Works Orders
is only available on the following plans:
Momentum
Go
What are Works Orders?
Works Orders help you manage the complex stuff that happens behind the scenes - your actual manufacturing, assembly, and installation work. While regular Jobs track customer orders and delivery schedules, Works Orders handle the messy reality of production: multiple stages, nested components, different teams, and all the details your customers don't need to see.
Think about how your production actually works. You're building a custom office furniture installation. It starts at the factory with pre-assembly, then modifications happen in the workshop, then everything ships to site for final installation. Or you're manufacturing electronic products where components get sourced, sub-assemblies get built, everything goes through quality checks, and finally gets packaged. These workflows don't fit neatly into simple job tracking - they need their own space.
That's exactly what Works Orders give you. Create a Works Order from a customer job, then split it into stages that match your real production process. Track each stage separately with its own status, team member, and timeline. Your sales team keeps working in Jobs, managing customer communications and delivery dates. Your production team works in Works Orders, coordinating manufacturing without all the customer-facing clutter. Both teams see what they need without tripping over what they don't.
The beauty is how it handles complexity without feeling complicated. Need to track nested assemblies where components build into sub-assemblies that build into final products? Works Orders understand those relationships automatically. Want to know if production is taking longer than expected? Built-in time tracking shows you actual versus estimated time at every stage. Wondering if you have the materials to start the next job? Inventory integration checks stock and flags shortages before you even begin.
And here's the relief - you're finally done managing production in spreadsheets. No more hunting through Excel files to find which stage a job is at. No more emailing PDFs back and forth to coordinate between teams. No more manual tracking of what materials you ordered for which job. Everything lives in one system that actually makes sense for how production really works.
45%
Faster production coordination when separating production workflows from customer-facing sales systems
35%
Improvement in quoting accuracy when tracking actual production time versus estimates
50%
Reduction in production delays with real-time dashboard visibility across all manufacturing stages
Keep Production Separate from Sales
Problem:
You're trying to track complex manufacturing in a system built for sales. Every customer order creates a job that your sales team is constantly updating - delivery dates, customer notes, billing details. Meanwhile, your production manager is buried in there trying to figure out which components are built, which assemblies are ready, and what's actually happening on the shop floor. Production details mix with customer emails. Internal costs sit right next to customer-facing information. Worse, your sales rep accidentally changed a production deadline last week and nobody noticed until it was too late. You're spending more time managing the system than actually managing production, and critical manufacturing information keeps getting lost in all the customer noise.
Solution:
Works Orders give production its own clean space, completely separate from customer-facing Jobs. Sales manages customer orders in Jobs - tracking deliveries, sending invoices, handling all the customer stuff. Production manages manufacturing in Works Orders - coordinating stages, tracking time, handling all the building. Each system focuses on what it's meant to do. You control exactly who sees what: sales gets full access to Jobs but only read-only access (or no access) to Works Orders. Production gets complete control over manufacturing without wading through customer communications. Finally, your teams can work in systems that actually match how they work, and sensitive production data stays protected.
Track Every Production Stage
Problem:
Your production has five distinct stages - sourcing, fabrication, sub-assembly, quality testing, and final assembly. But your current system only lets you mark jobs as "In Progress" or "Complete." You have no idea that fabrication finished yesterday while quality testing hasn't even started. When customers ask about delivery, you're texting your production manager who walks the shop floor asking people where things actually stand. Your Excel tracking spreadsheet has grown to 47 columns and nobody updates it consistently. Some jobs slip through the cracks because nobody realizes the previous stage actually completed weeks ago. You're flying blind through a multi-stage process that desperately needs visibility.
Solution:
Works Orders let you split complex production into separate sub-orders for each real stage. Create one Works Order, then split it into sub-orders for fabrication, sub-assembly, quality control - whatever matches your actual process. Each sub-order tracks independently with its own status, assigned person, and completion criteria. See instantly which stages are done, which are in progress, and which haven't started. Your fabrication team marks their sub-order complete, and the assembly team automatically gets notified that work is ready for them. No more walking the floor or checking spreadsheets. Your system finally shows you what's actually happening at every stage, exactly when you need to know.
