## Manufacturing project and program management ### See what's on track, what's at risk, and what needs attention across every manufacturing initiative. From new product introductions to plant upgrades and continuous improvement programs, manufacturing teams run complex, cross-functional work where delays have real operational consequences. Lucen gives program and project leaders a clear, connected view of schedules, resources, and progress without rebuilding reports every time something changes. [See what it solves](https://www.lucensoftware.com/solutions/manufacturing#benefits) [Explore solutions](https://www.lucensoftware.com/products) ### Trusted by leading manufacturing companies ### Solutions for manufacturing project and program management Align engineering, operations, and quality teams around a single view of project progress. Spend less time chasing updates and more time keeping programs on schedule. Lucen helps manufacturing program managers consolidate NPI plans, plant project schedules, and improvement initiative tracking into one connected workflow. Standardize how progress is reported, reduce manual slide-building, and give leadership teams a consistent view of what's moving and what's at risk. **Gantt charts & project updates** Turn Microsoft Project and Excel schedules into clear, presentation-ready timelines for leadership reviews, cross-functional updates, and stage-gate presentations. When NPI milestones shift or plant project plans change, your slides update automatically. No rebuilding, no version mismatches across teams. - Visualize program phases, milestones, and critical dependencies. - Update once. Reflect changes everywhere. [See how it works →](https://www.lucensoftware.com/products/timeline) **Time & tracking** Understand how engineering, operations, and quality teams are allocating time across projects and production responsibilities. When the same people support both day-to-day manufacturing operations and project work, capacity is hard to see and easy to overcommit. - Track project effort consistently across functions and sites. - Improve resource planning and support more accurate program forecasting. [See how it works →](https://www.lucensoftware.com/products/track) ### Beta **Excel-native planning** Build NPI schedules, plant project plans, and improvement roadmaps directly in Excel. Define phases, milestones, and dependencies, and keep cross-functional teams aligned without introducing new tools into an already complex environment. [See how it works (Beta) →](https://www.lucensoftware.com/products/plan) ### Beta **Process mapping** Map stage-gate processes, engineering change workflows, and quality approval sequences with clear, structured diagrams. Visualize how work moves between engineering, operations, quality, and production teams to identify bottlenecks and improve program consistency. [See how it works (Beta) →](https://www.lucensoftware.com/products/flowchart) ## Microsoft 365 integration Connect NPI schedules, resource data, and leadership reporting without switching tools. Manufacturing teams typically manage project plans in [Excel](https://www.lucensoftware.com/products/timeline/integrations/excel) or [Microsoft Project](https://www.lucensoftware.com/products/timeline/integrations/microsoft-project), track resource capacity in spreadsheets, and prepare program updates in [PowerPoint](https://www.lucensoftware.com/products/timeline/integrations/powerpoint), often as separate, manually maintained files. Lucen connects them. Pull schedule and effort data directly into timeline and reporting views so program reviews always reflect the latest plan rather than last week's snapshot. - No copy-paste between planning tools and slides - Reporting stays aligned with live project schedules - One source of truth across engineering, operations, and leadership teams ## Driving measurable impact across teams 200 hours saved per employee annually 9/10 SATISFIED CUSTOMERS 54x average ROI ### Why manufacturing leaders choose Lucen ## Gain visibility and control across manufacturing initiatives ### Start faster with manufacturing-ready reporting templates Building NPI timelines, stage-gate schedules, and program status reports from scratch consumes time your teams don't have. Use structured templates designed for manufacturing planning and executive reporting to get started quickly and communicate progress consistently. [Explore manufacturing templates →](https://www.lucensoftware.com/templates-purposes/operational-reporting?industry_equal=%5B%22Manufacturing%22%5D) ### Balance project work with day-to-day production demands Engineering, maintenance, and quality teams are rarely dedicated solely to project work. When capacity is spread across production responsibilities and active initiatives, overallocation is easy to miss and costly to fix. Get a clear picture of where time is going so you can staff programs accurately and protect delivery schedules. [Explore time tracking →](https://www.lucensoftware.com/products/track) ### Catch schedule variances before they become program delays When NPI milestones slip or plant project activities fall behind, the impact isn't always visible until it's already affecting delivery. Compare actual progress against the original program plan to identify variances early, assess downstream risk, and act before delays escalate. [See planned vs. actual tracking →](https://www.lucensoftware.com/products/timeline/features/planned-vs-actual) ### Manage dependencies across suppliers, engineering, and production Manufacturing programs rely on tightly sequenced activities across procurement, engineering, quality, and production. A delay in one area can cascade quickly across the schedule. Visualize critical paths and cross-functional dependencies to spot risks early and keep the program moving forward. [Explore dependencies →](https://www.lucensoftware.com/products/timeline/features/dependencies-and-critical-path) ## **What our customers say** #### Company size Large Enterprise (40,000 employees) #### Industry Consumer health & hygiene > It looks sleek. Using Lucen Timeline [formerly Office Timeline] is quickly changing the way things look, the colors, the styles. Even though we've got consistency of color palette, of where everything goes on the slide, and how we're going to use it, people do have the ability to quickly change it. It’s adaptable while keeping everyone consistent, and that's what we needed it to be. Matt Russell R&D Program Manager Reckitt [Read the full customer story →](https://www.lucensoftware.com/customer-stories/reckitt) ## Get started with Lucen Turn manufacturing project data into actionable insight. Bring schedules, milestones, resources, and reporting together in one place. Reduce manual effort, improve visibility, and keep stakeholders aligned around the work that matters most. [Explore solutions](https://www.lucensoftware.com/products) ### Examples and best practices for manufacturing project delivery #### Manufacturing timelines See examples of manufacturing project timelines Explore real examples of timelines, Gantt charts, and roadmaps used to plan product launches, facility projects, and operational improvement initiatives. [Explore manufacturing timelines](https://www.lucensoftware.com/blog/best-examples-of-timelines-gantt-charts-and-roadmaps-for-the-manufacturing-industry) #### Project dependencies Prevent delays caused by hidden dependencies. Learn how to identify dependencies across engineering, procurement, production, and quality teams before they impact delivery schedules. [Learn about dependencies](https://www.lucensoftware.com/blog/how-to-identify-and-manage-project-dependencies) #### Critical path management Focus on the activities that drive delivery. Understand how critical path analysis helps manufacturing teams identify schedule risks and prioritize the work that directly impacts project completion. [Learn about critical paths](https://www.lucensoftware.com/blog/how-to-find-the-critical-path-of-a-project-in-6-steps) #### Resource planning Balance workloads across manufacturing teams. Learn how to visualize capacity across engineering, operations, maintenance, and project teams. Identify overallocation early, balance workloads, and keep critical initiatives moving forward. [Learn about workload planning](https://www.lucensoftware.com/blog/plan-team-workloads-gantt-excel) #### Operational reporting Turn time data into better decisions. Analyze project effort, resource allocation, and operational trends to improve forecasting, reporting, and decision-making across manufacturing initiatives. [Explore time data reporting](https://www.lucensoftware.com/products/track)