Work Order

1. TERM HEADER Work Order Domain Tags: [Manufacturing] [Execution] [Planning] 2. CONCISE DEFINITION A work order is an authorization to produce a specific quantity of a product, listing the item, quantity, materials, operations, and due date the shop floor must execute. 3. EXPANDED DEFINITION The work order is the unit of execution in manufacturing. It draws on the bill of materials and routing to tell the floor exactly what to make, with what, in what sequence, and by when. Its status — released, in process, complete — is the heartbeat of shop floor control. 4. WHY IT MATTERS Work orders connect planning to production. When their status is stale or manual, managers cannot see what is actually happening; when it is live, the whole plant becomes visible and controllable. 5. HOW MONITORZ MANAGES WORK ORDERS MonitorZ keeps work orders live. [Work Order Management](/work-order-management-software) releases and tracks every job, [Production Scheduling](/production-scheduling-software) sequences them against capacity, and [Real-time production tracking](/shop-floor-data-collection) updates status as work moves. Deployments have raised production up to **133% within 120 days** across **500+ implementations**. See the [Solutions overview](/solutions). 6. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) Q: What is a work order in manufacturing? A: A work order authorizes production of a specific quantity of an item, specifying the materials, operations, and due date the floor must execute. Q: How does MonitorZ handle work orders? A: MonitorZ releases, schedules, and tracks work orders in real time, so their status reflects what is actually happening on the floor. 11. RELATED TERMS AND CONCEPTS BOM, Routing, Work Center, Shop Floor Control, Production Scheduling.