When and why to change work order and production run status through Draft, Planned, In Progress, and Completed in Luminous.
Collection: Work Orders: Getting Started
Priority: P0
Who this is for
Production planners and ops leads managing the lifecycle of work orders and production runs.
Before you begin
- At least one work order or production run exists
- Familiarity with the end-to-end overview
Status definitions
| Status | Meaning | Inventory impact |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | Editable planning stage; not yet approved for ops | None — no commitment |
| Planned | Approved for execution; BOM exploded into steps | None — planning signal only |
| In Progress | Production active; raw materials committed | Commits component inventory |
| Completed | All production and shipping finished | No further production actions |
| On Hold | Temporarily paused (separate from status) | Depends on prior state |
| Cancelled | Terminated | Reverses per cancel rules |
Production runs use the same status values and can be updated via the status dropdown or Sync Status (derives status from child work orders).
When to move to each status
Draft → Planned
Move to Planned when:
- Material purchasing is finalized (POs placed or incoming allocated)
- The run is approved by ops — no further BOM edits expected
- You are ready for receiving and production scheduling
How: On work order detail, click Plan. On a production run, change the status dropdown to Planned or use bulk Change Status on selected work orders.
Moving to Planned triggers BOM explosion — production steps and requirements are created.
Planned → In Progress
Move to In Progress when:
- Raw materials have been received (shortages cleared)
- You are ready to commit inventory and begin production
How: Click Start on the work order detail page, or set status to In Progress from the production run.
Do not start while material rows still show red shortages — receive POs first (Bulk Receive).
See also: When should I move to Planned vs In Progress?
In Progress → Completed
Move to Completed when:
- All planned quantity has been produced (or you accept partial completion)
- Finished goods have been shipped or transferred as needed
- No further batches remain for this work order
How: Click Complete on the work order, or set the production run status to Completed when all child work orders are done.
Production run status sync
On a production run detail page, click Sync Status to update the run status based on its work orders (e.g., if all WOs are In Progress, the run becomes In Progress).
Recommended sequence (co-man workflow)
- Draft — Create run, review shortages, allocate incoming, generate POs
- Planned — After POs are placed
- Receive materials via Bulk Receive
- In Progress — Commit inventory
- Quick Complete batches + finish assembly orders
- Ship via Shipment Planning
- Completed — Close out the run
What happens next
Each transition has system effects:
- Plan — Creates production steps from BOM
- Start — Commits raw material inventory
- Complete — Closes the work order for production
Co-manufacturer workflow callout
Treat Planned as the handoff from purchasing to production: "POs are done, waiting on receipt." Treat In Progress as "materials are here, manufacturing can begin." This keeps your team aligned without mixing purchasing and production stages.
Related articles
- Receive raw materials (Bulk Receive)
- Record a production batch with Quick Complete
- Why can't I start a work order — shortages still showing?
Still stuck?
Contact support if Plan or Start fails with a validation error — include the work order number and any error message.