Learn how to monitor and control your production through manufacturing orders (MOs) or detailed production operations — using both the main app and the Shop Floor App.
Katana allows you to manage production activities on two levels:
Manufacturing order (MO) level – for a high-level overview.
Production operation level – for more granular control of each production step.
This flexibility allows teams to choose the level of detail they need, while keeping production accurate and aligned with real-time inventory.
Overview: How production is managed
You can update statuses, assign tasks, and record actual production time from:
The Katana web app
The Shop Floor App (used by Operators on the factory floor)
Each MO and Production Operation includes a status, which helps track progress and triggers appropriate inventory movements (e.g., committing ingredients or increasing finished goods).
Option 1: Managing at the MO level
If you want to manage production with less operational detail:
Go to the Make screen → Schedule tab.
Open the MO card.
Change the Production status (e.g., Not started, Work in progress, Done).
See: Managing MO statuses
Use this approach if you're not breaking production into individual tasks or tracking operations time.
Option 2: Managing at the operations level
For more detailed tracking, define Production Operations for each product. This lets you monitor each task within a manufacturing order.
Go to the Make screen → Tasks tab to see a list of all assigned tasks.
Open an MO card to manage task statuses.
Assign tasks to Operators, who can view and complete them via the Shop Floor App.
Use this approach if you want to:
Track actual vs. planned time for each step.
Collect task-level data from the shop floor.
Improve time reporting and costing accuracy.
How MO and task statuses work together
The status of an MO and its related Production Operations are interlinked:
Completing all operations can automatically mark the MO as Done.
Updating the MO status may influence task-level tracking.
This ensures consistent production flow and inventory updates across both management levels.
Shop Floor App Integration
Assign tasks to Operators so they can:
View their tasks in real time.
Update status directly from the factory floor.
Record actual time spent on each operation.
These updates sync directly to the Katana web app for up-to-date production tracking.
Summary
Feature | MO level | Operations level |
Overview Tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
Task-by-task status | ❌ | ✅ |
Time tracking (planned vs. actual) | ❌ | ✅ |
Limited | ✅ | |
Inventory updates | ✅ | ✅ |
Choose the level of production management that suits your workflow — and switch between them as your operations evolve.
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