Engineering company with external manufacturing seeks order processing

We are a medium-sized company that provides development services for control units, mainly in the automotive and aerospace sectors. The first series projects are now in the pipeline, in which the company will bring control units to series production readiness and then have them manufactured on a contract basis. The order processing process requires software that also connects the customer and the manufacturer via an interface. The software must comply with VDA requirements.

The external manufacturing process is controlled as follows in a three-stage order processing system:

1. The delivery schedule or forecast, updated on a rolling monthly basis by the customer, must be passed on to the manufacturer.
2. Six months before the delivery date, approval for material procurement is issued, also to be passed on from the customer to the manufacturer on a rolling basis.
3. A binding production order is issued four weeks before the delivery date, also to be passed on from the customer to the manufacturer.

Seeburger, Lobster, EDI, EDIFACT, or VDA formats are possible interfaces to the customer and the manufacturer. Shipping notifications and invoices, return deliveries, and credit notes to customers and suppliers must also be processed via EDI.

No components are purchased, no parts lists are required, and no requirements planning, etc., needs to be carried out. These processes are all completely outsourced. SAP (R3) is used in the company, but only SD, FI/CO, and project management. This system is adapted to the needs of development services. Material management, etc., is available in the parent company, and no interfaces are required.

Approximately 5 software workstations are planned.