Learn how Luminous calculates raw material shortages on a production run and what each column in Shared Components means.
Collection: Work Orders: Getting Started
Priority: P0
Who this is for
Production planners and purchasing staff reviewing whether raw materials are available before starting production.
Before you begin
- A production run exists with at least one work order (Create a production run)
- BOMs are configured on finished SKUs (Configure bills of materials)
Where to find material data
Open a production run from Inventory → Work Orders → Production Runs, then scroll to the Shared Components section. This table consolidates all raw materials required across every work order in the run.
You can also view shortages on an individual work order under the Bill of Materials tab.
How shortage is calculated
For each raw material:
Shortage = Required − On Hand − Inc. Allocated
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Required | Total quantity needed for all work orders in the run |
| On Hand | Physical stock available at relevant locations |
| Committed | Quantity already committed to other active (not completed) work orders |
| Inc. Available | Incoming quantity on open POs that can still be allocated to this run |
| Inc. Allocated | Incoming PO quantity already reserved for this run's work orders |
| Shortage | Remaining gap after on-hand and allocated incoming |
Rows with a shortage greater than zero are highlighted in red.
See also: Why are materials highlighted in red? and Column definitions FAQ.
How stock checks differ by status
Luminous applies different rules depending on work order status:
| Work order status | What counts toward covering a shortage |
|---|---|
| Draft or Planned | Available (uncommitted) on-hand + this WO's committed qty + allocated incoming |
| In Progress | This WO's committed qty + allocated incoming only |
Once a work order is In Progress, inventory is committed — on-hand that is not committed to this work order no longer counts.
What to do when you see shortages
- Allocate from Incoming — Reserve quantity from existing open POs (blanket POs, prior orders).
- Generate Purchase Orders — Create new POs for materials still short after allocation.
- Bulk Receive — After POs arrive, receive stock to clear remaining shortages.
- Start the work order — Move to In Progress only when red shortage rows are gone.
Co-manufacturer workflow callout
Teams that maintain blanket POs for common raw materials should allocate from incoming first — this avoids duplicate POs and reflects stock already on order. Only use Generate Purchase Orders for gaps not covered by existing POs.
Related articles
- Allocate incoming purchase orders
- Generate purchase orders for remaining shortages
- Use Materials Planning for cross-run visibility
Still stuck?
Contact support with the material SKU and production run number if shortages look incorrect after receiving POs.