Production Work Orders
1. Overview & Purpose
What are Production Work Orders (Runs)?
2. When to Use Production Work Orders
Scheduled Daily Batch Manufacturing (Make-to-Stock)
Central bakery or packaging facility schedules daily production of 1.000 loaves of bread based on historical store replenishment forecasts and oven capacity.
Make-to-Order Custom Wholesale Fulfillment
A B2B corporate customer places a confirmed Sales Order for 500 customized gift sets requiring immediate assembly and packaging.
Floor Shift Handover & Work-in-Progress (WIP) Stage Tracking
Plant supervisors track batches moving across physical production stages (weighing ingredients, mixing vats, oven baking, and final packaging).
Machinery Malfunction & Batch Scrap Stoppage Protocols
An industrial oven or sealing machine breaks down mid-run, contaminating or ruining a partially processed manufacturing batch.
Sub-Assembly Staging Run for Intermediate Inventories
Running a specialized batch to produce 2.000 intermediate hamburger patties that will be frozen and drawn down across daily kitchen shifts.
3. Data Dictionary & Fields
Schema structure for the productions work order batch table:
| Field / Column | Input Type | Requirement | Description & Operational Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
productionNumber | STRING(50) | Required | System-generated unique work order code (e.g. PRD-20260522-001). |
recipeId | BIGINT (FK) | Required | Reference to production recipes table defining the target BOM formulation. |
branchId | BIGINT (FK) | Required | Operating branch plant or central kitchen executing the run. |
locationId | BIGINT (FK) | Required | Facility storage room holding work-in-progress stock. |
productionDate | DATEONLY | Required | Scheduled execution date for the manufacturing batch. |
status | ENUM | Required | Lifecycle: DRAFT, SUBMITTED, APPROVED, REJECTED, IN_PROGRESS, COMPLETED, REVERSED, CANCELLED. |
notes | TEXT | Optional | Batch notes, shift handover instructions, or machinery maintenance logs. |
4. Interface Preview
Production Runs console displaying batch work orders, recipe linkages, scheduled dates, and factory floor execution progress.
Screen Preview: Production Runs Console Interface
Visual interface illustration and control layout for menu Route: /admin/production/runs
5. Scheduling a Production Run
Open Production Runs Directory
Navigate to Production > Runs from the primary sidebar.
Launch Run Creation Form
Click Add Production Run button in the upper toolbar.
Select Active Recipe Formulation
Pick target product formula and enter target batch output multiplier.
Assign Factory Facility & Date
Select operating Branch, Location, and scheduled Production Date.
Submit for Manager Approval
Click Submit to route work order for plant supervisor approval.
6. Execution & Quality Monitoring
Plant Manager Review
Supervisor validates ingredient stock availability and approves work order.
Start Run Execution
Click Start Run when technicians begin processing materials on factory floor.
7. Completion & Reversal Rules
In-Progress Work Order Protection
Cancel Unstarted Run
Work orders with no issued materials can be cancelled with mandatory reason notes.
8. Cross-Module Impact
| Target Subsystem | Relational & Transactional Effect |
|---|---|
| Raw Material Issues | Requires an active APPROVED or IN_PROGRESS run to record ingredient warehouse deductions. |
| Finished Goods Receipts | Work order completion requires finished goods receipt intake to credit inventory. |
| General Ledger Accounting | Coordinates Work-in-Progress (WIP) asset valuation transfers into Finished Goods inventory. |
Operational Best Practices
- Always lock batch sizes to standard machine capacities to minimize mixing variance.
- Review actual vs standard yield percentages immediately upon batch completion.