> ## 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.
# Processing and Manufacturing
> How to manage the transformation of raw dry fruits into finished packaged products in Bizaxl - Bills of Materials, Work Orders, Job Cards, and production tracking.
Most dry fruit businesses do more than simply buy and resell. They clean raw materials, grade them by size, roast or salt them, and package them in retail pouches or bulk packs. This transformation process - from raw input to finished packaged product - is managed through the Manufacturing module.
***
## Who Uses This Feature
| Role | What They Do |
| ------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Processing Supervisor** | Creates Work Orders, monitors production progress, closes completed runs |
| **Machine Operator** | Records progress on Job Cards at each workstation |
| **Store Keeper** | Issues raw materials to production, receives finished goods back to the warehouse |
| **Quality Inspector** | Conducts in-process quality checks linked to Work Orders |
| **Finance / Costing** | Reviews production costs captured through Work Orders |
***
## Before You Start
To use manufacturing you need:
* Items set up for all raw materials, packaging materials, and finished products
* A Bill of Materials created for each finished product
* Workstations defined for each processing step
* Warehouses set up for raw material storage, work-in-progress, and finished goods
***
## Step 1: Create a Bill of Materials (BOM)
The Bill of Materials (BOM) is the recipe for a product. It lists every input and every processing step needed to produce one unit of the finished product.
**Example: BOM for "Roasted Salted Cashews 250g"**
| Input | Type | Quantity |
| ----------------- | ------------------ | -------- |
| Raw Cashews W240 | Raw Material | 0.280 KG |
| Refined Salt | Raw Material | 0.005 KG |
| PP Pouch 250g | Packaging Material | 1 No |
| Foil Seal Sticker | Packaging Material | 1 No |
**Operations:**
| Operation | Workstation | Duration |
| -------------------- | ---------------- | ------------------------ |
| Cleaning and Sorting | Sorting Table | 15 minutes per KG |
| Roasting | Roasting Machine | 20 minutes per KG |
| Salting | Coating Drum | 10 minutes per KG |
| Cooling | Cooling Conveyor | 30 minutes per KG |
| Packing | Packing Station | 5 minutes per 10 Packets |
### Creating the BOM
1. Go to **Manufacturing workspace → Bill of Materials → New**
2. Set the **Item** to the finished product (Roasted Salted Cashews 250g)
3. Set the **Quantity** to 1 (one 250g pouch, the base unit)
4. In the **Raw Materials** table, add each input with its quantity
5. In the **Operations** table, add each processing step with the workstation and estimated time
6. Click **Submit** and then set it as the **Default BOM** for this item
***
## Step 2: Create a Production Plan (Optional)
If you are planning a large production run based on Sales Orders or a weekly forecast, use the Production Plan to calculate what needs to be made and whether you have sufficient raw materials.
1. Go to **Manufacturing workspace → Production Plan → New**
2. Click **Get Sales Orders** to pull in all open orders for manufactured items
3. The system calculates the required finished goods quantity
4. Click **Get Raw Materials** to see what raw materials are needed
5. The system flags any raw material shortages and can generate Material Requests to trigger purchasing
The Production Plan then generates Work Orders for each item to be produced.
***
## Step 3: Create a Work Order
A Work Order authorises and tracks a specific production run.
1. Go to **Manufacturing workspace → Work Order → New**
2. Select the **Item** to produce
3. Select the **BOM** (the system suggests the default BOM)
4. Enter the **Planned Quantity** to produce
5. Set the **Planned Start Date** and **Planned End Date**
6. Set the **Source Warehouse** (raw material store) and **Work-in-Progress Warehouse**
7. Set the **Target Warehouse** (finished goods store)
8. Submit
After submission, the Work Order is in **Not Started** status. You can see the exact quantities of raw materials required in the **Required Items** tab.
***
## Step 4: Issue Raw Materials to Production
Before processing can start, the Store Keeper transfers raw materials from the raw material warehouse to the Work-in-Progress (WIP) area.
1. Open the Work Order and click **Transfer Materials**
2. The system pre-fills the Stock Entry with the required raw materials and quantities from the BOM
3. Confirm the **Batch Numbers** for each raw material being transferred
4. Submit the Stock Entry
The raw materials are now in the WIP warehouse and the Work Order status moves to **In Process**.
***
## Step 5: Record Production Progress with Job Cards
As production progresses through each workstation, Machine Operators update Job Cards to record what has been done.
