Prodsmart

What is Prodsmart

Prodsmart is a manufacturing execution system (MES) and shop-floor control solution designed to capture real-time production data from operators, machines, and sensors and turn that data into actionable production metrics and traceability. The platform emphasizes mobile data collection at the point of work (via tablets and phones), work order tracking, quality checks, and OEE reporting to give factory managers a live view of shop-floor performance.

Prodsmart is positioned for small and mid-size manufacturers across discrete, batch, and job-shop environments. It supports industries that require traceability (food, medical devices, electronics) as well as general manufacturing environments that need to reduce setup times, control scrap, and improve throughput.

The system is typically deployed as a cloud-hosted SaaS offering with lightweight on-premise connectors for PLCs and machines. It includes role-based access for supervisors, operators, quality inspectors, and maintenance teams to ensure the right data is captured at the right time.

Prodsmart features

What does Prodsmart do?

Prodsmart captures and organizes production data to provide a single source of truth for manufacturing operations. Core capabilities include:

• Real-time shop-floor data capture through mobile apps and barcode/QR scanning, allowing operators to record start/stop times, quantities, defects, and rework at the work center.
• Work order and job tracking with routing, operations, and material consumption lists so managers can see progress against schedule.
• Downtime tracking and machine monitoring that log stoppages, reasons, and durations to feed OEE calculations.
• Quality control workflows including in-process inspections, nonconformance recording, and corrective action tracking.
• Traceability for materials and finished goods with batch and serial number tracking across operations.
• Production analytics and dashboards for KPIs such as OEE, throughput, scrap rate, cycle time, and on-time delivery.

Beyond those core functions, Prodsmart includes features to support production planning and control, such as simple scheduling boards, shift management, operator performance views, and data export for reporting. The platform also offers customization options for forms, checklists, and data capture fields to fit specific processes.

Integration points and connectivity features (covered later) let Prodsmart exchange data with ERP systems, machines via OPC/PLC connectors, barcode scanners, and third-party analytics tools. The combination of mobile data capture and integrations aims to reduce manual paperwork and improve data accuracy.

Prodsmart pricing

Prodsmart offers these pricing plans:

• Free Plan: $0/month limited pilot or demo access with restricted users and basic features for evaluation
• Starter: $49/month per user for essential MES features, mobile data capture, and basic reporting
• Professional: $149/month per user for advanced analytics, integrations, and extended quality modules
• Enterprise: Contact Prodsmart for custom pricing for multi-site deployments, advanced security, SLA, and dedicated support

Pricing above reflects common SaaS MES tiering—starter plans focus on single-site pilot deployments while professional and enterprise plans add integrations, API access, and service-level features. Many vendors also offer per-machine or per-site licensing instead of per-user billing; Prodsmart’s commercial offers can be structured in either model depending on factory size and integration needs.

Check Prodsmart's current pricing and package details on Prodsmart's pricing page (https://www.prodsmart.com/pricing) for the latest rates and enterprise options.

How much is Prodsmart per month

Prodsmart starts at $49/month per user for the Starter plan in typical SaaS pricing structures. Monthly billing may be available for shorter commitments, but most vendors encourage annual subscriptions with discounts for yearly payment. Monthly charges will scale with the number of users, work centers, and optional integrations such as PLC connectors or custom onboarding packages.

How much is Prodsmart per year

Prodsmart costs approximately $588/year per user at the Starter tier when billed annually at the baseline rate shown above. Annual pricing is often offered at a discount compared with monthly billing and may include additional services like onboarding credits, training sessions, or integration support bundled for the first year.

How much is Prodsmart in general

Prodsmart pricing ranges from $0 (trial) to Enterprise custom pricing. Entry-level pilots usually run free or with low monthly fees, mid-tier professional plans that include analytics and integrations commonly sit in the mid-hundreds per user per month range, and enterprise deals for multi-site operations with advanced security tend to be custom priced, often involving multi-thousand dollar annual contracts.

Because MES pricing models vary by number of users, machines, data-volume, and integration complexity, speak directly with Prodsmart sales or view Prodsmart's pricing information (https://www.prodsmart.com/pricing) to get an exact quote matched to your factory configuration.

What is Prodsmart used for

Prodsmart is used to digitize and control manufacturing operations at the shop-floor level. Typical use cases include:

• Shop-floor visibility: Supervisors use Prodsmart to monitor live production status, see work order progress, and identify bottlenecks without walking the floor.
• Quality and traceability: Quality teams use in-process checks and serial or batch tracking to ensure compliance and maintain traceability for audits or recalls.
• Performance improvement: Production managers analyze OEE, downtime reasons, and scrap metrics from Prodsmart dashboards to prioritize lean improvements and reduce cycle times.
• Labor and resource tracking: The platform tracks operator time, skill-based assignments, and resource usage to improve scheduling accuracy and capacity planning.

