Manufacturing Process
Overview
The Manufacturing module in Bylon is used to manage the process of producing finished products from raw materials and consumable materials.
The process starts by creating a Manufacturing Order, requesting the required materials, purchasing materials where necessary, receiving them through GRN (Goods Received Note), and finally completing the manufacturing work order.
The complete process is:
Manufacturing Order → Material Request → Purchase Request → Purchase Order → GRN → Material Request Approval → Manufacturing Order → Work Order → Start Working → Complete
1. Create a Manufacturing Order
Step 1: Open Manufacturing
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From the main Bylon menu, go to Manufacturing.
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The Manufacturing module contains the tools used to plan, request, and complete production.
Step 2: Open Manufacturing Order
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Click Manufacturing Order.
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This section contains existing manufacturing orders and allows you to create new ones.
Step 3: Click Add
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Click Add to create a new manufacturing order.
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A manufacturing order is a formal instruction to produce a specific quantity of a finished product.
2. Fill in the Manufacturing Order
Product
Select the product that you want to manufacture.
Example:
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Product: 500ml 24 Pack
This tells the system which finished product is being produced.
Product Quantity
Enter the quantity that needs to be manufactured.
Example:
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Quantity: 100 pieces
This means the production team is expected to produce 100 units of the selected product.
Unit of Measure
Select the appropriate Unit of Measure (UOM) for the product.
The unit of measure tells the system how the product quantity is being counted, such as:
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Pieces
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Cartons
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Boxes
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Kilograms
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Litres
Always select the unit that matches the product being manufactured.
3. Bill of Materials (B.O.M)
B.O.M – Automatic
The Bill of Materials (B.O.M) is automatically populated by the system.
The BOM defines the raw materials and consumable materials required to manufacture the selected product.
For example, if you are producing a 500ml 24-pack, the BOM may contain the materials required to make that finished product.
The BOM is important because it allows Bylon to determine what materials are needed for production.
Important: The BOM should be correctly configured for the product before creating the manufacturing order. The system uses the BOM to determine the required components.
4. Routing
Routing – Automatic
Routing is also automatically populated.
Routing defines the production process or sequence of activities that must be followed to manufacture the product.
It helps the system understand the work that needs to be carried out during production.
For example, the routing may represent stages such as:
Preparation → Production → Packaging → Finished Product
The actual routing depends on how the company's manufacturing process has been configured.
5. Set the Manufacturing Dates
Deadline
Select the deadline date.
The deadline is the date by which the manufacturing order is expected to be completed.
For example:
If production must be completed by 20 August, select 20 August as the deadline.
This helps the company plan production and monitor whether manufacturing is being completed on time.
Plan From
Select the date on which manufacturing is planned to begin.
For example:
If manufacturing will begin on 18 August, select 18 August as the Plan From date.
The Plan From date therefore indicates when the production activity is expected to start.
6. Miscellaneous
The Miscellaneous section contains additional information or settings related to the manufacturing order.
Review the available fields and enter any required information according to the company's manufacturing process.
7. Select the Warehouses
The manufacturing order requires the correct warehouses to be identified.
Components Warehouse
Select the warehouse where the raw materials and consumables are stored.
Example:
Components Warehouse: Raw Material & Consumables
This tells Bylon where the materials required for production will come from.
Finished Products
Select the destination warehouse where the completed manufactured products will be stored.
Example:
Finished Products: Urban Waters Mbaazi
This indicates where the finished products will go after production is completed.
Important: Selecting the correct warehouses ensures that materials are taken from the correct location and finished products are recorded in the correct destination.
8. Submit the Manufacturing Order
After completing all the required fields:
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Review the product.
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Confirm the quantity.
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Confirm the BOM and routing.
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Check the manufacturing dates.
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Confirm the components warehouse.
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Confirm the finished-products warehouse.
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Click Submit.
The manufacturing order will now be created.
9. View the Manufacturing Order
After submitting:
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Go to Manufacturing.
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Open the manufacturing order.
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Click View.
Review the order to ensure that all the information is correct.
10. Send the Manufacturing Order for Approval
Once you have confirmed that the manufacturing order is correct:
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Click Send Approval Request.
This sends the manufacturing order to the person responsible for approving production.
The approval process ensures that manufacturing orders are reviewed before production proceeds.
11. Approve the Manufacturing Order
The authorized person should:
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Open the manufacturing order.
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Click Approve.
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Enter the Reason for approval where required.
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Confirm the approval.
Once approved, the manufacturing order can proceed to the next stage.
Important: Only authorized users should approve manufacturing orders.
12. Mark the Manufacturing Order as To Do
After approval:
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Open the manufacturing order.
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Click Mark as To Do.
This changes the manufacturing order from an approved/planned state into a task that is ready to be worked on.
It indicates that the manufacturing process is ready to proceed.
