Production tracking

Tracking receipt of manufactured items updates the progress of a work order. You use production tracking to receive finished items from production for a work order. Details you enter include the inspection and quality assurance ratings for the released items, the storage locations in the warehouse or workshop for the released items, the assigned lot identification numbers or batch codes and any serial numbers used during the production process. When the work order is created from a sales order line, the finished items you receive from production are automatically allocated for the assigned quantity to the sales order line.

As you track receipt of finished items for a work order, you can simultaneously track consumption quantities for the operations and the components used to make the finished items. You can backflush and consume operations, resources and components in proportion to received quantities of the released items based on the quantities defined in the routing or in the bill of materials, if they are available for tracking. Automatic backflushing updates the work order immediately. This saves you time as you do not need to manually enter time and material tracking details. From the work order, you can view the actual cost of production and compare these costs to the planned production costs for the work order. Percentage progress lines are updated simultaneously. You can use these lines to visually track the estimated progress of the production process, and the estimated progress of the finished items.

Create a production tracking

1. In the Work order criteria block, enter your work order selection criteria then select Search.

   You can leave all fields blank to include all work orders to be tracked in the results. Enter or select the same value for a From nnn and To nnn range to filter for a single result.

   Apply filters to refine your search results if you have a significant number of work orders to track.

   Each work order included in the results references the product to be manufactured and the routing.

2. In the Work orders grid, select the work order to track.

3. Enter the Actual qty. of the Released item received from production.

   You can receive more or fewer than the planned production quantity.

   Notice the Stock detail status is Required. This means you need to enter stock details for the received items. You cannot generate the production tracking or update the work orders until the stock receipt details are complete and the status is Entered.

4. From the More actions icon for the line, select Stock details.
5. Add a line to the Stock details grid.

6. The default Quantity in stock unit is the Actual qty. received from the production site. You do not need to change this value to receive the released items as a single batch or lot.

   To split the released items, edit the Quantity in stock unit figure in the grid.

7. Enter or select the Location or bin in the warehouse or workshop the released items are stored in, if applicable. This will default to any value you select on the Stock rules tab on the Item-site page, but you can change it.
8. Enter or select the Quality control status given to the released items. This will default to any value you select on the Stock rules tab on the associated Item-site, but you can change it.
9. Enter or select the Lot identification number or batch code the released items are stored in, if applicable. You can edit the Expiry date of the lot, if necessary.

10. The serial number entry instructions are To be assigned if serial numbers were generated for the work order in preparation for the start of production. Add the serial numbers on the released items to the Serial numbers grid.

    You can enter ad hoc serial numbers or a range of sequential serial numbers.

    1. Add a line to the Serial numbers grid.
    2. Select the From serial number.

    3. If ad hoc serial numbers are on the released items, leave the Quantity as 1.

       If sequential serial numbers are on the released items, edit the Quantity of sequential serial numbers to include.

       The To serial number is updated automatically. You do not need to select it.

    4. Repeat a to c until you have entered all received serial numbers and the serial number entry instructions display Assigned.

    If the serial number entry instructions are To be generated you do not need to add them. The serial numbers are generated when you generate the production tracking.

11. Repeat steps 5 to 10 if the released items are stored in different bins in the warehouse or workshop, or because some of the released items have different inspection and quality assurance ratings, or they are stored in different lots or batches, or have different expiry dates.

    The Quantity in stock unit defaults to the remaining balance on each new line. This ensures the sum of the Quantity in stock unit column always equals the Quantity figure.

    Complete the details for the final remaining balance line in the grid.
12. To save your stock details, select OK.

13. Select the Completed checkbox if production of the Released item for the work order is complete and has ceased.

    Leave the Completed checkbox clear if you expect production to continue.

14. You can track the component and operation quantities used in production automatically or manually:

    • Automatic material tracking: Select this checkbox to track component quantities used in production automatically.

