Production Order Process

New Production Order

The following outlines the typical process of a production order from start to finish. The system is designed to be flexible, allowing each client or user to follow a process flow that aligns with their organizational or individual requirements.

1. When a new production order is created, the Status is automatically set to Scheduled. This is considered a planning status. At this stage, the Production Date should be set to the date the product is planned to be made.

2.  Orders in this status are displayed under the SCHEDULED filter on the Production Order Schedule.

3. Upon creation of the Production Order, the Production Area and Planned Qty will default from the Recipe, if those values are defined.  The Planned Qty is equivalent to the Economic Batch Quantity field from the Recipe.

4. The Planned Qty in the order header is multiplied by the Component Qty defined in the Recipe to populate the Planned Qty for each component in the detail section.

• • If the header Planned Qty is changed, the component Planned Qty values will update accordingly.
  • If a Waste % is defined in the Recipe, it will also be included in the calculation.

Picking for the Production Order

Some organizations follow a formal picking and/or staging process, either for a single production order or for multiple orders at once. The following optional steps assist in moving the production order from a Scheduled status, allow necessary documents to be printed, and enable users to assign lot numbers. While the production order in this process, all associated inventory is allocated in Acumatica.

1. Open the required production order and change the status to Start Picking.

Note: If this step is not part of the workflow, select Start Production to proceed directly to the production stage.

2. Selecting the Start Picking button will update the status to Picking in Progress. Orders in this status are displayed under the PICKING filter on the Production Order Schedule.

3. A Pick List can be printed for the individual Production Order by selecting the Print Pick List button. This action automatically checks the Pick List Printed checkbox, indicating that the document has been printed.  

Tip: The checkbox can be manually cleared if the print status needs reset.

4. Optionally, from the main Reports menu on the Production workspace, the Production Order Master Pick List can be printed. This consolidated report includes multiple production orders based on Production Date and/or Production Area.

5. While in Picking in Progress status, assign the lot numbers, warehouse, and warehouse location. If a component is associated with a lot class configured for FEFO (First Expired, First Out) or FIFO (First In, First Out), the system auto-assigns lot numbers for review. 

• • If <SPLIT> in the lot number column, it indicates either no lot number has been selected or multiple lots have been assigned. Use Line Details to view or modify these assignments.
  • If the Lot/Serial Nbr. field is blank, the item is not lot-controlled.

6. Assigning lot numbers at this stage allocates inventory to those specific lots. These details can be reviewed on the Inventory Allocation Details screen for each component.

7.  After all lots are assigned, the workflow can advance by either:

• • Changing the status to Picked, or
  • Proceeding directly with Start Production.

Note: All required lot numbers must be assigned before saving or continuing. If incomplete, an error (similar to below) will appear upon saving. The status can be reverted to Picking to allow saving without complete information, or the missing data can be entered as required.

8.  Orders in this status are displayed under the PICKED filter on the Production Order Schedule.

Recording Production

This stage represents the production execution phase, during which final quantities and lot numbers are recorded.

1. Open the relevant production order and select Start Production. The status changes to In Production, and the order is now visible under the IN PRODUCTION filter on the Production Order Schedule.

Note: If the status was changed prematurely, selecting Stop Production reverts the status back to Picked.

2.  In the details grid, the Actual Qty column becomes visible and defaults to the Planned Qty. If the actual quantity consumed differs from the planned value, update the field accordingly.

3.  The Produced Qty defaults to the Planned Qty and should be updated to reflect the actual output of the production run.

Important: Changes to the Planned Qty at this stage impact all recorded values and should generally only occur while the order is still in Scheduled status.

4.  Any difference between Planned Qty and Produced Qty is reflected in the Production Yield %, which is calculated as (Produced ÷ Planned) × 100.

5.  Complete the required fields for Location, Lot Number, Quantity, and Expiration Date for the finished good.

• • If the item’s lot class is configured to auto-generate lot numbers and expiration dates, these values are created at this stage.
  • The expiration date is calculated as the Production Date plus the Days to Expiration value from the Recipe.

Note: Changing the Production Date after the lot number is generated triggers a warning that the expiration date should be updated. This is a warning only and will not prevent the process from continuing.

6. Before finalizing, run the Prepost Report to verify quantities, lot numbers, and costs. Make any necessary adjustments prior to posting.

7. Select the Release button to complete the order. This action:

• • Posts the finished good inventory, making it available for shipment.
  • Consumes all recorded component quantities and assigned lots.

Note: Once released, the production order is locked and can no longer be edited.

Production Reporting

After posting a Production Order, several reports can be reviewed or printed to validate and analyze production activity.

1. Production Cost Report – Displays detailed information on all components used in the production order, including assigned lot numbers.

2. Production Variance Report – Provides a summary of final production costs, as well as variances in cost and quantity compared to the planned values.