> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bizaxl.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Work Order
> How to create and manage Work Orders in Bizaxl — authorising production runs, issuing materials, tracking progress, and recording finished goods.
A Work Order is the formal authorisation to manufacture a specific quantity of an item. It ties together the Bill of Materials, the production schedule, the material movements, and the quality checks required for a production run. Every production activity on the floor traces back to a Work Order.
***
## Who Uses This Feature
| Role | What They Do |
| ------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Production Manager** | Creates, reviews, and monitors Work Orders |
| **Production Supervisor** | Tracks Work Order progress, oversees Job Cards |
| **Store Keeper** | Issues raw materials against Work Orders, receives finished goods |
| **Machine Operator** | Works against Job Cards generated by the Work Order |
| **Quality Inspector** | Performs quality inspection when production is complete |
| **Finance** | Reviews production costs captured on the Work Order |
***
## Before You Start
Before creating a Work Order, ensure:
* The item to be manufactured has an **active, approved BOM**
* Raw materials are available (or will be by the planned start date)
* Warehouses for raw materials, WIP, and finished goods are configured
***
## Creating a Work Order
Go to the **Manufacturing** workspace and click **Work Order** from the Production card, or use the **Work Order** shortcut.
Click **New**. Work Orders can also be created automatically from a Production Plan — in that case, skip to step 4 to review the auto-populated details.
In **Item To Manufacture**, select the finished product. The BOM No field automatically fills with the item's default BOM.
Confirm the **BOM No** is correct. If the item has multiple BOMs, select the appropriate one. The required materials table populates from the BOM.
In **Qty To Manufacture**, enter how many units to produce in this run.
Enter the **Planned Start Date** (mandatory) and the **Planned End Date**. These drive scheduling and the Production Planning Report.
* **Source Warehouse:** Where raw materials will be drawn from (optional — defaults to the warehouse set in BOM)
* **Work-in-Progress Warehouse:** Where materials are held during production
* **Target Warehouse:** Where finished goods will be stored after production (mandatory)
* **Scrap Warehouse:** Where scrap materials go (if applicable)
The **Required Items** table shows all raw materials from the BOM scaled to your planned quantity. Check the quantities and source warehouses for each item.
If this Work Order is for a specific customer order, link it to the **Sales Order**. If it was created from a Production Plan, the **Production Plan** field is already populated.
Click **Save** to review, then **Submit** to activate the Work Order. Status changes to **Not Started**.
***
## After Submission: The Production Workflow
Once a Work Order is submitted, the production flow involves three main steps using Stock Entries.
### Step 1: Transfer Materials to WIP Warehouse
Before production begins, transfer raw materials from the store to the WIP warehouse:
1. Open the Work Order
2. Click **Transfer Raw Materials**
3. A Stock Entry of type "Material Transfer for Manufacture" is created
4. The Store Keeper reviews and submits it
This updates the Work Order's **Material Transferred for Manufacturing** quantity.
### Step 2: Record Production (Job Cards)
If the BOM has operations, the system creates **Job Cards** for each operation. Operators work through the Job Cards on the floor, recording time and completed quantities. See [Job Card](/manufacturing/work-orders/job-card) for the full guide.
### Step 3: Record Finished Goods
When production is complete, record the manufactured goods:
1. Open the Work Order
2. Click **Finish** (or create a Stock Entry from the Work Order)
3. A Stock Entry of type "Manufacture" is created
4. This entry:
* Deducts raw materials consumed from the WIP warehouse
* Adds finished goods to the target warehouse
* Records any scrap
The Work Order's **Manufactured Qty** field updates. When manufactured quantity equals the planned quantity, the Work Order status changes to **Completed**.
