Production operations, also known as routing, define the sequential steps required to manufacture a product. Setting up these operations allows for detailed task management, accurate cost tracking, and efficient production scheduling.
Overview
You can create production operations for a product in Katana through the following methods:
Manually: Add operations directly within the product card.
Copying: Duplicate operations from another product.
Importing: Upload operations via a spreadsheet.
This guide focuses on manually creating production operations for a product without variants. If your product has variants, refer to the guide on creating production operations for product variants.
Manually creating production operations
1. Access the product card
Navigate to the Items screen.
Select the Products tab.
Click on the product you wish to edit.
Ensure the Make option is checked for the product.
Open the Production operations tab (visible only if Make is enabled).
2. Add operation steps
Start typing an operation in the Operation field or click + Add row.
Fill in the following fields for each operation step:
Operation: Select an existing operation from the dropdown or type a new name and select Create new "operation".
Type: Choose the operation type:
Process
Setup
Per Unit
Fixed Cost
Note: Different operation types are available through the Advanced Manufacturing add-on.
Resource: Assign a workstation or employee. Select from existing resources or create a new one by typing the name and selecting Create new "resource". Read about managing tasks for resources.
Cost per Hour: Enter the average hourly cost for the operation, including labor, maintenance, and utilities (excluding material costs).
This value becomes the default for the resource but can be edited later in Settings > Resources.
Time: Specify the duration required to produce one unit of the product. This can be adjusted per manufacturing order (MO) if actual production time varies.
Cost: This field is auto-calculated as Cost per Hour × Time and cannot be manually edited.
Copying production operations from another product
If another product has similar production operations:
Open the Production operations tab of the target product.
Click Copy operations from at the top-right corner.
Search for and select the product to copy operations from.
Confirm the action. Note that existing operations for the current product will be overwritten.
Importing production operations
To import operations via a spreadsheet:
Prepare your operations data in a spreadsheet format.
Navigate to Settings > Data import.
Under Add new product operations, click Upload data.
Follow the prompts to upload and map your data accordingly.
For detailed instructions, refer to the guide on importing production operations.
Additional notes
If you don't see the option to create or edit production operations, check your user permissions.
Production operations can be tailored for each product variant. Learn more about creating operations for product variants.
To manage operation names, refer to the guide on creating, editing, and deleting operation names.
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]