10 questions for choosing production tracking software

A shop chooses production tracking software once every few years, and lives with a bad choice for years. Vendor presentations are full of feature lists, but what decides the choice is usually what the presentation leaves out. Ask the 10 questions below in the demo and in the contract, whichever product you evaluate. This article is neutral; weigh the answers against your own shop.

1. Does it run in the browser, or does it need an installation?

Both approaches have a reasonable case.

Installed (on-premise) software: The data sits on the shop's own computer and works when the internet is down. In return, you manage the server, backups, updates and security. In a small shop this usually means "nobody manages it": no backups, no updates, and when the server dies, three years of data go with it.

Browser-based (cloud) software: Nothing to install, it works from a phone or tablet, and updates arrive automatically. In return, you need internet and the data lives on the vendor's servers. The question becomes "where is the data and how is it backed up" (see questions 4 and 5).

A practical rule: if nobody in your shop will look after a server, browser-based is safer. If outages are common, ask in the demo what happens during a short one (are entries lost, can they be entered later?).

2. What does the operator screen look like, and how many taps does an entry take?

The real user is the operator, not the manager; the data is only as good as what the operator enters. In the demo, give the tablet to one of your own operators, not the presenter, and ask them to enter a production record. Questions:

• How many taps does an entry take? If it takes more than 30 seconds, entries get skipped on every shift.
• Does it work on a phone, or only on a desktop?
• Does the operator see only their own work, or the entire menu?
• Is there a shared kiosk screen, or will you have to give every operator a device?

This is the most important question on the list. Software operators dislike is back on paper within three months.

3. What is the price based on: machines, users or modules?

Which pricing model fits depends on the shape of your shop:

Model	Who it suits	Watch out for
Per machine	Few users, many machines	Adding machines gets expensive
Per user	Few machines, many users	Gets expensive as operator count grows
Per module	Those who want to turn on only what they need	Total can be high once every module is on
Fixed package	Those who want a predictable budget	You pay for features you do not use

Ask: Does the price include VAT or sales tax? Is there an annual discount? What happens when you add machines or users? If there is a free starter plan, what are its limits and does it expire? Get the one-year total cost, based on today's machine and user count, in writing.

4. Who owns the data?

The contract should say plainly: the data you enter is yours. If that is missing, or the wording is vague ("the vendor may use the data for analysis"), ask. Second: what happens to the data when the subscription ends? Does it stay readable, is it deleted at once, or kept for a set period? Third: in which country is it stored? This also matters for data protection (see question 6).

5. Can I export my data, and in what format?

Export matters for two reasons: your own analysis, and leaving one day. Questions:

• Which tables can be exported: only reports, or raw records too?
• What format: Excel, CSV, PDF? Excel and CSV can be moved to another system; PDF cannot.
• Is export in the free plan, or extra?
• Is bulk export (all data in one go) possible?

In the demo, export a table and open it in Excel. Are the columns meaningful, are the dates correct, are special characters garbled?

6. Does it comply with data protection law?

Production data is not personal data, but operator names, user emails, phone numbers and login records are. So production tracking software falls under data protection law (such as GDPR or your local equivalent). Ask:

• Has the vendor published a privacy notice and privacy policy?
• Where is the data stored, and if it is transferred abroad, are the legal requirements for that transfer met?
• What happens to a user's personal data when the user is deleted?
• Is there a contract or clause between you and the vendor covering its role as data processor?

If the vendor cannot answer clearly, it becomes your problem in an audit.

7. How is support provided, and how quickly do they respond?

"24/7 support" says nothing on its own. Questions: Through which channel (email, phone, in-app)? In your language? What is the average first response time? Is there training or help for setup and the first month, and is it paid? Is support included in the free plan?

Open a support ticket during the trial. The response time and answer quality tell you more than any line in the contract.

8. Which systems does it integrate with?

Production tracking does not live alone: accounting, invoicing, CAD/CAM, perhaps machine controls. Not every integration is essential, but know which exist. Questions:

• Can I import parts, machines and customer lists from a spreadsheet?
• Is there an open programming interface (API), or is the data only available on screen?
• Can machine data (running/stopped signal) be captured, or is it operator entry only?
• Is there a connection to accounting or e-invoicing where required?

"Coming soon" is not a feature. Decide based on what exists today.

9. Is there a trial, and is the trial real?

There are two kinds: a prefilled demo account, and an empty account with your own data. The first introduces the product; the second shows whether it fits. Try it with your own data for at least two weeks, with real work orders and real operators. Ask: How long is the trial? Is a card required? Does the data carry over into the subscription, or do you start from scratch?

10. How easy is it to leave?

The least asked and most important question. One day you may want to leave; what happens then?

• What is the contract term, and is there a penalty for early cancellation?
• Is cancellation one click, or does it require a formal written notice?
• After cancellation, for how long and in what format can you access the data?
• Can a bulk export be done before cancelling?

Software that is easy to leave shows the vendor trusts its product. Software that is hard to leave shows the vendor trusts its contract.

Making the decision

Put the ten questions in a table and write each product's answers side by side. In most shops the decision comes down to two or three: the operator screen, how the price changes as you grow, and how easy it is to leave. Not the 40 items on the feature list, but these three answers decide where you will be in three years.

Related articles: What is Spindeo? Production tracking for CNC machine shops, Work order tracking: 6 steps from paper to digital.

Frequently asked questions

Can free production tracking software be trusted?

Free comes in two kinds: a time-limited trial and a permanent free tier. A permanent free tier means the vendor earns from higher plans, which is sustainable. Check whether the free tier's limits (machines, users, storage) are written down and permanent.

When does it make sense to move from Excel to software?

A rough rule: with more than 20 work orders a month, more than 3 machines or more than one shift, tracking in Excel comes to depend on one person and breaks down. Another sign is when "where is this job?" gets asked by phone several times a day.

ERP or production tracking software for a small shop?

ERP combines accounting, purchasing, HR and production in one system; it takes months to set up and can be too much for a job shop. Production tracking focuses on the shop floor and is in use within days. For most shops under 20 people, starting with production tracking and leaving accounting in the existing program is the less risky path.

Is the software useful if machine data is not captured automatically?

Yes. In most small and mid-sized shops, data comes from operator entry, and with a well-designed screen that is enough. Automatic machine data captures downtime more precisely but needs extra hardware and setup. Build the habit with operator entry first, then add machine connectivity later.

Spindeo is one of the products that has to answer these ten questions too; you can try it with your own data on the free Production Tracking plan.