such as Boomi or MuleSoft.
OEE equals availability multiplied by performance multiplied by quality. Availability is run time divided by planned production time, performance is ideal cycle time multiplied by total count divided by run time, and quality is good count divided by total count. The inputs come from Machine Data Log custom records and are aggregated in SuiteAnalytics workbooks or saved searches.
For this client it includes SuiteAnalytics reporting, SuiteFlow approval workflows, SuiteScript customizations such as batch expiry alerts and COA generation, and routine adjustments as products change. Learn how EPIQ structures these engagements on the NetSuite support services page.
Talk to EPIQ's certified consultants about formula-based BOMs, QC integration, machine data and the support model that keeps it all stable.
Santosh Krishnamoorthy is a Principal ERP Consultant at EPIQ Infotech, with extensive experience in NetSuite and enterprise systems. He works with finance and operations teams to improve reporting accuracy, streamline workflows, and build ERP environments that support sustainable growth. His writing focuses on practical insights drawn from real implementation and support experience.
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