      The components are backflushed and consumed in proportion to the Actual qty. of the Released item being tracked, if they are available for tracking. The number of backflushed components is based on the component quantities defined in the bill of materials.

      Components managed by lot, by expiry date, or by serial numbers are not backflushed or consumed.

    • Automatic time tracking: Select this checkbox to track resource operation times and operation quantities used in production automatically.

      The routing operations are backflushed and consumed in proportion to the Actual qty. of the Released item being tracked, if they are available for tracking. The backflushed operation quantities and resource operation times are based on the operation details defined in the routing.

    • Leave the Automatic material tracking and/or Automatic time tracking checkbox blank to manually track actual quantities of each component or operation consumed by the production process.

      You need to enter the production quantities on the Material tracking and Time tracking pages.

Export

When you export the Work orders grid, only those lines displayed in the search or filtered results are included in the export. This includes all lines across multiple pages if you have a large data set.

There are 2 export options: Excel or CSV. The default file name is Work orders.

After exporting the data, you can rename the file and edit the Excel spreadsheet or CSV file if needed before uploading to your accounting solution.

Attributes and dimensions

You can add attributes and dimensions to a production receipt to manage business rules and to analyse and track the production costs for the finished quantities of the released item using analytical accounting data.

You can add and edit attributes and dimensions until the work order is closed.

1. From the More actions icon for the line, select Dimensions.
2. Select each individual attribute or dimension to use to aggregate financial information for analytical purposes.
3. Select OK.

Update work orders

You can generate your production tracking when every line in the Stock detail status column in the Work orders grid displays either Entered or Not required. If any lines display Required you need to go back and enter the stock details for the line or complete them if the stock receipt details or serial numbers used in production are incomplete.

Before you generate your production tracking note the following:

• When the Automatic material tracking checkbox is selected, components managed by lot, by expiry date or by serial numbers are not backflushed or consumed.

  You need to track those components on the Material tracking page.

• If the Status of the work order is In progress or Completed, you can enter additional production trackings for released items.
• Generating the production tracking updates the provisional costs of production to the work order immediately.
• If the serial number entry instructions in the stock details are To be generated, when you generate the production tracking serial numbers are generated for items managed by serial number.

• A stock receipt journal entry for the variance is created if the actual production cost of the finished item is different from the planned production cost, if the WIP posting switch for the company is on.

  A stock value correction journal entry is created for the additional costs, if you track any further material issues or time when all the finished items have been received into stock.

  You can view the tracked production costs in the work order Planned versus actual block.

To receive the finished items and update the selected work orders, Generate the production tracking.

Working with production tracking

Refer to the list of questions in this section for guidance on how to use your Sage Distribution and Manufacturing Operations solution to carry out day-to-day production tasks.

• When should I track production receipts?
• Can I receive more than the planned production quantity?
• Can I receive fewer than the planned production quantity?
• The finished item is serial numbered. How do I enter serial numbers for the finished items?
• Ad hoc serial numbers from the list of serial numbers generated for the work order were used in production instead of sequential serial numbers. Does this matter?
• The finished item is serial numbered but I cannot enter the serial numbers in the production receipt. Why not?
• Can I track scrap quantities?
• Can I receive finished items if the work order status is Completed?
• Can I backflush components used for a work order when I receive the finished items?
• Can I track components issued for production without entering component quantities manually?
• Can I track operator time without entering time tracking records manually?
• A component was not available so a different component was used in production. Can I add the unplanned component so the costs are tracked for the work order?
• What should I do if the finished items have been disassembled and the components returned to stores?

When should I track production receipts?

You can track the receipt of finished items at any point in the production process. You might do this as the released items are received into stock, at the end of each working day, or when the work order is closed. As a production tracking updates the provisional costs of production for the work order immediately it's generated it might be advisable to enter tracking details as soon as the finished items are released into stock.

Can I receive more than the planned production quantity?

Yes. If the planned production quantity for a work order is increased, you can over-receive the released item. To meet demand from an urgent or late sales order, for example. Equally, you can receive fewer or partially receive the released item if fewer than the planned production quantity is required.

