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Manufacturing Industry Categories And Examples
Industry categories configure the generic Manufacturing service for the tenant's actual production line. They are not separate runtime services. Users still work in Production, Inventory, Inspections, Documents, Billing, Payments, Reporting, and Accounting.
Use this page as an in-app reference when setting up a manufacturing tenant, explaining forms to users, or validating whether a category-specific seed pack should exist.
Core Rule
The runtime stays generic:
| Layer | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing Service | Enables the tenant's shared manufacturing capability. |
| Production Workspaces | Capture setup, planning, execution, quality, dispatch, costing, and reports. |
| Production Profile | Grants shared permissions for product designs, BOMs, routings, production orders, shop-floor work, and costing. |
| Industry Category Pack | Adds templates, terms, examples, labels, inspection plans, report presets, and default setup data for an industry. |
The practical rule is: Manufacturing is the service, Production is the runtime, and industry categories configure the runtime for the tenant's type of manufacturing.
Do not create a separate Garments, Food, Plastics, Roofing, or Automotive runtime unless that industry has a genuinely unique process that cannot be represented by shared Production records.
What Category Packs Should Add
| Category Pack Adds | Category Pack Should Not Add |
|---|---|
| Default product-design categories, item templates, document types, inspection plans, labels, presets. | A separate service, permission profile, or duplicate production order model. |
| Industry terms such as style, recipe, formulation, profile, model, assembly, grade, gauge, or finish. | Separate procurement, sales order, quotation, dispatch, billing, or costing flows. |
| Seeded examples that help users understand setup and operations. | Hardcoded frontend form options that only work for one industry. |
| Category-specific report presets or dashboards. | New reports when shared Production reports can answer the same question. |
Category Examples
| Category | Product Design Term | BOM Meaning | Routing Examples | Special Setup Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apparel/Garments | Style, size/color variant | Fabric, trims, thread, label, package | Cutting, sewing, branding, QC, packing | Size/color matrix, measurement specs, bundle labels. |
| Food Processing | Recipe, SKU, pack size | Ingredients, packaging, additives | Mix, cook, cool, pack, label, inspect | Shelf-life, batch expiry, allergen checks, yield variance. |
| Plastics/Rubber | Product design, mold profile | Resin, colorant, additive, packaging | Mix, mold/extrude, trim, inspect, pack | Mold/tool references, regrind, machine setup parameters. |
| Fabricated Metal | Design, drawing, grade | Steel, fasteners, paint, consumables | Cut, bend, weld, grind, paint, inspect | Material grade, drawing revision, dimensional inspection. |
| Roofing | Profile, gauge, coating, length | Coil, coating, packaging | Slit, roll-form, cut, stack, inspect, pack | Gauge/profile defaults, length tolerance, coil traceability. |
| Furniture/Wood Products | Design, finish, size | Timber, board, hardware, finish | Cut, join, sand, finish, assemble, inspect | Cut lists, finish templates, joinery quality checks. |
| Automotive/Assembly | Model, trim, assembly | Components, kits, subassemblies | Stage, assemble, test, inspect, serialize | Serial traceability, staged gates, component genealogy. |
Form Reference
Use these form explanations when training users. Industry categories may rename labels, but the underlying meaning should remain the same.
