Production Tracking & WIP

Q: What happens if shop floor data is incomplete or missing?

The data validator flags incomplete or anomalous entries and alerts the supervisor to correct them before they reach the ERP. This prevents bad data from corrupting your inventory records.

Q: Do we still need a person to review the alerts?

Yes, the operations manager reviews alerts and makes decisions about production adjustments. The automation removes the manual data entry and analysis work, not human judgment.

Q: Can customers see real-time order status?

The automation can send order status reports to customers automatically as soon as a shift ends. You control the frequency and format of these reports.

Q: What if we have multiple production lines or shifts?

The automation scales across all your production lines and shifts. Data from each line is captured, validated, and synced to your ERP in parallel, so you get a complete picture of WIP across the entire facility.

Keep your shop floor visible in real time so nothing stalls between work centres without someone noticing.

204 hrs

Manual time identified

Companies have mapped

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About This Automation

Production supervisors manually count work-in-progress units on the shop floor, record data on paper or clipboard, then type everything into a spreadsheet. This process is slow, error-prone, and delays visibility into production status by hours or days.

Automation captures shop floor data in real time, validates it for accuracy, updates inventory records automatically, and alerts management to bottlenecks as they happen. Orders stay on schedule and customers receive status updates within minutes instead of the next morning.

Key features:

Capture shop floor production data automatically from sensors or manual entry points

Validate incoming WIP data for completeness and flag anomalies or missing entries

Sync production counts directly to inventory and ERP records in real time

Detect production delays and quality issues before they escalate

Send order status updates to customers and management instantly

Track historical production patterns to improve forecasting accuracy

Data insights How it works Apps used What you get FAQ

Top friction points when done manually

The issues teams report most often with this process

#	Friction point	Companies Report This
1	Manual data entry errors Supervisors type WIP counts into spreadsheets by hand, introducing typos and transposition errors that cascade into inventory inaccuracy.	80%
2	Delayed inventory visibility Inventory records lag actual WIP by 12-24 hours, making it impossible to respond quickly to production changes or customer requests.	67%
3	Reactive bottleneck detection Production delays and quality issues are spotted only after they have already impacted the schedule, leaving no time to recover.	53%
4	Duplicate data entry work Supervisors enter data into a spreadsheet, then managers re-enter the same data into the ERP system, wasting time and creating reconciliation headaches.	40%
5	Late customer order updates Customers wait until the next morning for order status reports, reducing confidence in delivery timelines and responsiveness.	26%

Disclaimer

Automation readiness

How well-suited this process is for automation

Process Pain Score™

8.6/ 10

AI Fit Rating™

8.6/ 10

Automation Lift Index™

8.4/ 10

Hidden Overhead™

7.1/ 10

How The Automation Works

The full workflow, from trigger to completion.

1. Shift End Detectedtrigger

Supervisor marks shift complete in the production tracking system or a simple mobile form. The automation is triggered immediately.

2. Fetch Shop Floor Data

The automation queries the production system or IoT sensors to retrieve current WIP counts, order numbers, and stage of completion for all active lines.

3. Validate and Enrich Data

The automation reviews the fetched data for completeness and accuracy, cross-checks against the previous shift's records, and flags any anomalies or missing information.

4. Update Inventory

The automation writes the validated WIP counts directly inventory and order status records, eliminating manual re-entry.

5. Update Production Tracking Sheet

The automation writes the same data production log for supervisor visibility and historical record.

6. Detect Bottlenecks and Alerts

The automation analyzes the updated WIP data against production targets and timelines, identifies delays or quality issues, and generates alerts.

7. Send Alerts and Reports

The automation sends a message to the operations manager with a summary of the shift, flagged bottlenecks, and a ready-to-send customer order status report.

Most popular tool stack used

— the complete tool combinations companies use

48% of companies

32% of companies

19% of companies

Disclaimer

What you get when you map this process

Everything you need to understand, plan, and build your automation.

ROI and business case

What this process costs today and what changes once it's automated.

Launch schedule

What gets built, in what order, and what success looks like once it's live.

Process runbook

How the automation runs day to day, including exceptions and human decision points.

Developer handover pack

Full build spec, logic, and configuration — ready to hand off without a briefing call.

Integration and connections guide

Every tool connection, credential, and data mapping the build needs.

Test and QA plan

1.9k hrsIdentified

24Mapped

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Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know before mapping this process.

Will the automation work with our existing ERP system?

Yes, the automation connects to your ERP through standard integrations and API connections. Your team will map which fields in your ERP correspond to WIP data, and the system handles the sync automatically.

What happens if shop floor data is incomplete or missing?

Do we still need a person to review the alerts?

Can customers see real-time order status?

What if we have multiple production lines or shifts?

View more FAQs

Process pain:8.6/10

Mapped by:4 Companies

Map this to your business to get your exact numbers.

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Page updated 10 August 2026