Prodsmart is especially useful in environments where paper-based recording is the norm and where transitioning to digital data capture produces measurable gains in accuracy and speed. Use cases span job shops, contract manufacturers, and small-to-medium factories in regulated industries that need auditable records.

Operational benefits typically realized with Prodsmart include faster root-cause identification, fewer lost production hours, improved on-time delivery, and reduced compliance risk through consistent recordkeeping.

Pros and cons of Prodsmart

Pros:

• Real-time visibility: Prodsmart captures operator and machine data in real time so supervisors can react quickly to stoppages and quality issues.
• Mobile-first data capture: Native mobile apps and barcode scanning reduce paperwork and improve the accuracy of captured production events.
• Traceability and compliance: Batch and serial tracking, plus audit trails, make it suitable for regulated manufacturing environments.
• Flexible deployment: Cloud-hosted with on-premise connectors enables a hybrid approach for factories with local connectivity constraints.

Cons:

• Implementation effort: MES implementations require careful process mapping and change management; small teams should budget for significant onboarding time.
• Integration complexity: Connecting Prodsmart to legacy ERPs or PLCs can require custom development and additional middleware.
• Cost scaling: Per-user or per-machine pricing can increase total cost as the solution rolls out across sites without careful licensing planning.
• Feature depth vs. heavy MES players: For extremely large or highly regulated enterprises, full-featured MES suites (with deeper planning or extended manufacturing execution modules) may be a better fit.

Prodsmart free trial

Prodsmart commonly offers a trial or pilot to validate core shop-floor workflows before a full rollout. A pilot typically includes a subset of users, one or two production lines, and key features such as work order tracking, basic analytics, and mobile data capture so teams can verify ROI quickly.

Pilots are usually time-boxed (30 to 90 days) and accompanied by onboarding support from Prodsmart or an implementation partner. During the trial, manufacturers can test integrations with barcode hardware and basic ERP exports to confirm data flow patterns.

For an official trial or pilot program, request a trial through Prodsmart's website or sales team; view Prodsmart’s trial options and onboarding resources (https://www.prodsmart.com/contact) to start a pilot representative of your production environment.

Is Prodsmart free

No, Prodsmart is not fully free for production use beyond limited trial or pilot access. Vendors typically provide a Free Plan or demo environment so potential customers can evaluate the platform, but sustained production use requires a paid Starter, Professional, or Enterprise subscription that includes support, integrations, and full feature access.

Prodsmart API

Prodsmart exposes an API and integration interfaces designed to move production data in and out of the MES. Typical API capabilities include:

• RESTful endpoints for creating and querying work orders, operations, production outputs, downtime events, and quality records.
• Webhooks for near real-time event notification when production events, quality nonconformances, or work order status changes occur.
• Authentication via API keys or OAuth flows suitable for integrations with ERP, BI tools, and custom middleware.

API access enables automated synchronization with upstream ERP systems for sales orders and materials, as well as downstream reporting tools for BI and dashboards. For machine connectivity, Prodsmart usually pairs API capabilities with on-premise gateways or PLC connectors (OPC-UA, Modbus) to capture high-frequency machine signals and map them to MES events.

For implementation details, review Prodsmart's API documentation and developer guides at Prodsmart's API documentation (https://www.prodsmart.com/api) to confirm available endpoints, authentication, rate limits, and example payloads.

10 Prodsmart alternatives

Paid alternatives to Prodsmart

• Tulip — A shop-floor app platform that allows manufacturers to build low-code operator apps, connect to PLCs, and deploy MES logic with strong UI/UX for operators.

• Plex — A cloud-native MES with deeper ERP-MES integration, designed for scalable manufacturing operations and detailed quality management.

• Siemens Opcenter — A comprehensive MES suite for large enterprises, with advanced execution, scheduling, and quality modules tailored to complex production environments.

• Epicor Mattec — Focused on discrete and process manufacturers, combining machine monitoring, OEE, and historical analysis with integration into Epicor ERP.

• FactoryMaster — A manufacturing operations package for small and medium manufacturers that covers job management, scheduling, and inventory alongside MES features.

• Oracle NetSuite with SuiteSuccess for Manufacturing — ERP with manufacturing execution capabilities for companies that want a unified ERP+MES approach and broad financial/CRM integration.

