Manufacturing & PLM

You run a manufacturing business. A customer order arrives: produce 100 office desks . To fulfill this order, you need to answer:

Introduction: What is Manufacturing Management?

Learning Objectives

  • Understand MRP (Manufacturing Resource Planning) concepts
  • Discover how SODOO Manufacturing benefits your production operations
  • Grasp the manufacturing lifecycle from order to delivery
  • See the advantages of moving from spreadsheets to integrated MRP

You run a manufacturing business. A customer order arrives: produce 100 office desks. To fulfill this order, you need to answer:

  • What materials are required? (wood, screws, paint, etc.)
  • How much of each material? (4 legs per desk, 1 top, 16 screws...)
  • Is there enough stock on hand?
  • Which work centers will handle production? (cutting, assembly, painting)
  • How long will it take?
  • What will it cost?

SODOO Manufacturing (MRP) answers all these questions automatically and manages your production process from start to finish.

Order
Planning
Materials
Production
Quality
Delivery
Manufacturing

SODOO Manufacturing — running production from a single overview

Manufacturing Orders

Manufacturing Orders — list view

Why Use an MRP System?

Spreadsheet / Paper-based System
  • Manual material calculations for every order
  • Stock status always uncertain, no real-time view
  • "Do we have enough material?" anxiety
  • Production plan on paper — hard to change
  • Work center load unclear
  • Cost calculation starts from scratch each time
  • No quality issue tracking
  • Cannot anticipate delays before they happen
SODOO MRP System
  • Automatic material calculation from BOM
  • Real-time stock status and reservations
  • Automatic low-stock alerts and purchase requests
  • Digital production plan with drag-and-drop
  • Work center capacity visualization
  • Automatic cost calculation (standard or AVCO)
  • Integrated quality control at any step
  • Delay forecast and early warnings

Scenario: 100 Office Desk Order

Situation: A customer orders 100 office desks. Delivery deadline: 2 weeks. Each desk requires: 4 legs, 1 top panel, 16 screws, 4 plastic feet caps, paint.

  1. Order Confirmation: When the sale order is confirmed, the system automatically creates a Manufacturing Order
  2. BOM Explosion: System calculates total materials: 400 legs, 100 tops, 1,600 screws, 400 caps
  3. Stock Check: Current stock is checked, and purchase orders are automatically created for shortfalls
  4. Capacity Planning: Time is scheduled across cutting, assembly, and painting work centers
  5. Production Start: When materials are ready, production begins — operators see work orders on tablets
  6. Quality Control: Inspection is conducted every 10 desks; defective units are logged
  7. Completion: When 100 desks are done, stock is updated and the order moves to the shipping queue
Products, Kanban View

Kanban makes manufactured products and their status easy to follow

Key Concepts

Terms you'll frequently encounter in manufacturing management:

Term Definition Example
BOM (Bill of Materials) Structured list of all components and raw materials needed to produce a product Desk BOM: 4 legs + 1 top + 16 screws
Manufacturing Order (MO) Production instruction for a specific quantity of a product MO-00123: Produce 100 Office Desks
Work Order (WO) Sub-steps of a Manufacturing Order; operations at each work center WO-001: Cutting, WO-002: Assembly, WO-003: Painting
Work Center Physical location or machine where production operations take place CNC Machine, Assembly Line, Paint Booth
Routing Sequence of work centers and operations a product passes through Cutting → Assembly → Painting → Packaging
Lead Time Total time required to complete production or procurement 3 working days to produce a desk
Scrap / Waste Materials or products that become unusable during production 5 legs scrapped due to cutting error
OEE Overall Equipment Effectiveness — measures machine efficiency CNC machine OEE: 85%
MTO Make-to-Order — produce only when customer orders Custom product built per specification
MTS Make-to-Stock — produce to forecast demand, keep in stock Standard catalog product kept in warehouse
ECO Engineering Change Order — formal process to modify a product design Change screw type from M6 to M8 across all BOMs
Tip: You don't need to memorize all these terms at once. They will become natural through practice. Focus on the core flow: Order → Plan → Materials → Production → Quality → Delivery.

