How to Make Work in Progress Visible in Light Manufacturing

Define the production order, quantity, recipe or components, and approved revision. Undocumented material or specification changes make cost and quality impossible to review.

At issue, capture actual consumption, not only standard quantity. Difference may mean scrap, rework, or quality failure and needs a reason rather than a broad adjustment.

Give every stage a start, finish, accepted and rejected quantity, and owner. This shows where orders wait, what capacity is used, and what can be promised.

On completion, receive finished goods and update cost and inventory, then compare planned versus actual time, material, and output. That comparison drives improvement.