V8 - Work orders
A work order in SOS Inventory is a scheduling tool for manufacturing, an order to produce a given number of items. On a work order, you can provide detailed instructions about how to make each item. A work order is like a purchase order in that it is a non-posting transaction. Work orders do not affect your inventory until the manufacturing is recorded using a build transaction or process transaction. A work order is simply a set of instructions that you send to your foreman, plant, factory, etc. It may or may not be fulfilled.
Work orders list
Work orders are housed on the Work orders list (Operations menu > Production > Work orders).
Actions menu options for generating transactions on the Work orders list include Create purchase order, Create pick ticket, and Create transfer. For the associated target transaction (purchase order, pick ticket, or transfer), the assembly item's components from the bill of materials will be listed. However, inventory items meant for process transactions will add only the output item to the target transaction.
If the work order is fulfilled, you can use the work order to generate a build or process transaction associated with work performed.
For a general overview of how lists work in SOS Inventory, refer to List functions. See Action and batch action descriptions for more information about the actions available on lists.
Adding and editing work orders
- To add a work order, use any of the following methods:
- Most common method: generate a work order from a sales order or sales receipt. Locate the parent transaction record on its appropriate list (Operations menu > Sales > Sales orders or Sales receipts), then select Create work order from its Actions menu.
- Go to Quick add > Production > Work order.
- Go to Operations menu > Production > Work order, then select the Add new button on the list page.
- If any items are assemblies, check the Expanded BOM report to see whether that assembly contains any subassemblies. If the report shows you do not have enough components to build the subassemblies, you will need to order and receive the components before you can build the subassemblies, which in turn must be built before the master assembly can be produced.
- Important fields for work orders include Location, Items to make, Quantity, and Due date. The Produced field is a system-generated quantity to indicate the production that has already been completed for that line item.
edit_noteNOTE: Due dates cannot be sorted, so it is important to enter the lines in chronological order, according to due date. Use the Multitool's Move feature to change the line order if needed.
An existing work order can be opened for viewing or editing by going to the Work Orders list and selecting the Edit button for the work order record. Be sure to save your changes.
Generating a build or process transaction from a work order
A build or process transaction can be generated from a work order. But the procedure used is different from that typically used to create a child transaction (such as a shipment) from a parent transaction (such as a sales order). On the Work orders list (Operations menu > Production > Work orders), the work order's Quick view action brings up all the line items requiring manufacturing, as shown in the screenshot below:
Selecting the Produce button for a line item generates the appropriate manufacturing transaction type (a build or a process transaction), based on the item type. Use the Produce all button if you have multiple assembly items on a build transaction that are ready for production. This feature will produce any assemblies that are not lot- or serial-tracked on inputs or outputs. Produce all will not generate process transactions.
The quantity of an item that has already been produced will be reflected in the Produced column of the work order. The system does track partially completed manufacturing of an item. If you select Produce again for any item that has been partially produced, SOS will adjust the quantity accordingly on the new build or process transaction.
Work order field descriptions
If you have defined any custom fields for work orders, they will appear after the standard SOS Inventory fields. The fields will be of the input format and value that you have defined.
Add lines. Click this link to add additional lines to the work order. On the Company Settings page, you can specify the number of lines added by default.
Add order. Adds the items on a sales order or sales receipt to the work order. If other open sales orders or sales receipts for the same customer exist, they will be listed in the Add order field dropdown. Select the desired sales order or sales receipt, then click the Add button to import yet-to-be-manufactured items from that transaction. The ability to import items from multiple sales order and sales receipts can be used only when creating the work order. Once it has been saved, a different work order must be created.
Assigned to. The user to whom the work order is assigned.
Channel. The avenue through which a sale was placed.
Class. QuickBooks Online class for this line item. This field is enabled only if class tracking is enabled in QuickBooks Online.
Clear lines. Click this button to clear the items from the form completely.
Comment. Internal comment about this work order. The comment is not displayed on the transaction when printed or emailed.
Customer. The customer associated with the work order. Completing this field is optional, but the system will include the customer if the work order is generated from a sales order or sales receipt.
Customer notes. Internal notes from the customer definition.
Date/time. Transaction date and timestamp.
Department. Department for this transaction.
Due date. The deadline by which the line item must be manufactured.
For. The invoice, sales order, or sales receipt to which a line item is applied.
Instructions. Instructions on a work order regarding the work to be performed for a line item. This field defaults to the sales description of the item.
Item to make. The item on the work order that is to be made. Enter/select the name of an existing item from the dropdown list. New items can also be created.
For. The sales order or sales receipt and the corresponding line item to which the work order item is associated.
Job. The job to which the work order line item is associated.
Location. The location where the items on the work order are being manufactured.
Multitool. The Multitool icon is located in the far-left column of a line item. The Insert tool, the blue triangle in the top left corner, inserts a blank line above the icon. The Copy tool, the encircled down arrow in the bottom right corner, copies a line and pastes the duplicate on the line immediately below the icon. The Move tool, a box containing three lines, moves and reorders line items. When your cursor moves inside the box, a four-pronged white arrow appears. Click, hold, and drag the arrow to move and reorder the line.
Priority. The urgency with which the items on this work order are to be produced. The Priority field’s dropdown options display those which have been predefined by your company. Priorities can be added or edited via the Priorities list (Company menu > Priorities).
Produced. The quantity of an item on a work order that has already been produced on a build or process transaction.
Quantity. The number to be manufactured for an item.
Remove. Click the trash can icon to remove a line from the transaction.
UOM. If Units of Measure are turned on in Plus or Pro plan, the unit of measure for a line item. Units of measure must be in an item's base unit only.
Work order #. Reference number identifying this work order. The system will number the transaction automatically if autonumbering is enabled in the Inventory Settings.