The Manufacturing Cycle

The complete journey of a manufacturing order, from demand to delivery:

Sales Order Demand Analysis BOM Explosion Stock Check Mfg. Order
Work Orders Production Quality Check Stock Entry Delivery

Supply Strategies

Manufacture

Product is manufactured in-house. BOM and routing must be defined. A manufacturing order is created when demand arises.

Buy

Product is procured from a supplier. A purchase order is created automatically when stock falls below the reorder point.

Make to Order (MTO)

Produce only when a customer order is received. Each order triggers dedicated production. Not held in stock.

Make to Stock (MTS)

Produce against forecast demand. Products are held in warehouse and consumed by sales orders as they arrive.

Bill of Materials (BOM)

A Bill of Materials (BOM) is the complete, structured list of all components, sub-assemblies, and raw materials needed to manufacture a product. It is the foundation of manufacturing management — without a BOM, planning is impossible.

Analogy: Think of a BOM like a recipe. A cake recipe says "2 eggs, 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar..." Similarly, a desk BOM says "4 legs, 1 top panel, 16 screws, paint..." Just as you can't bake without a recipe, you can't manufacture without a BOM.

Creating a BOM

Step-by-Step: Create a Bill of Materials

Access
  1. Navigate to Manufacturing Products Bills of Materials
  2. Click + New
Define the BOM Header
  1. Product: Select the finished product (e.g., "Office Desk Model A")
  2. Quantity: The quantity this BOM produces (usually 1)
  3. BOM Type: Select Manufacture, Kit, or Subcontracting
  4. Routing: Optionally link a routing to define work center operations
Add Components
  1. In the Components tab, click Add a line
  2. Select the component (e.g., "Desk Leg")
  3. Enter quantity (e.g., 4)
  4. Add all components until the BOM is complete
  5. Save with Save

BOM Components Tab Fields

Field Description
Component The raw material or sub-component required
Quantity How many units of this component per finished product
Unit of Measure kg, each, liter, meter, etc.
Apply on Variants Restrict component to specific product variants only

Multi-level BOMs

Complex products often require multi-level BOMs — where components themselves have their own BOM (sub-assemblies). SODOO handles this natively with unlimited BOM depth.

📦 Office Desk (Finished Product)
🪵 Desk Top Panel × 1
🌲 Oak Wood Board × 1.2m²
🎨 Wood Stain × 0.5L
✨ Lacquer Coat × 0.3L
🦿 Desk Leg × 4
⚙️ Steel Tube × 1 (pre-cut)
🦶 Rubber Foot Cap × 1
🔩 Screw M6×20 × 16
📦 Cardboard Box (Packaging) × 1

When a Manufacturing Order is created for the finished desk, SODOO can automatically create separate Manufacturing Orders for sub-assemblies (Desk Top Panel, Desk Legs) — either immediately or on demand, depending on your MRP strategy.

BOM Types

BOM Type Purpose When to Use
Manufacture Standard production BOM — components are consumed to produce the finished product Most manufacturing scenarios
Kit Product is sold as a bundle — components are picked and packed, no production occurs Bundle sales (e.g., "Starter Kit" = 3 individual products)
Subcontracting Components sent to external contractor who assembles the product Outsourced manufacturing, contract assembly

Cost Calculation

SODOO automatically calculates the theoretical manufacturing cost of a product based on its BOM. This cost includes:

  • Material Cost: Sum of all component costs at their current valuation
  • Operations Cost: Work center costs per hour × operation duration
  • Overhead: Additional overhead rates defined per work center
Costing Methods: SODOO supports three costing methods: Standard Price (fixed cost), Average Cost (AVCO), and First In First Out (FIFO). The chosen method affects how material costs are calculated in manufacturing orders. Configure per product category in Inventory > Configuration > Product Categories.
Product Detail View

Product detail — bill of materials, components and manufacturing on one page

Manufacturing Orders

A Manufacturing Order (MO) is the central document that drives production. It specifies what to produce, how many, by when, and tracks the entire production lifecycle.

