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How to manage the production process

Optimize your production management with detailed tracking of tasks and schedules.

Dayvid Lorbiecke avatar
Written by Dayvid Lorbiecke
Updated over a week ago

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:

  1. Manufacturing order (MO) level – for a high-level overview.

  2. 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:

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:

Screenshot highlighting the schedule tab inside the Make screen
  • Go to the Make screen → Schedule tab.

  • Open the MO card.

  • Change the Production status (e.g., Not started, Work in progress, Done).

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.

Screenshot highlighting the tasks tab inside the make screen
  • 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.


Your feedback is invaluable. Let us know your thoughts on this article or anything in Katana you'd like to see improved: [email protected]

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