Automatic Works Orders

Use the Automatic Works Orders command to generate works orders automatically on the basis of one or both of the following:

sales orders raised for assembly items;
critical levels of stock for assembly items that require reordering.

If you have the SOP module integrated, you can raise sales order records that include BOM assemblies. Those that cannot be satisfied from available stock will need to be built and this will mean a works order must be raised. The application will have been able to establish the available stock of an assembly at the time the sales order was raised and therefore any shortfall will result in the need to build more of the assembly to satisfy the sales order requirement. The Automatic Works Order command reads this information and generates works orders accordingly, for a range of assembly items or warehouses and for all sales orders since a given date.

The application can also evaluate the requirement for works orders on the basis of the stock levels of assemblies. If the stock levels fall below critical levels that normally trigger reordering, the Automatic Works Order command will use this information to generate works orders so that stock can be replenished to meet minimum stock levels.

In both cases described above, the actual number of assemblies included on works orders will not necessarily reflect the exact requirement to satisfy orders or stock reorder levels. This is because the application takes into account the yield quantity for the assembly. For example, if the yield dictates that 100 assemblies should be made each time, then a works order generated from a sales order requiring only one assembly to satisfy the customer's order and for which there is no free stock, will result in a works order being generated for 100 assemblies.

The status of the works order generated as a result of the automatic process will depend on the options selected under Works Order Movements on the Stock/BOM Options form. These settings determine whether works orders result in component stock being ordered, allocated or issued. However, if the Kitting option is selected for an assembly for which a works order is generated automatically, then, regardless of the option settings, that works order will be issued and completed in full.

Criteria

Option	Description
From/To	Using the From and To boxes, choose the ranges to restrict the range of products or warehouses accordingly.
Create Works Orders From	Choose the option according to whether you want works orders generated from sales orders or reorder levels. You can only select 'Sales Orders' if the SOP module is included in your activation. If you amend the suggested works order quantity, it must be a multiple of the Yield quantity specified on the assembly record.
New Work Order Due Date	This is the works order due date and will determine when the production process would begin for the manufacture of assemblies. This is used in conjunction with the assembly lead time and the sales order due date to determine whether the generated works orders can be produced in time to satisfy the customer order requirements.
Create Single W/O's For	A single-item works order includes the components required to build only one assembly item. This option determines whether single-item works orders are created for all items being made, whether single-item works orders are created for traceable items only or whether single-item works orders are not created at all. For example, if this command determines that ten entertainment packs need to be built because a customer has requested them on a sales order, you can either have 10 individual works orders created; one for each entertainment pack, or you can have one works order created for all ten entertainment packs. If you need to process stock records that are traceable by serial or batch numbers, refer to the Traceability Help topic for information.

Actions

The following commands are available on the Action menu associated with the grid showing the works orders generated:

Use this command	To
Works Order Header	Display the header details for the currently selected works order.
Works Order Lines	Display the line details for the currently selected works order.
Material	Print a materials requirements list including those items that are to be taken from stock for the works order. This might be suitable for use as a picking list for the stocked components that will be used in the manufacture of the assembly. When you select this command, the Material List form appears with the following options: Include Details (select this option if you want to include the works order details for each component); Include top level only (if the Include Details option is selected, this option can be used to indicate that the listing is to include only components at the top level. This option is only available if the Highest option is selected under Works Order Movements on the Stock/BOM Options form); Shortfall Only (select this option to print details of only those items for which there is a shortfall in meeting the assembly requirements) and Include Batch and Serial Numbers (select this option to print details of serial numbers for traceable components in the assembly). If you need to process stock records that are traceable by serial or batch numbers, refer to the Traceability section within the Stock module documentation for information.
History	Display the creation and amendment date, time and user names for the currently selected works order record.
Reverse Selection	Reverse which records are selected. Those already selected and deselected and vice versa.
Edit Works Order	Amend the currently selected works order record. You can change the due date and manufacturing instructions as well as the costing analysis (if linked to Costing module).