Manage Nested Assemblies Naturally
Problem:
You build products with components that go into assemblies, and those assemblies go into bigger assemblies, and somehow you're supposed to track all of this in a flat spreadsheet. Your motor assembly needs 12 parts. That motor assembly goes into the main housing which needs 8 other components. Everything eventually becomes the final product. But your Excel sheet just lists all 47 individual parts in a long column, and good luck figuring out which parts belong to which assembly. When a component spec changes, you manually search through every job to find where that component appears. Last month you ordered components for an assembly you'd already built because nobody could tell they were connected. The flat tracking makes complex products feel impossible to manage properly.
Solution:
Works Orders understand how your products actually fit together - components into sub-assemblies, sub-assemblies into assemblies, assemblies into finished products. Set up the relationships once in your items list, and Works Orders automatically track everything. When you add a high-level assembly to a Works Order, the system knows it needs all the sub-assemblies and all the components in those sub-assemblies. Create separate Works Orders for building each assembly level if that matches your process. Change a component and instantly see every assembly affected. The system tracks nested structures as naturally as you think about them - no more trying to manage hierarchies in flat lists.
Track Time to Quote Accurately
Problem:
You quote four hours for assembly because... well, that's what you quoted last time. But is it accurate? You honestly have no idea because nobody tracks actual production time. Maybe you're consistently underestimating and losing money on every job. Or maybe you're overestimating and losing bids to competitors. Your best fabricator finishes in three hours while your newest hire takes six, but you don't know who needs training because you're not measuring anything. When production runs late, you can't identify which stage caused the delay or what you should improve. You're quoting blindly and hoping, which is no way to protect your margins or grow confidently.
Solution:
Works Orders include simple time tracking that actually works. Your team clocks in and out as they work, and the system records time against each production stage. See exactly how long fabrication took versus your estimate. Compare actual time across jobs to quote new work based on real data, not guesses. Identify which team members work fastest and which might need extra training. Track how production time improves as processes mature. The data shows you not just how long things take but what that time actually costs when you assign hourly rates. Finally, you can quote accurately, spot bottlenecks early, and protect margins with confidence instead of crossing your fingers.
Control Who Sees What
Problem:
Your sales team needs to check production status when customers call asking about delivery. But you don't want them seeing internal costs, supplier pricing, or production timings. Last month, someone from sales accidentally changed a production deadline and caused real problems. Meanwhile, your production team can't answer simple customer questions about delivery addresses because they can't access job details. It's either everyone sees everything (dangerous) or everyone is blocked from information they actually need (frustrating). You've created this impossible situation where teams either have too much access or not enough, and neither option actually works.
Solution:
Works Orders give you control over exactly who sees what. Your sales team gets full access to customer-facing Jobs but only read-only access to production Works Orders. They can check production status and estimated completion without seeing costs or changing manufacturing details. Production gets complete control over Works Orders - creating, editing, splitting, tracking - while having read-only access to Jobs for customer context when needed. Set permissions by role: sales staff can create Works Orders from Jobs but can't edit production details. Shop floor workers edit their assigned Works Orders but can't access others. Everyone gets exactly the information needed for their job, nothing more, nothing less. Finally, security and productivity can coexist.
See What Materials You Need
Problem:
You start a production stage only to discover you're missing critical components. Stock tracking lives in one spreadsheet, purchase orders in another, and production plans in your head. You manually check inventory before starting jobs, but by the time you look, someone already allocated those parts to a different order. Purchase orders exist somewhere, but good luck connecting which PO brings the materials for which production job. Production stops waiting for parts, and you're frantically trying to figure out which delivery will let you restart which job. The disconnected systems create this constant friction between wanting to build things and actually having the materials to build them.
Solution:
Works Orders connect automatically with your inventory and purchase orders, so you always know what you have and what you need. When you create a Works Order, the system checks stock for every component and flags anything missing. Click one button to generate purchase orders for shortages, and those POs stay permanently linked to the Works Order that needs them. When materials arrive, you see instantly which production jobs can now start. Allocate stock to specific Works Orders, and it's reserved for that job. See which Works Orders have everything ready to build and which are waiting on deliveries. The tight connection eliminates manual tracking, reduces delays from stock-outs, and gives you confidence that materials and production actually align.