1. Go to **Manufacturing workspace → Job Card** (or open from the Work Order)
2. Open the Job Card for the current operation (e.g., Roasting)
3. Enter the **Start Time** when the operation begins
4. Enter the **Completed Quantity** as work progresses
5. Enter the **End Time** when the operation is complete
6. Submit
The **Plant Floor** view shows all active Job Cards across all workstations in real time so the Supervisor can see the production floor at a glance.
***
## Step 6: Record Finished Goods and Receive into Warehouse
Once all operations are complete and the Work Order quantity is produced, the Store Keeper creates a Stock Entry to receive the finished goods.
1. Open the Work Order and click **Finish**
2. The system creates a Stock Entry of type "Manufacture"
3. The Source entries deduct the raw materials consumed
4. The Target entry receives the finished goods into the finished goods warehouse
5. Enter the batch number for the finished product
6. Enter the expiry date for the finished batch (calculated from today + shelf life, or entered manually)
7. Submit
The Work Order status moves to **Completed**.
***
## Recording Machine Downtime
When a machine stops unexpectedly, the operator records a Downtime Entry to capture the reason and duration.
1. Open the relevant Job Card and click **Record Downtime**
2. Enter the **Start Time**, **Stop Reason**, and **Workstation**
3. When the machine is running again, enter the **End Time** and submit
Downtime data is visible in the **Downtime Analysis** report and helps the maintenance team prioritise preventive maintenance.
***
## Field Guide: Work Order
| Field | Description |
| ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| **Item** | The finished product being manufactured |
| **BOM** | The recipe to follow for this production run |
| **Qty to Manufacture** | How many units to produce |
| **Planned Start Date** | When production is expected to begin |
| **Planned End Date** | When production is expected to be complete |
| **Actual Start Date** | When production actually started |
| **Actual End Date** | When production was actually completed |
| **Source Warehouse** | Where raw materials are drawn from |
| **WIP Warehouse** | Where materials are held during production |
| **Target Warehouse** | Where finished goods are stored after production |
| **Produced Qty** | How many units have actually been completed so far |
| **Status** | Not Started, In Process, Completed, Stopped |
***
## Reports for Manufacturing Monitoring
| Report | Where to Find It | What It Tells You |
| --------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Work Order Summary** | Manufacturing workspace → Reports | Overview of all Work Orders with status and completion percentage |
| **Production Analytics** | Manufacturing workspace → Reports | Production output by item and period |
| **Job Card Summary** | Manufacturing workspace → Reports | Time spent on each operation across Work Orders |
| **Downtime Analysis** | Manufacturing workspace → Reports | Machine downtime by workstation and reason |
| **BOM Stock Report** | Manufacturing workspace shortcut | Whether you have enough raw materials to run a planned production quantity |
| **Work Order Consumed Materials** | Manufacturing workspace → Reports | Actual vs standard consumption of raw materials |
***
## Cost of Production
The system captures the cost of each production run automatically:
* **Material cost**: the value of raw materials consumed, taken from the stock valuation
* **Operation cost**: based on the time recorded in Job Cards and the operating cost per hour set on each Workstation
* **Total cost per unit**: calculated and available in the Work Order for pricing review
***
## Best Practices
* Keep BOMs accurate and up to date. When a supplier changes the raw material density or you change the pack size, update the BOM before raising new Work Orders
* Always issue materials against a specific Work Order, not as a free-form Stock Entry. This keeps production costs accurate
* Record the expiry date on finished goods at the time of production receipt, not later. The batch's shelf life clock starts from the production date
* Check the BOM Stock Report before starting a large Work Order to confirm raw material availability. Running out of packaging material mid-production wastes processing time
* Use the Plant Floor view during production hours so supervisors can spot stalled Job Cards without walking the floor
***
## Troubleshooting
**The system shows insufficient stock to finish the Work Order.**
Either the required raw materials were not issued from the correct source warehouse, or another Work Order is consuming the same batch. Check the Stock Ledger for the raw material item.
**The Work Order shows as In Process but no Job Cards are being updated.**
The Machine Operators may not be submitting Job Cards, or the Job Cards may have been created but not opened. Check the Job Card list filtered by Work Order.
**The finished goods are not appearing in the target warehouse after clicking Finish.**
The Stock Entry (Manufacture) may be in Draft status. Go to the Stock Entry linked to the Work Order and submit it.
***
## Related Features
* [Items](./items) - Bill of Materials setup and finished goods item configuration
* [Inventory Management](./inventory) - Raw material management and FEFO
* [Quality Inspection](./quality) - In-process and finished goods quality checks
* [Procurement](./procurement) - Sourcing raw materials for production