Creating a Manufacturing Order

Method 1: Manual Creation
  1. Go to Manufacturing Manufacturing Orders
  2. Click + New
  3. Select the Product to manufacture
  4. Enter the Quantity
  5. Set the Scheduled Date (planned start date)
  6. The BOM auto-populates — verify components and routing
  7. Click Confirm to lock the MO
Method 2: From Sales Order
  1. When a sale order is confirmed for a MTO product, SODOO automatically creates an MO
  2. The MO is linked to the sale order via the smart button
  3. Production can be tracked directly from the sale order

Manufacturing Order Lifecycle

Draft Confirmed In Progress To Close Done

Key Manufacturing Order Fields

Field Description
Product The finished product to be manufactured
Quantity to Produce Planned output quantity
Qty Producing Quantity currently being produced in this session
Scheduled Date Planned production start date
Deadline Latest date the MO must be completed
Source Location Warehouse location from which components are consumed
Finished Location Warehouse location where finished product is stored
Lot/Serial Number Traceability tracking for finished product
Manufacturing Orders List

Manufacturing orders in list view — filter and sort to follow every order

Work Orders

Work Orders are the sub-operations within a Manufacturing Order. Each work order corresponds to one step in the routing — one work center, one operation, one responsible operator.

When a Manufacturing Order is confirmed, SODOO automatically generates work orders based on the product's routing. Operators can see and execute their work orders from any device, including tablets on the shop floor.

Work Order Fields

Field Description
Operation The type of work (e.g., "Cutting", "Assembly", "Quality Check")
Work Center Machine or station where the work happens
Duration Expected Planned duration in minutes from routing definition
Duration Actual time recorded when work order is completed
Status Waiting, Ready, In Progress, Finished

Work Centers

A Work Center represents a physical location, machine, or team in your factory where production operations occur. Work centers have defined capacities, efficiency factors, and hourly costs.

CNC Cutting
Available

Capacity: 8hr/day

Assembly Line A
Busy

Capacity: 16hr/day

Paint Booth
Available

Capacity: 8hr/day

Packaging
Busy

Capacity: 8hr/day

Work Center Configuration

Setting Purpose
Time Efficiency Percentage efficiency (100% = full speed, 85% = accounts for changeovers)
Capacity How many operations can run simultaneously
Working Hours Shift schedule — when the work center is available
Costs per Hour Overhead rate added to MO cost calculations
OEE Target Target Overall Equipment Effectiveness percentage for reporting

Routing

A Routing (or Operation) defines the sequence of operations a product must go through during manufacturing. Each step is assigned to a work center with a defined duration.

Example Routing: Office Desk Manufacturing

Step Operation Work Center Duration
1 Wood Cutting CNC Cutting Machine 15 min/unit
2 Sanding & Finishing Finishing Station 10 min/unit
3 Assembly Assembly Line A 20 min/unit
4 Painting/Coating Paint Booth 30 min/unit (incl. drying)
5 Quality Inspection QC Station 5 min/unit
6 Packaging Packing Area 8 min/unit

Capacity Planning

Capacity planning ensures your work centers aren't overbooked or underutilized. SODOO provides a visual Gantt-style planner and work center load charts.

Production Schedule

Visual timeline of all manufacturing orders and work orders. Drag to reschedule and detect conflicts.

Workload Chart

Bar chart showing scheduled hours vs. available capacity per work center per day/week.

Overload Detection

Red indicators when a work center is scheduled beyond capacity. Adjust order dates or split production runs.

Lead Time Calculation

Automatic calculation of earliest possible delivery date based on routing durations and work center availability.

🖼️
PLM Engineering PartsThis screenshot is being refreshed. The previous image came from a live system and carried real people and customer data, so it was withdrawn; a replacement from the PORTWARE demo company is on its way.

PLM engineering parts — capacity planning and work-centre load

Recording Production

Recording actual production involves updating the Manufacturing Order with quantities produced, materials consumed, scrap, and time spent.

