--- title: "Production Run Software for CNC and Fabrication Shops | OpenSpindle" description: "Track every job through configurable production stages on a live shop floor board. OpenSpindle Production Runs gives CNC shops real-time visibility into what is running, where it is, and what is next." canonical: https://openspindle.com/features/production-runs --- # Live Batch Tracking for Machine Shops and Production Runs Track work orders through every operation, see live WIP counts on any screen in the shop, and catch delays before they stall your downstream stations. ## Why production shops lose control of WIP Shops running batches of repeatable parts face a different set of visibility problems than one-off fabricators. When part counts live in people's heads and WIP piles up between operations, the floor runs on assumption instead of data. ### Part counts tracked manually or not at all Part counts move through operations without a live tally. Supervisors walk the floor to find out how many brackets cleared deburr or how many shafts are waiting for the lathe. Status lives in operators' heads, not on a screen. ### Delays surface too late to recover When a machine goes down or an operator is pulled to another cell, downstream operations stall without knowing why. By the time a delay surfaces, it has already backed up the whole run. ### No unified view of floor status Without a single view of every work order and its current operation, supervisors jump between paper travelers, whiteboards, and ERP screens to piece together where a job stands. It takes longer to find out than to fix it. "We were running 200 parts through four operations and I had no idea how many had cleared each station. I was calling out to the floor every two hours just to get a count." -- Owner, 12-person precision machining shop ## Production Runs in 30 seconds From open work order to shipped parts, every operation stays visible. 1. **Build a run from open work orders** -- Pull in open work orders or job releases, set part quantities per operation, and organize them into a named production run with a target ship date. 2. **Stage parts through your operations** -- Move work orders through configurable operation stages: Saw, Turn, Mill, Deburr, Inspect, Pack. Each stage shows part counts, who is on it, and what remains. 3. **Operators update directly from the station tablet** -- Each station runs a tablet view where operators mark operations complete, log time, and flag issues with a single tap. Manager-provisioned logins keep it simple -- no emails or back-office screens. 4. **TV display and manager view update in real time** -- Every tablet action pushes instantly to the shop floor TV and the manager dashboard. Supervisors see live WIP counts, active timers, and any flagged issues the moment they happen. ## Station tablet view Updates happen at the station, not the office. Each station gets a tablet view built for one-tap floor use. Operators mark operations complete, log time, and flag issues without ever leaving their station or touching a back-office screen. - **Mark operations complete** -- One tap advances a work order to the next operation. The TV display and manager dashboard update instantly. - **Log time at the station** -- Operators start and stop a timer per operation without manual entry. Time rolls up to job-level cost tracking automatically. - **Flag issues to a manager** -- When something goes wrong, operators flag it in two taps. Managers see the alert with the job, operation, and timestamp immediately. ## What this gets you - **Supervisors see every operation at once** -- No more walking the floor or calling out for part counts. The run board shows every work order, its current operation, and live completion counts in one view. - **Bottlenecks and pile-ups are visible in real time** -- When parts are piling up between operations or a station has gone quiet, the display shows it immediately. Supervisors act on data, not instinct. - **Holds and delays are caught before they ripple** -- Paused work orders and flagged holds are visible the moment they happen, giving supervisors time to redirect work before downstream cells go idle. ## Everything included - **Run builder** -- Group open work orders into a named production run, set quantities per operation, and assign a target ship date. - **Stage management** -- Move work orders through configurable operation stages and assign floor leads per stage. Stages are customizable to match your process flow. - **Station tablet view** -- A simplified tablet interface for each station: mark operations complete, start timers, and flag issues with a single tap. - **Live production display** -- Full-screen TV view showing real-time run status and part counts, updated by tablet actions the moment operators tap. - **Pause and hold tracking** -- Log holds, machine downtime, or material shortages against specific work orders in a run so delays are documented and visible to supervisors. - **Run history** -- See completed runs, output per run, and actual versus planned cycle time by operation to improve future scheduling and capacity planning. ## Works with - [Project Management](https://openspindle.com/features/projects.md) - [Equipment Management](https://openspindle.com/features/equipment.md) -- Assign runs to specific machines and see machine availability before building the schedule. - [Team Management](https://openspindle.com/features/team.md) -- Assign operation stages to specific people or crews and track workload across the run. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is a production run in OpenSpindle? A production run in OpenSpindle is a named batch of work orders organized to move through your shop's operation stages together. You pull in open jobs or releases, set part quantities per operation, define your stages such as CAD/CAM, Cutting, Sanding, Edgebanding, and Finishing, and track real-time completion counts as parts move through each step. ### Do operators need to log in to use the station tablet view? Yes, but logins are set up entirely by a manager in seconds. No email addresses are required for operator accounts. A manager creates each operator in the back office and the operator signs in at the station tablet. There is nothing to invite, verify, or self-register, so operators who are not comfortable with software can start using it the same day. ### Can I display production runs on a TV or large monitor in the shop? Yes. OpenSpindle includes a full-screen production display designed for a shop floor monitor or TV. It updates in real time from tablet actions, so floor leads and supervisors always see current part counts and operation status without checking a computer or asking around. Any screen with a browser works. ### Can multiple work orders run at different operations simultaneously inside one production run? Yes. A production run can contain multiple work orders at different operation stages at the same time. Some parts might be in Cutting while others are in Edgebanding or Finishing, and the display shows the status and live part counts for each independently so supervisors see the full picture without walking the floor. ### How is OpenSpindle production run tracking different from a basic ERP job tracking module? Most ERP job tracking modules were designed to log transactions after the fact, not to give a floor supervisor live visibility across an active batch. OpenSpindle Production Runs is built around a real-time floor display and on-floor tablet updates, so supervisors see what is actually happening now, not what someone entered at the end of the shift. ### How do I handle a hold or machine downtime inside a production run? You can pause a specific work order within a live run and log the reason, whether that is a material shortage, machine breakdown, or quality hold. The pause is visible immediately on the production display so supervisors and downstream stations know why that work order has stopped moving before parts start piling up unnoticed between operations. ### What operation stages can I configure in a production run? Stages are fully configurable to match your process flow. Common examples for a fabrication shop include CAD/CAM, Cutting, Sanding, Edgebanding, Finishing, and Pack, but you can name and sequence them to fit your shop. Each stage shows the assigned floor lead, current part counts, and completion status so the run board reflects how your floor actually works. ### Can I prioritize a rush order inside a live production run? Yes. You can flag a work order as priority inside an active run and move it to the front of the operation queue without rebuilding the whole schedule. The change appears on the production display immediately so the relevant station sees the updated priority and can act on it without waiting for a supervisor to walk over and explain. ### How does production run tracking connect to the rest of OpenSpindle? Production runs draw from active projects in the project management module and push completion status back automatically. Machine assignments pull from the equipment module, and operator stage assignments draw from team management. When a run completes, those outcomes feed into reporting so you can compare planned versus actual cycle time by operation. ### What types of shops should use production runs versus the project management module? Shops running batches of repeatable parts, such as machined components, hardware, or panels, benefit most from production runs because they need to track part counts moving through operations. Project management is better suited to one-off custom jobs with unique stages and variable tasks. Many shops use both: projects for custom millwork and production runs for repeatable batch work that runs alongside it. Ready to see every part, every operation, in real time? [Book a demo](https://openspindle.com/contact.md) ## Platform - [All Features Overview](https://openspindle.com/features.md)