Run a work order

A work order makes a quantity of a product from a published bill of materials. Starting it takes the materials out of stock once; completing it adds the good output to stock once and works out the cost per unit.

Before you start

• You need a published bill of materials: see Create a bill of materials.
• You need Manage Production & Assembly.

Steps

1. Open Production & Assembly on the Work orders tab.
2. Pick the Bill of materials and type the Quantity to make. Add a Title, a Due date and the Labour cost if you track it.
3. Select Create record. The work order is Planned and keeps a copy of the bill as it is now.
4. Open the work order and select Release when the work is ready to go. The status becomes Released.
5. Select Start when work begins. The materials linked to stock are taken out of stock, and the status becomes In progress.
6. When the work is done, open Complete. Type the Accepted quantity and the Waste quantity, choose the Quality result (Passed or Failed) and add a note.
7. Select Complete. The good output goes into stock as the finished product, and the work order shows the cost per unit.

Good to know

• The accepted quantity plus the waste must equal the planned quantity. A failed batch has no accepted output.
• Stock moves exactly once per work order, even if you retry an action. If an action shows Pending (for example, not enough stock), fix the cause and select Retry.
• Cancel works while the order is planned or released, before any material is used.
• The cost per unit is the recorded component and labour cost divided by the good output. It is a batch cost for your records: it is not a work-in-progress or cost-of-goods accounting, and it does not change the product's purchase cost in Inventory.
• Without stock links, materials and output are recorded on the work order only.
• Add notes with Add note at any step; they show under the work order.