Completing a Manufacturing Order

  1. Open the Manufacturing Order (status: Confirmed or In Progress)
  2. Enter the Qty Producing (can produce in partial batches)
  3. In the Components tab, verify or adjust actual material consumption
  4. If work orders exist, mark each as "Done" after completing at the work center
  5. Record any scrap in the Scrap tab or using the Scrap button
  6. Click Mark as Done to complete and create the stock entry

Partial Production

You can produce in batches. Set "Qty Producing" to less than the full MO quantity and click "Produce" — SODOO creates a stock move for the produced quantity and keeps the MO open for the remainder.

Material Consumption

When production is recorded, SODOO moves components from their source location into "in production" virtual stock, then consumes them to produce the finished product.

Consumption Modes

Mode How It Works
Auto (Standard) Components consumed at BOM quantity when MO is confirmed. Adjust actuals on completion.
Manual Operator manually records each component lot/serial number consumed during production.
Lot Tracking Full lot traceability — each component lot is tracked to the finished product lot.
Serial Number Tracking Every individual unit tracked — each serialized component links to a serialized finished product.
Tip: Enable lot or serial number tracking for regulated industries (food, pharma, aerospace) where full material traceability is required for compliance. Use "Auto" mode for simple manufacturing where traceability is not critical.

Scrap & Waste Management

Scrap represents materials or finished products that become unusable during production. Recording scrap accurately is essential for cost control and yield analysis.

Recording Scrap

From within a Manufacturing Order, click Scrap to record:

  • Which product or component was scrapped
  • Quantity scrapped
  • Scrap location (inventory journal entry is created)
  • Optional: scrap reason for analysis
Important: Scrap moves stock to a virtual "Scrap" location, removing it from available inventory. The associated cost is posted to a Scrap Account in your accounting. Always record scrap promptly to keep inventory valuations accurate.

Scrap Analysis

Use Manufacturing reports to analyze scrap rates by product, work center, and time period. High scrap rates may indicate process problems, tooling wear, or operator training needs.

Tablet Mode (Shop Floor)

SODOO's tablet mode provides a simplified, touch-friendly interface for shop floor operators. Workers can view and execute work orders without needing access to the full SODOO interface.

Features

Time Tracking

Operators start/stop a timer for each work order. Actual time is recorded automatically.

Barcode Scanning

Scan component lot/serial numbers for traceability. Scan work order QR codes to open them quickly.

Work Instructions

Display step-by-step instructions with images, PDF attachments, and video links for each operation.

Quality Checks

Trigger quality checks from the tablet. Pass/Fail results are recorded directly in the system.

Access: Navigate to Manufacturing > Work Orders and click Tablet View. Works on any modern tablet or touchscreen device via browser.
Manufactured Product Detail — a motor

A product detail screen on the shop floor — a motor and its components

Quality Management

Learning Objectives

  • Set up quality control points at key production stages
  • Define inspection criteria and acceptable limits
  • Record quality results and trigger corrective actions
  • Analyze quality data to drive continuous improvement

SODOO's Quality module integrates directly with Manufacturing to enable inline quality control — checks can be triggered automatically at defined points in the production process.

Quality Control Points

Quality Control Points define where and when quality checks happen in the process. They can be triggered by:

Trigger When the Check Occurs Example
All Operations At every manufacturing step Visual inspection at each work order
Manufacturing Operation At a specific operation in the routing Dimensional check after CNC cutting
Receipts When goods are received from suppliers Incoming material inspection
Delivery Orders Before products are shipped to customers Final inspection before dispatch

Quality Check Types

Pass

Meets specification. Continue to next step.

Fail

Does not meet spec. Block production, create alert.

On Hold

Requires further review or approval.

Measurement Types

Type Description Example
Measure Numerical measurement within tolerance range Length: 1200mm ± 2mm
Pass/Fail Binary visual or functional check Surface finish acceptable? Yes/No
Text Free-text observation or comment Inspector notes any visible defects
Photo Photo evidence required as part of check Photograph serial number label
Worksheet Structured multi-step inspection checklist Pre-delivery inspection checklist with 20 items

Quality Alerts

When a quality check fails, SODOO can automatically create a Quality Alert — a formal notification that triggers a corrective action workflow.

