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Tracking the actual quantity of ingredients used in manufacturing

Track actual ingredient quantities used in Katana.

Dayvid Lorbiecke avatar
Written by Dayvid Lorbiecke
Updated this week

Recording the actual quantity of ingredients used in production ensures accurate inventory tracking and minimizes waste. Operators can input real usage data directly from the Shop Floor App, helping you analyze performance and improve planning.


Why track actual ingredient usage?

Tracking actual ingredient quantities allows you to:

  • Identify discrepancies between planned and actual usage.

  • Report waste or production variations.

  • Improve the accuracy of your product recipes over time.

  • Maintain clean and reliable inventory data.


Enabling actual quantity tracking in Katana

By default, Katana uses the planned quantity for each ingredient.

To allow operators to enter actual quantities in the Shop Floor App:

  1. Go to Settings > Manufacturing

  2. Under Shop floor app settings, enable: Ask consumed ingredient quantities from the operator when a task is finished

    Screenshot showing where to turn on the Ask consumed ingredient quantities from the operator when a task is finished option for the shop floor app

This setting must be enabled before operators can start reporting real consumption data.


How operators report ingredient usage

Operators will be prompted to report consumed ingredients after marking a task as Finished in the Shop Floor App.

Here's how it works:

  1. Finish a task

    Choosing finish for a task in the shop floor app


    The operator taps Finish on a task in the Shop Floor App.

  2. Ingredient list appears
    A list of all ingredients for the MO is shown. (Note: Katana does not link ingredients to specific tasks.)

  3. Enter quantities

    • By default, the planned quantity appears.

    • Operators can change the number to reflect the actual amount used.

      GIF of reporting the ingredients when completing a task

  4. Leave comments (optional)

    Adding a comment when adding ingredients for a completed task in the shop floor app
    • Click + Add a comment to explain variances (e.g., “Extra fabric due to miscut”).

    • Comments are saved as Notes on the MO (along with the operator’s name).

  5. Finish reporting
    Click Finish to save the data.

If multiple tasks consume the same ingredient, the reported actual quantities will be combined automatically.


Example

If the MO is for 3 T-shirts, and each shirt needs 1.2 meters of fabric, the planned quantity would be 3.6 meters.


Operators should report the total actual fabric used, not the per-piece amount.


What about stock movements?

Understanding how Katana handles ingredient stock is essential.

Before MO completion:

  • Stock is not deducted when ingredients are reported.

  • The Committed quantity remains based on the planned amount.

  • Ingredient availability for other MOs has not been affected yet.

After MO completion:

  • The actual quantity reported is deducted from stock.

  • This may affect ingredient availability for future MOs, especially if actual usage was higher or lower than planned.


Barcode scanning support

Operators can use the Shop Floor App’s barcode scanner to:

  • Quickly identify ingredients

  • Record actual usage efficiently


Batch-trackable ingredients

If ingredients are batch-trackable, operators can:

  • Assign batch numbers while reporting consumed quantities


Manual edits on the Katana website

You can manually adjust the Actual Quantity for any ingredient directly in the MO:

Planned/actual qty column on a manufacturing order
  1. Open the MO on the Katana website.

  2. Locate the Planned/actual qty column.

  3. Click and edit the quantity.

    Editing the planned/actual qty column

This ensures accuracy even if changes weren’t made through the Shop Floor App.


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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