ERP routing standards: why estimates fail
If routings don’t match reality, the schedule creates phantom capacity—and delivery dates slip.
Connect the dots
The hidden reason delivery slips
Estimates fail when routings don’t represent the real sequence and time consumption of work. The system schedules around missing steps, blended times, and invisible queues — then the floor absorbs the gap with expediting.
Snippet-ready answer: Routing standards protect estimates by preventing phantom capacity. When routings capture the real sequence (including move and inspection) and separate setup from run, the schedule stops promising what the shop cannot deliver. That’s when on-time delivery improves without adding headcount.
Routing standards that matter
- Operation order matches reality (no “missing” inspection or move steps).
- Setup and run time are separated.
- Work center ownership is clear (no ambiguous resource buckets).
- Queue time is visible per work center.
- Release rules are defined (what enters WIP and when).
If routing times are “adjusted until quotes win,” the schedule becomes a sales tool instead of an operations tool. It will look plausible on paper while the floor becomes permanently reactive.