Work Orders

When a customer makes a purchase, their sales order is often transformed into a manufacturer’s work order. A work order is a set of directions on how to produce products to fulfill a customer order. It includes a bill of materials and an estimate of how much the end products will cost.

Work orders can be either simple or complex, depending on the manufacturing job they’re tied to. Simple work orders mainly involve collecting the right parts and assembling them in the correct order. Complex work orders include multiple levels of production. Once smaller segments of the product are completed, they can be combined into the larger product. This kind of job requires a multilevel work order. Multilevel work orders separate manufacturing into different tiers, and each one of the lower tiers must be completed before higher ones can begin.

There are many types of work orders that are used for different tasks, such as:

Assembling products.

Disassembling products.

Repurposing one product’s parts into other products.

Repairing damaged products.

Maintaining products.

Managing employees, payrolls and work schedules.

Whether manufacturers are building products, taking them apart or fixing them, they need work orders to help them get the job done fast and accurately. To make sure you have only the best work orders, sign up for a free trial of Fishbowl Inventory. Fishbowl’s Manufacturing Option is a great tool for small and midsize manufacturers who want to take their business to the next level.