  • Assign the alert to the responsible team or individual
  • Set priority and deadline for resolution
  • Track root cause analysis and corrective action
  • Link to the specific production lot or batch
  • Generate 8D problem-solving reports
🖼️
Quality ControlThis screenshot is being refreshed. The previous image came from a live system and carried real people and customer data, so it was withdrawn; a replacement from the PORTWARE demo company is on its way.

Quality control during production — inspection results and control points

PLM - Product Lifecycle Management

Learning Objectives

  • Understand how PLM manages products from design to retirement
  • Manage product revisions and design versions
  • Use Engineering Change Orders (ECO) for controlled design changes
  • Integrate CAD files with SODOO product records

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) extends Manufacturing with engineering-focused tools. Manage product designs, control revisions, implement engineering changes, and maintain the connection between CAD files and manufacturing BOMs.

SODOO includes the OmniaSolutions PLM Suite (32 modules), providing comprehensive PLM capabilities for engineering-intensive manufacturers.

Revision Management

Products in engineering environments evolve over time. Revision management ensures that:

  • Every version of a product is uniquely identified (e.g., Rev A, B, C or 1.0, 1.1, 2.0)
  • Older revisions are preserved in the system for historical reference
  • Production always uses the approved, current revision
  • Superseded revisions cannot be accidentally used in new orders
Revision State Description
Draft Design in progress, not yet released for production
Under Review Submitted for engineering approval
Released Approved and available for manufacturing
Obsolete Superseded by newer revision, archived for reference

Engineering Change Orders (ECO)

An Engineering Change Order (ECO) is a formal document that proposes, reviews, approves, and implements a change to a product design, BOM, or manufacturing routing.

ECO Workflow

Change Idea ECO Created Review & Approve Apply to BOM New Revision Released

Example ECO: Screw Type Change

Problem: M6 screws are experiencing loosening in field use. Engineering proposes changing to M8 self-locking screws across all desk models.

  1. Engineer creates ECO: "Change M6 screws to M8 self-locking on all desk BOMs"
  2. ECO includes: reason, affected products (12 desk models), cost impact analysis
  3. Quality manager and production manager review and approve the ECO
  4. ECO is applied: all 12 BOMs are updated automatically in one action
  5. Product revisions are bumped: Desk Model A Rev C → Rev D
  6. All new manufacturing orders automatically use the updated BOM
  7. Existing open orders with old BOM are flagged for decision

CAD Integration

The OmniaSolutions PLM Suite provides deep CAD integration, allowing SODOO to serve as the product data management hub for engineering teams.

Supported CAD Systems

  • SolidWorks
  • Autodesk Inventor
  • FreeCAD
  • Generic CAD via neutral formats (STEP, IGES, DXF)

Key Capabilities

  • File Storage: CAD files stored as attachments to product records, version-controlled
  • BOM Sync: BOM structure imported from CAD assembly hierarchy
  • 3D Viewer: View 3D models directly in browser (plm_web_3d module)
  • Weight Calculation: Automatic weight propagation through assembly levels
  • Drawing Management: 2D drawings stored alongside 3D models
🖼️
PLM HomeThis screenshot is being refreshed. The previous image came from a live system and carried real people and customer data, so it was withdrawn; a replacement from the PORTWARE demo company is on its way.

PLM home — following product lifecycle stages and engineering parts

🖼️

PLM product detail — CAD files, drawings and the 3D viewer

MRP Multi-Level (OCA)

MRP Multi-Level is an advanced OCA (Odoo Community Association) module that enhances SODOO's planning capabilities with proper multi-level material requirements planning.

What MRP Multi-Level Adds

True MRP Logic

Net requirements calculation considering: demand, on-hand stock, open purchase orders, and open manufacturing orders simultaneously.

Multi-level Explosion

Plans sub-assemblies automatically when the top-level product demand changes. Cascades through all BOM levels.

Time-phased Planning

Schedule procurement and production considering lead times to ensure materials arrive just-in-time.

MRP Inventory View

Comprehensive view of planned inventory positions over time — see projected stock levels per product.

