A blog about software by Alexander Yaäkov Garber.

Woodworking ERP First Thoughts

database design
Published on 05 Jan 2023

I want to build a very simple ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) tool for my home-based woodworking.

Context

I have a setup at home to work with reclaimed lumber, which suffers from various defects:

  • Warping
  • Cupping
  • Bowing
  • Rough edges
  • Rough faces
  • Embedded metal, i.e. nails or screws
  • Dirt, concrete, or old finish

In order to work with this lumber, I need to process each board such that it will satisfy the following conditions:

  • Straight, parallel edges
  • Planed, parallel faces
  • Clean surface
  • No embedded metal

Specifications

Primary Application

  1. Keep an inventory of rough, reclaimed lumber.
  2. Record the changes in cleaning up and straightening the rough lumber.
  3. Record the products that are created from the lumber.

Secondary Application

  1. Keep track of machines
  2. Keep track of tools, both hand tools and power tools
  3. Keep track of consumables, e.g. screws

Initial Development

The central Model is the Lumber, which contains the following attributes:

Attribute Type Description
uuid string A barcode generated in advance, printed, and applied to each board
length float Initially the length of the rough board
width_start, width_end float Width measured at each end, can differ on a skew board
thickness_start, thickness_end float Thickness measured at each end, can differ on a tapered board
wood_type reference Reference to the WoodType model
straight_edge boolean Whether the straight-edge jig has been used
parallel_edges boolean Whether the opposite edge has been cut using the straight-edge as a reference
planed_face boolean Whether the planing jig has been used
parallel_faces boolean Whether the opposite face has been planed using the planed face as a reference
square boolean Whether all sides in all directions are square, i.e. whether the board is ready to be used
timestamps datetime created_at and updated_at
changelog jsonb A JSON Array of Objects, each one containing all of the above attributes and a timestamp, to allow changes to be tracked

The Lumber model has the following relationships:

  • belongs_to :barcode
  • belongs_to :wood_type
  • belongs_to :product, through: :lumber_products

Workflow

  1. Generate a mass of Barcode records, where the UUID is translated into a barcode.
  2. Print the barcodes, to have on hand.
  3. Attach a barcode to each board of reclaimed lumber
  4. In the lumber create form, enter the board’s attributes along with the barcode
  5. Use the barcode to bring up the lumber edit form to update attributes during or after processing.

My helpful screenshot

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