Production orders serve as top-level projects that encompass multiple work orders. They provide a hierarchical structure that organizes the production process and enables effective tracking and management. Work orders are nested within production orders, representing individual tasks or steps within the overall production workflow.

Within the context of a production order, users can create and modify work orders. Creating work orders involves defining the necessary details, such as the required inventory items, quantities, and any specific instructions. Modifying work orders allows users to adjust quantities, update instructions, or make changes to accommodate evolving production needs.

Monitoring the progress of work orders is crucial to ensure timely production execution. The Bottleneck app provides features to track work order timelines, resource utilization, and completion status. By monitoring work order progress, users can identify potential bottlenecks, adjust schedules, and take necessary actions to optimize production efficiency.

These articles provide a comprehensive understanding of the production module in the Bottleneck app, covering key concepts, creating production orders, and managing production orders and work orders. Users will gain the knowledge necessary to effectively utilize the production module and drive successful manufacturing processes.

One effective approach for identifying production orders that can be batched together is to review the open sales order report. This report provides a comprehensive overview of open orders for different finished goods. By analyzing the report, users can identify similar products or SKUs that share common flavors, ingredients, or production requirements. For example, a kombucha manufacturer produces ginger kombucha for multiple customers or brands. The open sales order report reveals that there is a substantial demand for ginger kombucha across different packaging variations, such as a 6-pack of 12 oz bottles and a 24-pack of 18 oz bottles.

The Bottleneck app offers a convenient calendar view that enables users to visualize work orders over a specific time period. Users can leverage this view to strategically group work orders that share similarities or can be produced together. The drag-and-drop functionality in the calendar view allows for easy adjustment of work order scheduling.

Let's consider a scenario where a kombucha manufacturer produces ginger kombucha for two different customers/brands. Both customers require ginger kombucha, but with different labeling and bottle packaging. One customer prefers a 6-pack of 12 oz bottles, while the other customer prefers a 24-pack of 18 oz bottles.

Using the Bottleneck app, the manufacturer creates a production order specifically for ginger kombucha. In this case, the production order includes both variations of packaging as separate inventory items to produce.

Next, in the calendar view, the manufacturer can easily drag and drop the corresponding work orders for each packaging variation into the desired production week. By grouping these work orders together, the manufacturer can efficiently utilize the production resources and minimize changeovers between different packaging variations.

Batching or grouping production orders based on shared characteristics or similarities can significantly improve efficiency in the manufacturing process. By reviewing the open sales order report and leveraging the calendar view in the Bottleneck app, users can strategically schedule work orders to optimize resource utilization and minimize disruptions.

In our example scenario, the kombucha manufacturer efficiently produces both variations of ginger kombucha for different customers/brands. By grouping the work orders together, the manufacturer minimizes changeovers and maximizes resource utilization, resulting in streamlined production and improved efficiency.

This section provides guidance on batching or grouping production orders and demonstrates how to leverage the features of the Bottleneck app to enhance productivity and efficiency in manufacturing operations. Users can utilize these strategies to optimize their production workflows and meet customer demands effectively.