| Form Or Workspace | What The User Captures | Good Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Product Design Category | The grouping for production-ready designs. | School Uniforms, Bakery Products, Water Tanks, Roofing Sheets, Metal Gates, Furniture. |
| Product Design | The sellable or makeable design, style, recipe, model, profile, or assembly. | Green Valley Shirt, 500g Bread Loaf, 1,000L Tank, 28 Gauge IBR Sheet, Sliding Gate. |
| Product Design Variants | Controlled differences that change material, routing, pricing, label, or output. | Size, color, fabric, flavor, pack size, gauge, length, finish, model trim. |
| Stock Item Category | Inventory accounting and stock grouping for raw materials, WIP, finished goods, consumables, and packaging. | Fabric, Ingredients, Resin, Steel, Finished Uniforms, Finished Bread, Finished Roofing. |
| Stock Item | The actual material, component, WIP item, finished good, packaging item, or consumable tracked in Inventory. | White Fabric, Wheat Flour, HDPE Resin, Steel Coil, Buttons, Bread Wrapper, Paint. |
| BOM | The materials, components, packaging, scrap allowance, yield assumptions, and quantity basis needed to produce one output. | Fabric meters per shirt size, flour per loaf batch, resin per tank, coil meters per sheet. |
| Routing | The operation sequence, input/output stock status, resource requirements, time assumptions, and quality gates. | Cutting -> Sewing -> QC, Mixing -> Baking -> Cooling, Extrusion -> Cutting -> Packing. |
| Resource Type | The class of constrained resource used in routing or execution. | Work Center, Production Line, Machine, Tool, Mold, Labor Pool, Oven, Welding Bay. |
| Resource | The actual resource used by production work. | Sewing Line 1, Bakery Oven 2, Injection Molder A, Roll Former 1, Welding Bay East. |
| Quality Standard | The inspection definitions used during operation or finished-goods checks. | Measurement tolerance, allergen check, leak test, coating thickness, weld quality. |
| Quotation | The commercial offer before confirmed demand. | Quoted quantity, product design, variant, unit price, delivery date, terms. |
| Sales Order | Confirmed customer demand that can drive MRP and production planning. | Customer, product, quantity, variant, due date, delivery location, linked quotation. |
| Production Planning / MRP Run | The planning scope used to calculate shortages and suggestions. | Business unit, horizon, warehouse, item scope, include sales orders, include reorder points. |
| Procurement | Missing material or component purchases created after planning review. | Supplier, material, quantity, expected date, price, receiving location. |
| Material Receipt | Accepted inbound materials received into stock. | Received fabric rolls, flour bags, resin sacks, steel coils, packaging cartons. |
| Production Order | The planned or released factory work to make finished output. | Product design, quantity, due date, BOM, routing, location, production line, priority. |
| Shop Floor | Operation-level execution, scans, material issue, partial completion, scrap, rework, and handoff. | Start cutting, complete batch, move to QC, record scrap, rework failed pieces. |
| Quality Control | Inspection evidence and disposition for WIP or finished output. | Pass, fail, hold, rework, reject, sample size, defect category, measurements. |
| Dispatch | Approved finished goods released to the customer or next location. | Packed quantity, delivery note, shipment date, customer, carrier, destination. |
| Billing | Customer invoice and payment follow-up after commercial or delivery readiness. | Invoice confirmed uniforms, bread supply order, roofing dispatch, metal gate delivery. |
| Production Costing | Material, labor, machine, overhead, scrap, rework, WIP, finished goods, and variance review. | Standard vs actual material, labor absorption, scrap cost, rework cost, production variance. |
School Uniform Manufacturing Example
This example uses the Apparel/Garments category pack, but the work remains in shared Production.
Scenario
| Order Detail | Example |
|---|---|
| Customer | Green Valley Primary School |
| Products | Short-sleeve shirt, tunic, skirt, trouser, sweater |
| Variants | Size 24 to 40, navy blue, white, school-logo embroidery |
| Delivery | 600 pieces before term opening |
| Controls | Fabric issue, cutting, sewing, branding, QC, packing |
Setup Forms
| Form | Example Setup |
|---|---|
| Product Design Category | School Uniforms, Shirts, Skirts, Trousers, Sweaters |
| Product Design | Green Valley Shirt, Green Valley Tunic, Green Valley Trouser |
| Variants | Size, color, gender, sleeve type, logo placement |
| Stock Items | White fabric, navy fabric, thread, buttons, zippers, elastic, labels, packaging, finished shirt, finished tunic |
| BOM | Fabric meters, buttons, thread, label, packaging, normal waste allowance |
| Routing | Cutting, sewing, branding, quality control, packing |
| Quality Standards | Measurement tolerance, stitching defects, logo position, stain checks, packing accuracy |
| Labels | SKU label, bundle label, carton label, delivery label |
Example BOM
| Component | Quantity Basis | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| White fabric | Meter per shirt size | Size-based consumption can vary by variant. |
| Thread | Standard quantity per garment | Can be rounded by batch. |
| Buttons | Count per shirt | Include spare or wastage allowance. |
| School label | One per garment | Printed or woven label. |
| Packaging sleeve | One per finished garment | Used at packing or dispatch. |
Example Routing
| Step | Operation | Input Status | Output Status | Production Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cutting | Raw Material | Cut WIP | Issue fabric to WIP and cut panels by size/color. |
| 2 | Sewing | Cut WIP | Sewn WIP | Assemble panels, collars, cuffs, zippers, or buttons. |
| 3 | Branding | Sewn WIP | Branded WIP | Apply embroidery, print, heat press, or school badge. |
| 4 | Quality Control | Branded WIP | QC Accepted | Inspect measurements, stitching, stains, and branding placement. |
| 5 | Packing | QC Accepted | Finished Good | Pack approved garments into bags, bundles, cartons, or dispatch. |
Operating Flow
- Create a quotation from Production -> Operations -> Quotations.
