Production control
Connect product definition, live production and material history
BOM, WIP and traceability are not separate reporting features. Together they explain what should be made, what is currently happening and what actually happened.
Bill of material: the expected structure
The BOM defines the approved components and quantities for a product or stage. Effective control also needs revisions, units, alternates, scrap assumptions and an approval history.
WIP: the live operational position
Work in progress should show each job, current stage, completed and pending quantity, material consumed, rejection, rework, subcontract status and the next responsible action.
Traceability: the evidence chain
Traceability links received batches or lots to material issues, jobs, process results, inspections, finished goods and dispatch. The required depth depends on the product, customer and risk.
Why reconciliation matters
If physical movement and system transactions happen at different times, WIP value and stock availability become unreliable. Clear posting rules and simple shop-floor capture reduce this gap.
Useful management questions
A connected system should answer which orders are at risk, where material is held, what caused variance, which batches were used and what customer deliveries may be affected.
Start with the control requirement
Define the decisions and evidence the business needs, then design screens, scanning, approvals and integrations around the real production flow.