See Everything in One Dashboard
Problem:
You manage production by walking around asking people where things stand. There's no dashboard showing all active jobs, what stage they're at, who's working on what, or which jobs are falling behind. When customers ask about delivery, you text your production manager who literally walks the floor to find out. When management wants production metrics for that board meeting, you spend two days compiling data from multiple spreadsheets, sticky notes, and people's memories. You have no way to spot that assembly always takes twice as long as fabrication, or that certain product types consistently overrun estimates. Every decision about hiring, equipment, or process changes happens on gut feel because you simply can't see what's actually happening. You're growing, but you're terrified because you're basically guessing at everything.
Solution:
Works Orders give you one clean dashboard showing all production activity in real time. See every active Works Order, its current stage, who's working on it, time spent versus estimated, and any issues like missing materials. Filter to focus on urgent jobs, specific product types, or particular stages. Get instant status updates without walking the floor or interrupting your team. Generate reports showing production cycle times, stage-by-stage efficiency, common bottlenecks, and improvement trends. Identify which products consistently overrun and investigate why. Track how process improvements actually impact real metrics. Finally, you can make decisions about hiring, equipment, and processes based on data instead of guesses. Your production isn't a black box anymore - it's a measurable operation you can actually improve.
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How it Works
Configure Works Orders for Your Business
Start by turning on Works Orders and customizing statuses to match how you actually work. Instead of generic "In Progress" and "Complete," create statuses like "Materials Sourcing," "Fabrication," "Quality Check," and "Ready for Delivery" - whatever stages make sense for your production. Set permissions so sales staff can view Works Orders but only production manages them. Add your assemblies and components to the items list, defining how parts fit together if you build complex products. This initial setup takes maybe 30 minutes and ensures Works Orders match your real processes instead of forcing you into someone else's template.
1
Turn Customer Orders into Production Work
When a customer job is accepted, click one button to create a Works Order from it. The system copies the relevant items and details, setting up production work while keeping customer management separate. For complex projects, create one parent Works Order then split it into smaller sub-orders for each production stage - one for fabrication, another for assembly, and so on. Each sub-order tracks independently but stays connected to the customer job. Sales continues managing customer communications in the Job while production coordinates manufacturing in the Works Order. Everything stays linked, but each team works in their own clean space.
2
Make Sure You Have What You Need
Works Orders automatically check if you have the materials to build what you planned. It flags missing components immediately, so you're not discovering shortages after production starts. Allocate available stock to Works Orders, reserving it for that specific job. For anything missing, create purchase orders with one click - they automatically link to the Works Order, so you know exactly which jobs each delivery enables. Assign Works Orders to team members and set priorities. You can start production confident that materials, people, and information are actually ready instead of discovering problems mid-build.
3
Update Status and Track Time
Your team updates Works Order status as each stage completes - moving from "Fabrication" to "Quality Check" to "Assembly." For split Works Orders, complete each sub-order independently as stages finish. Time tracking is optional but helpful: team members clock in and out, building data on how long things actually take. Add notes, photos, or documents right to the Works Order, creating a complete record. When one stage finishes, the next team member gets automatically notified that work is ready. Managers see everything on one dashboard without interrupting production staff to ask where things stand.
4
Close Jobs and Improve Processes
Mark Works Orders complete when production finishes, which automatically updates the linked customer Job showing delivery is ready. Review time tracking to see how actual production compared to estimates - this data helps you quote future work accurately instead of guessing. Look at which stages consistently take longer than expected and investigate why. Track how production efficiency improves over time as processes mature. Use the historical data to train new team members, improve workflows, and make smarter decisions about equipment or hiring. Every completed Works Order becomes data that helps you build better, faster, and more profitably next time.
5
What's the difference between Works Orders and Jobs?
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Jobs handle everything customer-facing - quotes, delivery schedules, invoicing, customer communications. Works Orders manage internal production - the actual manufacturing, assembly, and installation work. Think of Jobs as front-office customer management and Works Orders as your production workshop. A typical workflow starts with a customer Job containing the order. When accepted, you create a Works Order (or multiple) to handle the building. They link together, so sales can check production status from the Job, and production can see customer context from the Works Order. But each team works primarily in their own space. Sales doesn't wade through production details they don't need. Production doesn't get distracted by customer communications. The separation keeps both workflows clean and focused, while the system maintains all the connections behind the scenes.