- Confirm the demand in Production -> Operations -> Sales Orders.
- Run MRP in Production -> Operations -> Production Planning.
- Review shortages for fabric, trims, labels, thread, and packaging.
- Create procurement actions for missing materials.
- Receive materials through Production -> Operations -> Material Receipts or Inventory receiving.
- Create and release production orders for confirmed uniform demand.
- Reserve machines, work centers, or labor pools where capacity planning is enabled.
- Track cutting, sewing, branding, QC, and packing from Shop Floor or Production Orders.
- Record scrap, rework, rejected pieces, and approved output.
- Dispatch approved uniforms to the school.
- Invoice and collect through Billing and Payments where configured.
- Review material usage, labor, overhead, scrap, rework, and variance in Production Costing.
Food Processing Example
Use this pattern for bakeries, dairy processors, grain mills, beverage bottlers, and packaged food manufacturers.
| Area | Bread Loaf Example |
|---|---|
| Product Design | 500g White Bread Loaf |
| Variants | 500g, 700g, sliced, unsliced, branded wrapper |
| BOM | Flour, yeast, sugar, salt, oil, water, wrapper, label |
| Routing | Mixing -> Proofing -> Baking -> Cooling -> Slicing -> Packing -> QC |
| Quality Controls | Weight check, bake color, foreign matter check, expiry label, allergen validation |
| Planning | Demand by delivery route, branch, school contract, supermarket order |
| Costing | Ingredient yield, batch loss, energy, labor, packaging, expiry write-off |
Food category packs should add recipe terminology, expiry/shelf-life prompts, batch labels, allergen checks, and food-safety inspection templates. The production order, MRP, receipt, QC, dispatch, and costing flow stays generic.
Plastics Or Rubber Example
Use this pattern for tanks, buckets, packaging containers, rubber products, and molded parts.
| Area | Water Tank Example |
|---|---|
| Product Design | 1,000L Vertical Water Tank |
| Variants | Color, capacity, wall thickness, outlet type |
| BOM | HDPE resin, colorant, additive, outlet fitting, cap, label |
| Routing | Material prep -> Molding -> Cooling -> Trimming -> Leak Test -> Packing |
| Resource Setup | Mold, rotational molder, cooling area, trimming station, leak-test bay |
| Quality Controls | Wall thickness, leak test, color match, weight check, fitting inspection |
| Costing | Resin consumption, cycle time, energy, regrind/scrap, mold usage cost |
Plastics category packs should add formulation and mold/tool references, but routing operations and WIP statuses should still be configurable through generic Production setup.
Fabricated Metal Example
Use this pattern for gates, doors, frames, tanks, steel structures, brackets, and fabricated components.
| Area | Sliding Gate Example |
|---|---|
| Product Design | 4m Steel Sliding Gate |
| Variants | Height, width, material grade, finish, motor-ready option |
| BOM | Square tube, sheet metal, hinges, rollers, welding rods, primer, paint |
| Routing | Cut -> Bend -> Weld -> Grind -> Paint -> Final Inspection |
| Resource Setup | Cutting machine, welding bay, paint booth, fabrication team |
| Quality Controls | Dimension check, weld quality, coating finish, movement test |
| Costing | Steel usage, consumables, labor, machine time, paint, rework |
Metal category packs should add material-grade prompts, drawing revision fields, and dimensional inspection templates. They should not introduce separate sales order, procurement, production order, or dispatch logic.