13. Create a Material Request
After marking the manufacturing order as To Do:
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Go back to Manufacturing.
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Click Material Request.
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Find the relevant material request.
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Click View.
The material request shows the materials required for the manufacturing process.
These materials come from the requirements defined by the manufacturing order and its BOM.
14. Create a Purchase Request
If the required raw materials or consumables are not available and need to be purchased:
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Open the material request.
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Click Create Purchase Request.
This creates a request to purchase the materials required for production.
The purpose is to ensure that all necessary materials are available before manufacturing starts.
15. Create a Purchase Order
After creating the purchase request:
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Go to Purchase.
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Click Purchase Order.
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Click New.
A purchase order is used to formally request the required materials from a supplier.
16. Fill in the Purchase Order
Complete the purchase order with the required information.
Branch
Select the branch associated with the purchase.
Example:
Branch: Mbaazi
The branch identifies the business location responsible for the purchase.
Warehouse
Select the warehouse where the purchased materials will be received.
Example:
Warehouse: Raw Material and Consumables
This ensures that the purchased materials are received into the correct warehouse.
Complete the remaining purchase order details, including the supplier and required items.
After reviewing the information:
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Click Submit.
17. Finish the Purchase with GRN
Once the supplier delivers the materials:
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Complete the purchase process using a GRN (Goods Received Note).
A GRN records the materials that have actually been received from the supplier.
The GRN is important because it updates the inventory and confirms that the purchased raw materials or consumables have been received.
Example: If the purchase order requested raw materials for production, the GRN confirms that those materials have physically arrived and have been received into the Raw Material and Consumables warehouse.
18. Return to Material Request
After completing the purchase and GRN:
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Go back to Manufacturing.
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Click Material Request.
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Locate the relevant material request.
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Click View.
Review the material request and confirm that the required materials have been made available.
19. Approve the Material Request
Once the required materials are available:
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Open the material request.
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Click Approve.
Approval confirms that the requested materials can proceed for use in the manufacturing process.
20. Return to the Manufacturing Order
After approving the material request:
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Go to Manufacturing.
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Open Manufacturing Order.
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Search for the relevant manufacturing order.
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Click View.
The manufacturing order should now be ready to proceed with production.
21. Check the Planned Manufacturing Order
Open the manufacturing order and check its status.
The order should show as Planned or move through the relevant production status depending on the workflow configured in Bylon.
Review the order before starting the actual production work.
22. Open Work Orders
Within the manufacturing order:
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Go to Work Orders.
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Locate the relevant work order.
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Click the View/box icon to open it.
A Work Order represents the actual production work that needs to be performed.
It is where the production activity is carried out and tracked.
23. Start Working
Once everything is ready:
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Open the work order.
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Click Start Working.
This indicates that production has officially started.
The production team can now perform the activities defined in the routing.
24. Complete the Manufacturing Work
Continue working on the production until the manufacturing process has been completed.
The work order should remain active while production is taking place.
Once all the required production activities have been completed:
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Complete/finish the work order according to the available Bylon option.
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Confirm the production has been completed.
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Ensure that the required finished-product quantity has been produced.
The finished products can then be recorded in the designated Finished Products warehouse.
Complete Manufacturing Workflow
The complete process can be summarized as:
1. Manufacturing → Manufacturing Order → Add
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2. Select Product and Quantity
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3. BOM – Automatic
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4. Routing – Automatic
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5. Set Deadline and Plan From
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6. Select Components Warehouse and Finished Products Warehouse
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7. Submit
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8. View Manufacturing Order
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9. Send Approval Request
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10. Approve + Enter Reason
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11. Mark as To Do
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12. Manufacturing → Material Request → View
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13. Create Purchase Request
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14. Purchase → Purchase Order → New
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15. Select Branch and Raw Material & Consumables Warehouse
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16. Submit Purchase Order
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17. Receive Materials Through GRN
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18. Manufacturing → Material Request → View
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19. Approve Material Request
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20. Manufacturing → Manufacturing Order → View
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21. Check Planned Order
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22. Open Work Orders → View
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23. Start Working
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24. Continue Production Until Finished
Key Points to Remember
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Manufacturing Order = Instruction to produce a specific product and quantity.
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BOM = Materials/components required to produce the product.
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Routing = Production activities or sequence followed to manufacture the product.
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Components Warehouse = Where raw materials and consumables are taken from.
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Finished Products Warehouse = Where completed products are stored.
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Material Request = Request for the materials needed for manufacturing.
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Purchase Request = Request to purchase materials that are required.
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Purchase Order = Formal order for purchasing the required materials.
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GRN = Confirms that purchased materials have been received.
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Work Order = The actual production task carried out by the production team.
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Start Working = Indicates that the actual manufacturing activity has begun.
The main objective of this workflow is to ensure that production is properly planned, approved, supplied with the required materials, carried out, and recorded correctly in Bylon.