Skip to main content

Tracking the actual quantity of products made

In the Shop Floor App, Operators can report the actual quantity of the product made with a manufacturing order

Dayvid Lorbiecke avatar
Written by Dayvid Lorbiecke
Updated this week

In certain industries, it can be hard to predict exactly how many products will be completed in a production run. With Katana's Shop Floor App, operators can report the actual number of products made on a manufacturing order (MO) — helping you stay accurate and responsive.


Why track actual quantities?

  • Reflects real output, especially in variable-yield processes.

  • Helps catch underproduction or overproduction early.

  • Improves planning by comparing planned vs. actual output.

  • Supports accurate inventory management and fulfillment readiness.


Setup: Enable product quantity reporting

To let operators report finished product quantities from the Shop Floor App:

Enabling "ask the quantity of finished products" for the shop floor app
  1. Go to Settings > Manufacturing on the Katana main site.

  2. Under Shop floor app settings, enable Ask the quantity of finished products from the operator when a manufacturing order is completed.


How operators report finished quantities

Note: This only works for Make-to-Stock MOs.

For Make-to-Order, the actual quantity always matches the planned quantity.

Steps:

  1. The final step of an MO is completed in the Shop Floor App

    Tasks in the shop floor app
    • Final step = bottom operation in the task list, not necessarily the last active task

  2. A prompt asks the operator to enter the actual quantity of products made

    GIF showing how to add quantities when completing a task on the shop floor app
    • By default, the planned quantity is shown

    • The operator can adjust the value if needed

  3. (Optional) The operator can leave a comment

    Adding a comment together with the completed quantity on a task
    • Click + Add a comment to explain deviations (e.g. scrap, machine downtime)

    • The note appears in the Additional info section on the MO in Katana, tagged with the operator’s name

  4. If serial numbers are enabled for the product, the operator must assign them next

  5. Click Finish

    • The reported actual quantity is recorded to the MO

    • If all tasks are complete, the MO is marked as Done

      Actual quantity on a completed manufacturing order

Note: The reported quantity does not affect ingredient usage. That’s tracked separately.


Limitations and notes

  • You cannot edit the actual quantity once the MO is marked complete.
    You must revert it to Open to make changes.


What happens with stock movements?

Understanding when product quantities affect your stock is key.

While MO is Open:

  • The Expected quantity in stock is based on the planned amount

  • Actual reported quantity does not yet affect sales item availability

When MO is Completed:

  • The Actual quantity is added to stock

  • If different from the planned quantity, this may affect inventory availability for sales orders

If a product is batch-trackable, the MO must have a batch number assigned before completion. Otherwise, it stays in Work in progress even if all tasks are marked finished.


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

Did this answer your question?