Make the right thing, at the right time
Production orders, routings, and work instructions that give the shop floor exactly what it needs — nothing more, nothing less.
Overview
The Manufacturing module connects demand to the shop floor. Build routings once and reuse them across products and revisions. Release production orders that pull from stock, explode multi-level BOMs, and generate the right sub-orders automatically. Track labour, material consumption, and scrap in real time as they happen — so planners, managers, and shop floor supervisors all work from the same record. Subcontracted operations, engineering changes, and capacity scheduling are all built in — no add-ons, no workarounds.
The make-to-complete cycle
Four connected stages. Each action in one triggers the next — no paper, no re-entry.
Plan
Create production orders from MRP suggestions or manually. The routing and BOM load automatically from the item master. Set the due date and Done MRP back-schedules each operation against available work center capacity. Planners see a consolidated list of all open orders — by item, by work center, or by due date — before a single item hits the floor.
Release
When the plan is set, release the order to the shop floor. Releasing locks the routing and BOM, prints or digitally distributes the production traveler, and makes the order visible on operator devices. Any subcontracted operations automatically generate the linked purchase order at this point — no separate buyer action required.
Produce
Operators clock on to operations from a terminal, tablet, or barcode scanner. Every time entry posts labour to the production order in real time. Materials are issued from inventory as components are consumed — with lot and serial traceability maintained at every step. Supervisors see live WIP, hours burned, and units completed without leaving their desk.
Complete
When production finishes, the completion step receives finished goods into inventory, relieves WIP, and closes the order. Any scrap is recorded with reason codes and posted to the scrap account. If inspection is required, the order stays open until quality clears it. The final job cost — actual vs. standard — is available instantly.
What’s inside
Routings and revisions
Set up the sequence of operations once. Version-controlled revisions ensure every production order uses the exact process that was current at release — not whatever changed last week. Alternate routings let you pick a different process path per order without touching the item master.
BOM explosion
Multi-level bills of materials expand automatically when a production order is created. Alternates and substitutions are built in — if a component is short, the system knows what to use instead. Sub-assemblies trigger their own child orders when they’re make-to-order.
Work instructions
Attach drawings, revision-controlled PDFs, and step-by-step checklists directly to each operation. Operators see exactly what they need on screen — without a paper chase. Instructions update automatically when a new revision is released.
Real-time costing
Material and labour costs accumulate against the production order as work progresses. Compare actual vs. standard at any point during the run — not just at month end. Variances are visible before the order closes, while there’s still time to act.
Scrap and rework
Record yield losses by operation with configurable reason codes. Rework cycles can be logged without breaking the schedule or the cost allocation. Scrap posts to the right account automatically — no manual journal entries required.
Traceability
Every component issued, every labour entry, and every yield quantity is recorded with a timestamp. Full forward and backward traceability by batch, serial, or lot — so a quality issue or recall can be traced to its source in seconds.
Connected by design
Manufacturing doesn’t operate in isolation. Every production order is tied to the demand that created it and the inventory it feeds — automatically, without integration work.
A confirmed sales order release for a make-to-order item automatically creates the linked production order. The delivery date from the sales order drives the production schedule. Sales reps can see production status directly from their order — without asking anyone.
The MRP engine reads open production orders, current inventory, and routing lead times to calculate net requirements. It suggests new production orders when demand outpaces supply, and flags late orders before they cause shipment delays.
Subcontracted routing operations generate linked purchase orders when the production order is released. The buyer monitors the PO, processes goods receipts when the work returns, and matches the supplier invoice — all tied back to the job cost.
Components are issued from inventory as the order progresses. Finished goods are received into inventory on completion. Lot and serial genealogy is maintained end-to-end, so any item can be traced forward to the customer or backward to the raw material.
Also included
- Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) with version control and approval workflow
- Alternate routings — select different process paths per order without touching the item master
- Gantt chart scheduling with drag-and-drop rescheduling
- Capacity planning — colour-coded work center utilization (open, utilized, over capacity)
- What-if scenarios — simulate schedule changes before committing to the live plan
- Subcontracting — outside operations tracked from send-out to goods receipt to invoicing
- Work center shift calendars with holiday exceptions
- Job cost breakdown — material, labour, outside service, and overhead per order
- First-pass yield, scrap rate, and rework tracking with configurable reason codes
- Lot and serial genealogy — full forward and backward traceability
- Paperless production traveler — drawings and instructions delivered to the shop floor device
- Multi-plant routing — produce across sites with inter-plant transfer documentation
See it in action
Book a demo and we’ll walk you through this module end-to-end, tailored to your operation.