***
## Field Guide
| Field | Description |
| ------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Item To Manufacture** | The finished product to produce (mandatory) |
| **Item Name** | Auto-filled from the item record |
| **BOM No** | The Bill of Materials to follow for this production run (mandatory) |
| **Allow Alternative Item** | If ticked, operators can substitute a raw material if the specified one is unavailable |
| **Use Multi-Level BOM** | If ticked, expands sub-assembly BOMs to show all individual raw materials |
| **Skip Material Transfer to WIP** | If ticked, raw materials are issued directly at the point of manufacture without a separate transfer step |
| **Company** | The company this Work Order belongs to (mandatory) |
| **Qty To Manufacture** | The number of units to produce in this run (mandatory) |
| **Material Transferred for Manufacturing** | Running total of materials already issued to this Work Order |
| **Manufactured Qty** | Running total of finished goods recorded against this Work Order |
| **Sales Order** | The customer order this Work Order fulfils (optional link) |
| **Production Plan** | The production plan that created this Work Order (auto-linked) |
| **Project** | Link to a project if relevant |
| **Work-in-Progress Warehouse** | Where materials are held during production |
| **Target Warehouse** | Where finished goods are stored after production (mandatory) |
| **Scrap Warehouse** | Where scrap generated during production is sent |
| **Source Warehouse** | Default source for all raw materials (overrides item-level settings) |
| **Required Items table** | Raw materials required for this Work Order, with quantities and source warehouses |
| **Planned Start Date** | When production is scheduled to begin (mandatory) |
| **Actual Start Date** | When production actually started (auto-filled) |
| **Planned End Date** | When production is scheduled to finish |
| **Actual End Date** | When production actually finished (auto-filled when completed) |
| **Expected Delivery Date** | The delivery date for the linked Sales Order |
| **Transfer Material Against** | Whether materials are transferred against Work Order or Job Card |
| **Operations table** | Production operations pulled from the BOM, with planned and actual times |
| **Planned Operating Cost** | Expected cost of all operations |
| **Actual Operating Cost** | Actual cost based on Job Card time logs |
| **Has Batch No** | If ticked, the produced items are tracked by batch number |
| **Has Serial No** | If ticked, each produced unit has a unique serial number |
| **Process Loss Qty** | Quantity lost during production (recorded during manufacture Stock Entry) |
| **Lead Time** | Auto-calculated duration of the production run in days |
***
## Work Order Status
| Status | Meaning | What Can Happen Next |
| --------------- | ----------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| **Draft** | Created but not submitted | Edit details, then Submit |
| **Not Started** | Submitted, awaiting material transfer | Transfer materials |
| **In Process** | Materials transferred or Job Card started | Record production progress |
| **Completed** | All planned quantities manufactured | Review costs, close the Work Order |
| **Stopped** | Manually halted before completion | Investigate, restart, or close |
***
## Reports and Monitoring
### Number Cards (Manufacturing Dashboard)
| Card | What It Shows |
| -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| **Monthly Total Work Order** | Total Work Orders created this month |
| **Monthly Completed Work Order** | Work Orders completed this month |
| **Ongoing Job Card** | Job Cards currently in progress |
### Dashboard Charts
| Chart | What It Shows |
| --------------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| **Work Order Analysis** | Work orders grouped by status |
| **Work Order Qty Analysis** | Planned vs actual production quantities |
| **Produced Quantity** | Total units produced over time |
| **Pending Work Order** | Work orders not yet started |
### Reports
| Report | Where to Access |
| --------------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
| **Work Order Summary** | Manufacturing workspace → Reports |
| **Work Orders in Progress** | Manufacturing workspace → Reports |
| **Work Order Consumed Materials** | Manufacturing workspace → Reports |
| **Production Planning Report** | Manufacturing workspace → Reports |
| **Process Loss Report** | Manufacturing workspace → Reports |
***
## Notifications and Alerts
There are no standard automated notifications on Work Orders by default. However, supervisors can monitor the status of all active Work Orders from the **Work Orders in Progress** report and the **Work Order Analysis** dashboard chart.
***
## Best Practices
**Always create Work Orders from a Production Plan.** Creating Work Orders directly is possible, but the Production Plan ensures raw material requirements are verified first and coordinated purchasing happens before production starts.
**Use the correct planned dates.** Accurate planned dates drive the Production Planning Report and help supervisors prioritise which Work Orders to start first when capacity is limited.
**Don't submit a Work Order until materials are confirmed.** A Work Order in Not Started status with no materials available will stall on the floor. Confirm material availability before submission.
**Record process loss accurately.** If scrap or loss occurs, record it honestly in the manufacture Stock Entry. This is the only way to understand true material consumption and improve BOM accuracy over time.
**Use multi-level BOM for complex assemblies.** If your product has sub-assemblies, always tick Use Multi-Level BOM to see the complete raw material requirement at the top level.
**Link Work Orders to Sales Orders.** This creates traceability from a customer order to the production run that fulfilled it, which is critical for delivery tracking and customer communication.
***
## Troubleshooting
**"BOM not found" when creating a Work Order:** The item does not have an active, submitted BOM. Create and submit a BOM first.
**Required Items table is empty:** The linked BOM has no items in its materials table. Open the BOM and add raw materials.
**Can't submit the Work Order:** Check that all mandatory fields are filled: Item To Manufacture, BOM No, Qty To Manufacture, Planned Start Date, Company, and Target Warehouse.
**Manufactured Qty is not updating:** Confirm that the manufacture Stock Entry (type: Manufacture) linked to this Work Order is in Submitted status.
**Work Order is stuck in Not Started:** No Stock Entry of type "Material Transfer for Manufacture" has been submitted against it. Transfer the raw materials to start the Work Order.
***
## Related Features
* [Bill of Materials](/manufacturing/bill-of-materials/bill-of-materials) — defines the recipe used in this Work Order
* [Production Plan](/manufacturing/production-planning/production-plan) — generates Work Orders automatically
* [Job Card](/manufacturing/work-orders/job-card) — tracks each production operation within this Work Order
* [Plant Floor](/manufacturing/work-orders/plant-floor) — visual monitoring of active Work Orders
* [Stock Entry](/manufacturing/inventory/stock-entry) — records material transfers and finished goods receipt
* [Quality Inspection](/manufacturing/quality/quality-inspection) — final check before accepting finished goods