Need to make changes across many products at once? Katana lets you bulk update production operations using a CSV or Excel file—perfect for replacing, adding, or modifying steps across multiple product variants.
When to use bulk updates
This workflow is ideal if you want to:
Replace or rename an operation step across many products
Add new steps to existing operations
Overwrite the entire operations list for some products
Fix time, cost, or resource info in bulk
Step-by-step guide
1. Export your current production operations
Go to the Items screen.
Click the Export icon.
Choose:
Operations.xlsxorOperations.csv
(Optional) Select only the products you want to export before clicking export.
This gives you a spreadsheet of existing operations to modify.
2. Edit the file
Open the exported file.
Make your changes to operation names, resources, time, cost, etc.
Follow the column format exactly — you can refer to this article for guidance.
Tip: Each row should reflect one operation step for a specific product variant.
3. Import your updated file into Katana
Go to Settings > Data Import.
Under Add new product operations, click Upload data.
Choose the updated
.xlsxor.csvfile.
4. Choose your import behavior
You'll be prompted to choose between two options:
Replace existing operations — completely overwrite operations for listed products
Add to existing operations — append new steps to current operations
Pick the option that fits your intent.
5. Review for errors
Katana will analyze the file before importing.
If there are errors (e.g. unknown SKUs, missing time or cost fields), you’ll get a list of skipped rows.
Fix any issues and re-upload the corrected file.
6. Finalize import
If everything is correct:
Click OK, go ahead
Katana will confirm how many operation steps were successfully imported
Important notes
Changes made to product operations do not apply to open manufacturing orders (MOs) automatically.
To update an open MO:
Open the MO card
Click Refresh data in the yellow pop-up at the bottom of the screen
This ensures the MO uses the latest version of the operations setup.
Your feedback is always appreciated. Let us know your thoughts on this article or anything else in Katana that you'd like to see improved: [email protected]