MRP Run Process

Input Demand (Sales/Forecasts) Run MRP Inventory Review Planned Orders Procure / Confirm
Setup Note: For MRP Multi-Level, configure MRP Areas (planning zones) for each product/warehouse combination. Define minimum stock levels, maximum stock levels, and reorder quantities per area. The module then calculates net requirements considering all these parameters.

Maintenance

The Maintenance module tracks equipment uptime, schedules preventive maintenance, and manages repair requests. Downtime is the enemy of OEE — proactive maintenance keeps your work centers running at maximum efficiency.

Maintenance Types

Type Description Trigger
Corrective Repair after equipment breakdown Equipment failure or operator report
Preventive Scheduled maintenance to prevent breakdowns Time-based schedule (every 30 days, 500 hours)
Predictive Data-driven maintenance based on equipment condition Sensor readings, vibration analysis, IoT integration

Key Features

Equipment Registry

Central database of all equipment: specifications, location, warranty, purchase date, maintenance history.

Maintenance Requests

Anyone can submit a maintenance request. Requests are assigned to maintenance teams and tracked to resolution.

Preventive Schedule

Define recurring maintenance plans (oil change every 500 hours). System automatically creates requests on schedule.

MTBF & MTTR

Track Mean Time Between Failures and Mean Time to Repair per equipment — key reliability KPIs.

Maintenance Home

Maintenance home — the equipment list and maintenance status

Maintenance Requests, Kanban View

Maintenance requests in Kanban — pending, in-progress and completed jobs

Repair Management

Repair Management — faulty equipment and the repair process

Repair Orders List

Repair Orders List — following every repair request

Creating a Repair Order

New Repair Order — the fault details and the repair plan

New Repair Record

New Repair Record — reporting a fault and opening the repair

OEE - Overall Equipment Effectiveness

OEE is the gold standard metric for measuring manufacturing efficiency. It combines three factors:

90%
Avail.
Availability
×
95%
Perf.
Performance
×
99%
Qual.
Quality
=
84.6%
OEE
Total OEE
Factor What It Measures Losses It Captures
Availability Actual runtime / Planned production time Breakdowns, setup time, changeovers
Performance Actual speed / Theoretical max speed Minor stoppages, reduced speed, operator pace
Quality Good units / Total units produced Defects, rework, scrap, startup rejects
Benchmark: World-class OEE is generally considered to be 85% or above. Most manufacturing operations achieve 40-60% OEE when first measured. A 10% improvement in OEE can have significant impact on throughput and profitability.

Integrations

Module Integration Value Created
Sales MO created from confirmed sale orders (MTO route) Automatic demand-driven production
Inventory Component consumption and finished goods stock movements Real-time stock accuracy during production
Purchasing Purchase orders created for material shortfalls Automatic procurement when stock is insufficient
Accounting Material and overhead costs posted to journals on MO validation Real-time cost of goods manufactured accounting
Quality Quality checks triggered within work orders Inline quality control without leaving production
Maintenance Maintenance requests accessible from work centers Operators report equipment issues from the shop floor
AI COWORK Natural language manufacturing queries and order creation "Show me all delayed MOs" — instant answer without navigation

Reports & KPIs

OEE
Equipment Effectiveness
Lead Time
Order-to-Done
Yield %
Good Units / Total
Scrap Rate
Waste as % of Input

Available Manufacturing Reports

Report Description Access
Manufacturing Analysis Pivot table of MOs by product, state, period — quantities and durations Manufacturing > Reporting > Manufacturing Analysis
Work Center Analysis Planned vs. actual hours per work center, efficiency metrics Manufacturing > Reporting > Work Centers
OEE Report Availability, Performance, Quality breakdown per work center Manufacturing > Reporting > OEE
Scrap Analysis Scrap quantities and costs by product, work center, period Manufacturing > Reporting > Scraps
Quality Analysis Pass/fail rates by quality point, product, and team Quality > Reporting > Quality Analysis
Maintenance Analysis MTBF, MTTR, downtime per equipment Maintenance > Reporting > Requests Analysis

Best Practices

Discrete vs. Process Manufacturing

Discrete Manufacturing

Producing countable, individual units

  • Use BOM with exact quantities per unit
  • Define routing with clear operation times
  • Use serial number tracking for high-value items
  • Enable work orders for shop floor visibility
  • Set up quality checkpoints at critical operations
Process Manufacturing

