Overview
Work Orders are a supply method in Luminous for finished goods that are produced by an outside contract manufacturer (co-man), as opposed to being assembled in-house. A Work Order consumes a Bill of Materials (BOM) — only SKUs that have a BOM configured are selectable — and produces finished goods once marked complete.
How It Works (Step-by-Step)
1. Navigate to Inventory > Work Orders.
2. Click Create Work Order.
3. (Optional) Select a Co-Manufacturer (Vendor) to route this order to.
4. Under Select SKU, search for the finished-goods SKU you want to produce. Only SKUs with a BOM configured will appear.
5. Enter the Planned Quantity and select its Unit.
6. Under Logistics, select a Production Location (required) and a Destination Warehouse (required) for the finished goods once production is complete.
7. (Optional) Enter a Service Fee (per unit) — used in PDF export total cost calculations.
8. (Optional) Set an Expected Completion Date.
9. Choose a Completion Trigger: Finish Step (the work order completes when all steps are finished) or Receipt (the work order completes when goods are received at the destination).
10. (Optional) Add Notes or Alternate IDs (e.g., a customer PO number or legacy system ID).
11. Save. The Work Order starts in Draft status and moves through Draft → In Progress → Completed.
Key Features / Options
Co-Manufacturer (Vendor): Optional field routing the Work Order to a specific outside contract manufacturer.
BOM-filtered SKU search: The SKU picker only shows SKUs that already have a BOM there's no separate "choose a BOM" step.
Production Location / Destination Warehouse: Both required. Production Location is where the work happens; Destination Warehouse is where finished goods land once complete.
Completion Trigger - Finish Step vs. Receipt: Controls what marks the Work Order Completed.
Status flow: Draft → In Progress → Completed (not a separate flow with "Issued/Pending" states).
Tips & Best Practices
- Don't confuse Work Orders with Assembly Orders — Assembly Orders are for in-house production; Work Orders are for outside co-man production.
- If a SKU doesn't appear in the Select SKU search, confirm it has a BOM configured first.
- Use the Completion Trigger that matches how you actually confirm production is done — Receipt if you want the order to stay open until goods physically arrive at the destination warehouse.
FAQs & Troubleshooting
Q: Can I use the same BOM for both an Assembly Order and a Work Order?
A: Yes — the BOM is shared; only how the order is produced (in-house vs. co-man) differs.
Q: I don't see a SKU I expect in the Select SKU field.
A: Only SKUs with a BOM configured are selectable for Work Orders — add or confirm the BOM first.
Q: Is the Co-Manufacturer field required?
A: No, it's optional at creation.