Can I receive fewer than the planned production quantity?

Yes. If the planned production quantity for a work order is reduced, you can receive fewer or partially receive the released item. A customer return could have increased stock of the item, for example. Equally, you can over-receive the released item if demand suggests production is increased.

The finished item is serial numbered. How do I enter serial numbers for the finished items?

If serial numbers have been generated for the work order you enter all serial numbers with the stock receipt details. The serial number entry instructions in the Stock details grid are To be assigned. Add a line to the Serial numbers grid then enter the serial numbers. See steps 4 to 12 above.

If the serial number entry instructions in the Stock details grid are To be generated, you do not need to enter serial numbers with the stock receipt details. The serial numbers are generated when you generate the production tracking.

Ad hoc serial numbers from the list of serial numbers generated for the work order were used in production instead of sequential serial numbers. Does this matter?

No. To enter the ad hoc serial numbers of the finished items:

1. From the More actions icon for the line, select Stock details.
2. Add a line to the Stock details grid, then enter the receipt details.
3. Add a line to the Serial numbers grid.
4. Select the From serial number and leave the Quantity as 1. The To serial number is updated automatically. You do not need to select it.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have entered all received serial numbers and the serial number entry instructions display Assigned.

The finished item is serial numbered but I cannot enter the serial numbers in the production receipt. Why not?

You enter serial numbers when you enter the stock receipt details:

• The serial number entry instructions are To be assigned if serial numbers have been generated for the work order. Add a line to the Serial numbers grid then enter the serial numbers.
• If the serial number entry instructions in the Stock details grid are To be generated, you do not need to enter serial numbers with the stock receipt details. The serial numbers are generated when you generate the production tracking. The business rules for the routing do not need serial numbers to be pregenerated for the work order.

Can I track scrap quantities?

Yes. You can track scrap quantities when you enter the stock details for the received items:

• In the figure you enter for the Actual qty. of the Released item received from the production site, include the total number of scrapped items.
• From the More actions icon for the line, select Stock details. Select Add a line, then set the Quantity in stock unit field to the quantity of the finished items that have been scrapped.
• Set the Status field to an inspection and quality assurance rating that equates to a "rejected" value.

Can I receive finished items if the work order status is Completed?

Yes. Work orders are set to Completed status automatically when the components, operations and released items are tracked in full. At Completed status you can continue to track receipt of released items. Changes to the work order are only blocked when the work order is set to Closed status.

Can I backflush components used for a work order when I receive the finished items?

Yes. Backflushing is an administrative method of issuing stock once production is complete, based on the record of finished goods. It is typically used when you do not measure stock as you use it. With chemical fluids supplied from a continuous pipe feed, for example. You can backflush and consume all components in proportion to the actual quantity of the finished item received. Simply select the Automatic material tracking checkbox for a specific work order number.

Using the bill of materials, the expected quantities of all components that make up the item are calculated. Stock levels are reduced accordingly. Costs are displayed for the work order in the Planned versus actual block.

Can I track components issued for production without entering component quantities manually?

Yes. You can backflush and consume all components in proportion to the actual quantity of the finished item. Simply select the Automatic material tracking checkbox for a specific work order number.

The number of components to backflush will be based on the component quantities defined in the bill of materials.

Can I track operator time without entering time tracking records manually?

Yes. You can backflush operation quantities and resource operation times in proportion to the actual quantity of the finished item. Simply select the Automatic time tracking checkbox for a specific work order number.

The backflushed operation quantities and resource operation times will be based on the operation details defined in the routing.

A component was not available so a different component was used in production. Can I add the unplanned component so the costs are tracked for the work order?

Yes. On the Material tracking page you can add the new component and track the quantity of the component issued from stock for the work order.

What should I do if the finished items have been disassembled and the components returned to stores?

Close the work order then adjust your stock. You can do this by entering a stock adjustment to decrease stock of the finished item and increase stock of the component items.