• Poka — A connected worker platform that combines digitized standard work, knowledge sharing, and shop-floor data capture optimized for frontline teams.

Open source alternatives to Prodsmart

• ERPNext — An open source ERP with a manufacturing module that includes work orders, BOMs, and basic shop-floor functionality that can serve as a lightweight MES.

• Odoo Community (Manufacturing) — The community edition provides production orders, routings, and MRP features that small manufacturers can extend with community modules for shop-floor data capture.

• inoERP — An open source ERP with manufacturing components that can be customized for production tracking and shop-floor integration in developer-led projects.

When choosing an alternative, compare integration capabilities, deployment model (cloud vs on-premise), vertical features (traceability, compliance), and total cost of ownership for rollouts across sites.

Frequently asked questions about Prodsmart

What is Prodsmart used for?

Prodsmart is used for real-time production tracking and shop-floor control. It captures operator and machine events, tracks work order progress, manages quality checks, and provides KPIs such as OEE and throughput to help manufacturers manage operations more precisely.

Does Prodsmart integrate with ERP systems like SAP or Oracle?

Yes, Prodsmart integrates with ERP systems through APIs and middleware. Typical integrations sync work orders, part masters, and inventory balances with ERPs such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, and other accounting systems to keep upstream planning and downstream execution aligned.

How much does Prodsmart cost per user per month?

Prodsmart starts at $49/month per user for entry-level Starter configurations in common pricing models. Actual per-user costs vary with the selected plan, number of users, and optional services like integration and onboarding.

Is there a free version of Prodsmart?

Yes, Prodsmart offers a Free Plan or trial for evaluation. The free option is intended for pilots or demos with limited users and features; sustained production use requires a paid subscription to access full functionality and support.

Can Prodsmart be used for quality traceability and recalls?

Yes, Prodsmart supports batch and serial traceability for quality control and recalls. The system records material lots, inspection results, and production events to provide an auditable trail that helps with root-cause analysis and regulatory compliance.

Does Prodsmart offer mobile apps for operators?

Yes, Prodsmart provides mobile apps for shop-floor data capture. Native tablet and smartphone interfaces let operators record production quantities, defects, and downtime events at the point of work and scan barcodes/QR codes for fast data entry.

Can Prodsmart collect data directly from machines and PLCs?

Yes, Prodsmart can collect machine data using PLC/OPC connectors and IoT gateways. For high-frequency signals and machine telemetry, on-premise gateways translate PLC signals into MES events that feed Prodsmart dashboards and analytics.

How secure is Prodsmart for manufacturing data?

Prodsmart uses standard enterprise security practices for cloud deployments. These include encrypted communications (TLS/SSL), role-based access controls, and configurable user permissions; enterprise contracts often include additional security features and on-premise connector options.

Does Prodsmart provide APIs for custom integrations?

Yes, Prodsmart provides REST APIs and webhook support for custom integrations. These APIs allow creation and querying of work orders, production events, downtime logs, and quality records so integrators can synchronize MES data with BI tools, ERPs, and custom dashboards.

What kind of training and onboarding does Prodsmart offer?

Prodsmart provides onboarding, training, and implementation services as part of paid plans. Typical engagements include process mapping, pilot configuration, operator training, and technical integration; enterprise customers often receive dedicated support or partner-led implementations.

Prodsmart careers

Prodsmart hires across product, engineering, sales, and customer success roles focused on industrial software and manufacturing domain expertise. Roles often include product managers with MES experience, software engineers working on mobile and backend systems, and implementation consultants who understand manufacturing workflows.

Candidates interested in positions can find openings and apply through Prodsmart's careers page or through typical job platforms. Look for roles that emphasize manufacturing domain knowledge, experience with IoT/PLC integration, and SaaS product delivery.

Prodsmart affiliate

Prodsmart has channel and implementation partner programs for consultants, system integrators, and resellers who support MES deployments. Affiliates typically receive training, partner enablement materials, and access to a partner portal to manage leads and joint implementations.

If you are an implementation partner or reseller, contact Prodsmart’s partner team to discuss partnership levels, referral fees, and technical enablement.

Where to find Prodsmart reviews

Independent reviews and user feedback for Prodsmart appear on manufacturing software review sites, industry forums, and technology marketplaces. Check sites that specialize in manufacturing and MES evaluations as well as general SaaS review platforms for user-reported benefits and limitations.

Also consult case studies and customer testimonials published on Prodsmart's website and look for third-party analyst reports for comparative analysis of MES vendors.