Managing Work Orders ⚙️

Work orders are the heart of your production process. This guide will show you how to convert quotes to work orders, schedule production, track progress, and manage the entire manufacturing workflow.

Before You Start

Make sure you have:

• Access to the Production section (Manager or Admin role)
• Accepted quotes ready to convert
• Production capacity planned and available
• Material inventory sufficient for production

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Convert Quote to Work Order

When a customer accepts your quote:

1. Navigate to Quotes in the "SALES & CUSTOMERS" section
2. Find the accepted quote in your quotes list
3. Click on the quote to open the details page
4. Look for the "Convert to Work Order" button
5. Click "Convert to Work Order" - this creates a new work order

Step 2: Set Up Work Order Details

The system will create a work order with the quote information. Now you need to configure it:

1. Review the work order information:

   • Customer: Should be pre-filled from the quote
   • Products: Should include all quoted items
   • Quantities: Should match the quote

2. Set production parameters:

   • Priority: Low, Medium, High, or Urgent
   • Due Date: When the order needs to be completed
   • Special Instructions: Any additional requirements

3. Click "Save" to update the work order

Step 3: Schedule Production

Now you need to plan when and how to produce the order:

1. Go to the "Tasks" tab in the work order

2. Review the automatically generated tasks based on the product BOM

3. For each task:

   • Assign Operator: Select who will do this work
   • Set Start Date: When this task should begin
   • Set End Date: When this task should be completed
   • Add Notes: Any special instructions for this task

4. Click "Save" to update the schedule

Step 4: Track Production Progress

As production progresses, you need to update the status:

1. Navigate to "Orders" in the "PRODUCTION" section
2. Find your work order in the list
3. Click on the work order to open details
4. Go to the "Production" tab
5. For each task:
   • Click on the task to update its status
   • Record actual time spent on the task
   • Mark as complete when finished

Step 5: Track Material Usage

Monitor how much material is actually used:

1. Go to the "Materials" tab in the work order
2. For each material:
   • Record actual quantity used
   • Note any waste or scrap
   • Update inventory levels

What Happens Next

The Work Order is Now Active

• It appears in your production schedule
• You can track progress in real-time
• Material inventory is automatically updated
• Costs are tracked against the order

Production Management

• Progress tracking: Monitor completion of each task
• Resource allocation: Manage operators and equipment
• Quality control: Link to quality inspections
• Cost tracking: Monitor actual vs. planned costs

Work Order Status Explained

Draft

• What it means: Work order is being prepared
• What you can do: Edit details, add tasks, modify schedule
• Next step: Start production when ready

In Progress

• What it means: Production has started
• What you can do: Update task progress, record time, track materials
• Next step: Continue production and quality checks

On Hold

• What it means: Production is temporarily stopped
• What you can do: Resume when issue is resolved
• Next step: Address the hold reason and restart

Completed

• What it means: All tasks are finished
• What you can do: Final quality inspection, prepare for shipping
• Next step: Quality control and shipping

Shipped

• What it means: Order has been delivered to customer
• What you can do: Create invoice, close the order
• Next step: Invoice the customer

Tips and Best Practices

Work Order Planning

• Realistic scheduling: Don't overcommit your production capacity
• Buffer time: Include extra time for unexpected issues
• Resource availability: Make sure operators and equipment are available
• Material availability: Verify all materials are in stock

Production Tracking

• Regular updates: Update progress daily or more frequently
• Accurate time recording: Track actual time spent on tasks
• Material tracking: Record actual material usage
• Quality checks: Perform quality inspections at each stage

Communication

• Team coordination: Keep everyone informed of progress
• Customer updates: Provide status updates to customers
• Issue resolution: Address problems quickly to avoid delays
• Documentation: Keep records of all production activities

Cost Management

• Monitor costs: Track actual vs. planned costs
• Identify variances: Investigate cost overruns
• Improve efficiency: Use data to optimize future production
• Profitability analysis: Ensure orders are profitable

Advanced Work Order Features

Task Dependencies

• Sequential tasks: Some tasks must be completed before others
• Parallel tasks: Multiple tasks can be done simultaneously
• Critical path: Identify tasks that affect overall timeline

Resource Management

• Operator assignment: Assign specific people to tasks
• Equipment scheduling: Plan equipment usage
• Capacity planning: Balance workload across resources

Quality Integration

• Inspection points: Define when quality checks are needed
• Quality requirements: Link to specific quality standards
• Non-conformance handling: Process for quality issues

Troubleshooting

Can't Convert Quote

• Check if the quote status is "Accepted"
• Verify you have permission to create work orders
• Make sure all required information is complete

Material Shortages

• Check current inventory levels
• Order additional materials if needed
• Consider alternative materials if available
• Update work order schedule if necessary

Production Delays

• Identify the cause of the delay
• Update the work order schedule
• Communicate with the customer
• Reallocate resources if possible

Quality Issues

• Document the quality problem
• Stop production if necessary
• Implement corrective actions
• Update quality procedures

Next Steps

Now that you've created a work order, you might want to:

• Quality Control - Set up quality inspections for the work order
• Production Scheduling - Optimize your production schedule
• Cost Tracking - Monitor production costs and profitability
• Reporting & Analytics - Analyze production performance

Need Help?

• 📖 Check other guides in this documentation
• 🎯 Use the search feature to find specific information
• 💬 Contact support if you need additional help

That's it! You've successfully converted a quote to a work order and started production. 🎉