Roofing Example
Use this pattern for roll-forming, roofing sheets, gutters, flashings, and sheet-metal profiles.
| Area | Roofing Sheet Example |
|---|---|
| Product Design | IBR Roofing Sheet |
| Variants | Gauge, color, coating, length, profile |
| BOM | Steel coil, coating/paint where applicable, packaging, labels |
| Routing | Coil issue -> Roll forming -> Cutting -> Stacking -> QC -> Packing |
| Resource Setup | Roll-forming line, slitter, cutting station, packing area |
| Quality Controls | Gauge, length tolerance, profile accuracy, coating defect checks |
| Costing | Coil consumption, yield loss, machine time, scrap, packaging |
Roofing category packs should add gauge/profile defaults, coil traceability, and length tolerance templates.
Furniture Or Wood Products Example
Use this pattern for furniture, cabinetry, timber products, and joinery workshops.
| Area | Office Desk Example |
|---|---|
| Product Design | Two-Drawer Office Desk |
| Variants | Size, board thickness, finish, handle type |
| BOM | Board, edge banding, drawer runners, screws, glue, varnish, carton |
| Routing | Cutting -> Edge Banding -> Drilling -> Assembly -> Finishing -> QC |
| Resource Setup | Panel saw, edge bander, drill press, assembly bench, spray booth |
| Quality Controls | Dimension check, finish quality, drawer movement, packaging check |
| Costing | Board yield, hardware, labor, finishing materials, rework |
Furniture category packs should add cut-list templates, finish options, joinery QC, and packaging presets.
Automotive Or Assembly Example
Use this pattern for component assembly, equipment assembly, vehicle accessories, and multi-stage assemblies.
| Area | Motorcycle Carrier Assembly Example |
|---|---|
| Product Design | Rear Motorcycle Carrier |
| Variants | Model compatibility, finish, mounting kit |
| BOM | Tubes, brackets, bolts, mounting kit, paint, label |
| Routing | Subassembly -> Welding -> Surface Prep -> Painting -> Final Assembly |
| Resource Setup | Welding bay, paint booth, assembly station, test fixture |
| Quality Controls | Fitment, weld quality, coating, torque check, serial label |
| Traceability | Component lots, finished serial number, inspection gate history |
Assembly category packs should add serial/lot genealogy, stage gates, model/trim terminology, and traceability presets where needed.
Reports And Dashboard Presets
Use shared Production reports and dashboards across all categories:
| Report Or Dashboard Area | What To Check |
|---|---|
| Production Planning | MRP run summary, material shortages, supply suggestions, and exceptions. |
| Dispatch Schedule | Which orders or operation lines are ready for release, QC, packing, or dispatch. |
| WIP And Output | Units by operation, status, work center, resource, order, or business unit. |
| Production Cost Variance | Expected vs actual material, labor, overhead, scrap, and rework cost. |
| Quality Reports | Defects, failed inspections, holds, rework reasons, and approval history. |
| General Dashboard Production | Production orders, WIP aging, MRP exceptions, QC/rework, dispatch readiness. |
Suggested presets:
| Category | Useful Presets |
|---|---|
| Apparel | School Uniform Orders, Cutting Queue, Sewing WIP, Branding Pending, QC Holds. |
| Food Processing | Today's Batches, Expiry Risk, Ingredient Shortages, Packaging Shortages. |
| Plastics/Rubber | Mold Schedule, Resin Shortages, Leak-Test Failures, Scrap/Regrind Review. |
| Fabricated Metal | Welding Queue, Paint Booth Queue, Dimensional Failures, Steel Shortages. |
| Roofing | Coil Balance, Roll-Forming Queue, Length Tolerance Failures, Dispatch Ready. |
| Furniture | Cut List Queue, Finishing Queue, Hardware Shortages, Assembly Rework. |
| Assembly | Stage Gate Holds, Serial Traceability, Component Shortages, Final Test Holds. |
User Guidance
- Use Product Design for what users may call a style, model, formulation, recipe, profile, assembly, or design.
- Use Product Design Variants for dimensions that change BOM, routing, price, label, or stock identity.
- Use BOM for what must be consumed.
- Use Routing for the real operation sequence and WIP handoff.
- Use Resources for constrained work centers, machines, tools, molds, lines, ovens, booths, and labor pools.
- Use Production Orders for planned and released manufacturing work.
- Use Shop Floor for execution, partial completions, scrap, rework, and scans.
- Use Inspection Records for quality evidence.
- Use Inventory for raw materials, WIP movements, finished goods, and stock balances.
- Use Billing for invoices and payments. Production should not create a separate receivables ledger.
- Use category terminology to make screens familiar, but keep the underlying records in the shared Production runtime.