Can I create multiple Works Orders from one Job?
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Absolutely, and it's often the smartest approach when production involves different stages, locations, or teams. A furniture installation might need three Works Orders - factory assembly, custom modifications at the workshop, and on-site installation. Each Works Order tracks independently with its own status, assigned team, and timeline. You can also create Works Orders for individual items on a Job - useful when different products on the same customer order need completely different production processes. Everything stays connected: sales viewing the Job sees all related Works Orders and their status. Production viewing Works Orders can access the parent Job for customer context. This flexibility means you structure production to match reality instead of cramming complex workflows into overly simple tracking.
How do nested assemblies work?
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Set up assemblies once in your items list by defining what components go into what assemblies - like building blocks. A motor assembly contains bearings, housing, and shaft. A power unit contains that motor assembly plus electrical components. Once defined, Works Orders automatically understand the relationships. When you add a power unit to a Works Order, the system knows it needs the motor assembly, and that motor assembly needs its components. You can create separate Works Orders for building each assembly level, and they link automatically. Change a component and instantly see which assemblies use it. The system tracks inventory for nested assemblies - allocate a power unit and it reserves the motor assembly and all its components. You manage complex products naturally instead of tracking everything in confusing flat lists.
How does production time tracking work?
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Time tracking is optional but incredibly useful. Team members simply clock in when starting work on a Works Order and clock out when done. For split Works Orders, they clock time against specific stages - fabrication time tracked separately from assembly time. The system compares actual time against your estimates, showing you where predictions match reality and where they don't. This data helps you quote future jobs accurately instead of guessing. You'll spot which stages consistently overrun, identify training needs by comparing team members, and track efficiency improvements as processes mature. If you assign hourly rates to team members, time tracking automatically calculates labor costs. It's not about micromanaging - it's about having real data to improve processes, train effectively, and quote confidently.
How do I control who sees production information?
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Set permissions by user role in Settings under User Permissions. Sales staff might have full edit rights on Jobs but read-only or no access to Works Orders. Production gets full control over Works Orders while having read-only access to Jobs for customer context. Create roles matching your team structure: Sales Representative, Production Manager, Shop Floor Worker, Accounting. Each role gets specific permissions for creating and editing in each module. For example, Sales Reps can create Works Orders from Jobs and view status, but can't edit production details. Shop Floor Workers edit their assigned Works Orders but can't create new ones or modify Jobs. Production Managers control everything production-related. The granular control means everyone has exactly what they need for their job without seeing sensitive information or accidentally changing things they shouldn't touch.
How do Works Orders connect with inventory?
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Works Orders automatically check inventory when created, flagging missing components immediately instead of waiting until production starts. Click "Allocate Stock" to reserve available inventory for specific Works Orders, preventing those materials from being used elsewhere. For items out of stock, generate purchase orders with one click - they link permanently to the Works Order needing them. When purchase orders arrive and stock is received, Works Orders automatically show components are ready. You can navigate from a Works Order to see which purchase orders supply its materials, or view a purchase order to see which jobs depend on it. Stock flows through production: allocate to Works Orders, book out when starting, track through stages, mark complete when finished. The integration eliminates spreadsheet tracking between production planning and materials management.
When should I split a Works Order into sub-orders?
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Split Works Orders when production involves distinct stages happening at different times, locations, or by different teams. Manufacturing typically splits by stage - materials prep, fabrication, assembly, quality testing. Installation companies split by location or trade - workshop pre-assembly, transport, on-site installation. Each sub-order gets its own status, assigned person, and completion tracking. Splitting creates clear handoff points between stages and prevents everything hiding behind one generic "In Progress" status. You see exactly which stage is done versus still working. Don't split if production truly flows straight through with one team working continuously - unnecessary splitting just adds admin work. Split when you need visibility into which stages are complete, when different teams or locations are involved, or when stage-level time tracking matters for improving processes and quoting accurately.
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