📘 Related article: This guide is a companion to Manufacturing Orders: Key Features. Start there for a full tour of how to create and manage a manufacturing order.
When you create a manufacturing order (MO), you choose a Job type and a Packing type. The job type sets how you plan the job: by the output you want, the input you have, or a vendor doing the work. The packing type sets how you pack and label finished goods when you record output on the last work order (WO).
Picking the right pair up front keeps your inventory counts and labels accurate from the first unit off the line.
Job types
The job type tells Sutton what you start with and what you are aiming for. Choose it in the Job type field when you create a new MO.
Job type | You start with | Use it when | Example |
Production | A target finished quantity | You know how many finished goods you want to make. | “Make 1,000 smartphone cases.” You melt 500 kg of plastic pellets into that number of cases. |
Conversion | A known quantity of input | You want to turn all of an input into finished goods, and the output count isn’t set in advance. | “Convert 500 kg of raw material into finished product.” You make as many cases as your 500 kg of pellets allows. |
Queue conversion | Material in one state | You are changing material from one state to another, and the focus is the transformation, not an output target. | You turn 500 kg of plastic sheets into 500 kg of plastic pallets. |
Outsourced | Materials you send to a vendor | An external vendor does the work and sends finished goods back. | You ship components to a co-packer and receive finished goods. |
Production vs. conversion
Both job types can use the same materials. The difference is where you start. With Production, you set the finished quantity, and Sutton plans the materials. With Conversion, you start from the input you have and record how much output it produces.
Queue conversion
Queue conversion jobs can only produce items stocked in your organization’s default unit of measure (UoM), for example, kilograms. Because the output is a change of state rather than new finished units, packing is always set to No packing and can’t be changed.
Outsourced
An Outsourced job tracks work done by a vendor inside your MO, with the vendor cost included in the job’s total. To set one up, see External Manufacturing Orders: Fully Outsourced Production. To outsource only one step of an in-house job, see External Manufacturing Orders: Outsourcing Production Steps.
Packing types
The packing type tells Sutton how finished goods leave the line. Choose it in the Packing type field when you create a new MO.
Packing type | What happens to finished goods | Labels |
Standard | Finished goods are packed into a container, such as a box. | Each output you record goes into the same container and the same label. |
No packing | Finished goods come off the line and go onto the shelf to ship as is. | Each output you record gets its own label. |
Nested | Items go into a container, and that container is then palletized or placed inside another container. | Each output you record gets its own label, grouped under the container. |
Which packing types each job type supports
Production, Conversion, and Outsourced jobs support all three packing types. Queue conversion jobs always use No packing, and you can’t change the field.
Packing on the last work order
Your packing type comes into play on the last WO of the MO. That’s where you set up containers and record finished goods on the WO’s Details tab.
Sutton has three container types: Item, Box, and Pallet.
Set up the first container (Standard and Nested)
With Standard or Nested packing, you create a container before you record any output.
Open the MO and go to the last WO. The Production tab opens by default and shows the Set up first container panel.
Select a Container type.
Select the Location and Bin where the container will be stored.
Click Create container.
The container appears in the Containers table, with its label number and status. To add another container later, click Create container above the table.
No packing
With No packing, you don’t need to set up a container. The Production tab stays empty until you record output. Instead, fill in the Inventory details in the side panel.
Recording output for each packing type
To record finished goods, enter the amount in the Quantity box at the bottom of the side panel, then click the button for your packing type.
Packing type | Button | What Sutton records |
Standard | Add to container | The quantity is added to the same container and label. Each entry is logged with its timestamp, who added it, and the quantity. |
Nested | Add & print | A new label is created for each entry and listed under the container, with its inventory number, quantity, date, creator, and status. |
No packing | Add & print label | A new label is created for each entry. |
Your MOs are set up to match how you produce
You now know which job type fits each kind of production run and how each packing type shapes the last work order. Matching both to how your floor really works keeps your inventory, labels, and costs accurate from the first unit to the last.
If you have additional questions, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager or contact us at [email protected].