Producing continuous or batch outputs (food, chemical, pharma)

  • Use BOM quantities as ratios (per 100kg output)
  • Enable lot tracking for batch traceability
  • Define expiry dates on lot numbers
  • Set up quality checks per batch
  • Use the Inventory calendar for batch scheduling

General Best Practices

BOM Accuracy

Inaccurate BOMs cause stock discrepancies, cost variances, and production delays. Review BOMs regularly and update when designs change via ECOs. Treat BOM maintenance as a critical process, not an afterthought.

Realistic Lead Times

Configure lead times (procurement + manufacturing + safety buffer) accurately. Optimistic lead times cause late deliveries; pessimistic ones create unnecessary inventory. Review actual vs. planned lead times monthly.

Work Center Efficiency

Set up work center time efficiency realistically (typically 85-95%). Include time for setup, changeovers, and break time. Unrealistic efficiency settings make the schedule meaningless.

Quality Gates

Define quality control points at the highest-risk points in production, not everywhere. Over-inspection adds cost without proportional benefit. Focus QC resources where defects have the most impact.

Use AI COWORK

Ask AI COWORK: "Which MOs are delayed?", "What products have the highest scrap rate this month?", "Create a production order for 50 units of Product A scheduled for next week". Save hours of manual reporting.

Continuous Improvement

Review OEE and scrap reports monthly. Identify the top 3 losses (the "Big 3" losses in your factory). Tackle them systematically using root cause analysis and corrective actions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How deep can BOM nesting go in SODOO?

SODOO supports unlimited BOM depth. You can have sub-assemblies within sub-assemblies to any level. The MRP explosion handles all levels automatically. Practically, BOMs beyond 8-10 levels can be slow to process in MRP runs, so flatten unnecessarily deep structures where possible.

Can I produce multiple products from one Manufacturing Order?

SODOO primarily supports one finished product per MO. However, you can define by-products in the BOM — secondary outputs produced alongside the main product. For example, producing lumber may generate sawdust as a by-product that goes into inventory as a separate product.

How does subcontracting work in SODOO Manufacturing?

Set the BOM type to "Subcontracting". When a manufacturing order is created, SODOO generates a purchase order to the subcontractor and automatically sends the required components. When the purchase is received, the finished product enters inventory and component consumption is recorded. This provides full traceability and cost tracking for outsourced production.

What happens to the Manufacturing Order if the sale order is cancelled?

For MTO (Make-to-Order) products, cancelling the sale order does not automatically cancel the linked Manufacturing Order. You must manually cancel or archive the MO. For MTS products, MOs are independent of specific sale orders, so cancellation doesn't affect existing MOs. Consider this in your cancellation procedures.

Can I track which components went into which finished product?

Yes — enable Lot Tracking or Serial Number Tracking on both component and finished product categories. SODOO's Traceability report shows the complete forward and backward trace: which lot of raw material was used to produce which finished good lot, and vice versa. This is essential for recalls in food, pharma, and aerospace industries.

How does MRP Multi-Level differ from standard SODOO MRP?

Standard SODOO uses reorder rules (min/max stock rules) to trigger replenishment. MRP Multi-Level adds true MRP logic: it considers time-phased demand, calculates net requirements at all BOM levels simultaneously, and plans procurement timing based on lead times. This is particularly valuable for complex multi-level BOMs where component lead times must be considered to ensure materials arrive just-in-time for production.

Can operators use SODOO on the shop floor without training?

The Tablet Mode is specifically designed for shop floor use. It is simplified, touch-friendly, and shows only the information relevant to the current work order. Most operators can learn the basic workflow (open work order, start timer, scan barcode, record result, close) within 15-30 minutes of hands-on training.

How do I handle by-products (co-products) in manufacturing?

Enable the "By-Products" option in Manufacturing settings. In the BOM, go to the "By-Products" tab and add the co-products with their expected quantities and destination locations. When the manufacturing order is validated, the by-products are automatically added to inventory at the specified locations.