Platforms and vendors
- Ignition
- SQL databases
- Rockwell
- ISA-88 batch control
- ISA-95
- ERP interfaces
Plant Intelligence · 11
Production Work Orders from ERP to the Line, and Back
Metromotion Controls connects production orders to the control system, so each order reaches the line with its SKU, quantity and recipe, runs with live status on the floor, and closes with the output, consumption and scrap the line actually recorded.
How we approach it
Engineered for your site and support model
In many plants a production order lives in ERP and on a printed sheet. The operator types the SKU and quantity into the HMI, the supervisor tallies output at the end of the shift, and someone keys the result back into ERP the next morning. Each step is a chance for the order on paper and the order on the line to drift apart. Metromotion Controls closes that gap in the control system: the order is selected at the HMI, its status and quantity are tracked from the PLC, and the result is confirmed back without retyping.
01
Order release from ERP, planning tool or schedule to the line
02
Order selection at the HMI with the matching recipe
03
Live order status, quantity and rate by line
04
Work in progress visibility by line and area
05
Actual output, consumption and scrap confirmed back to ERP
06
Order history for traceability and planned against actual
Delivery context
Relevant experience
- Real Pet Food: ISA-88 batch control from production scheduling through to live plant-floor batch visibility, with route and ingredient validated at each step.
- Tibaldi: stock movements recorded from PLC events into a SQL database across raw material, work-in-progress and finished goods.
- Remedy Drinks: plant events in Ignition raise maintenance work orders in MEX automatically, a separate flow from production orders.
Section 01
Production orders and maintenance work orders are different things
The term work order covers two separate flows. A production order says what to make: SKU, quantity, line and recipe, released from ERP or the schedule. A maintenance work order says what to fix, and lives in the CMMS. Both can be driven from plant data, and both need the same reliable signals from the line, but they have different owners and different systems. This page covers production orders. For maintenance work orders raised from fault events, see maintenance from plant data.
Section 02
Where orders go wrong on the floor
Most problems with production orders come from the handoffs between people and systems, not from the ERP or the line itself.
- SKU and quantity retyped at the HMI, with the wrong recipe selected at changeover.
- An order started or finished on the line without ERP or the schedule being told.
- Output counted by hand at the end of the shift, so the order total disagrees with the line count.
- Consumption backflushed from the bill of materials instead of what the line used.
- Scrap and rework recorded on paper, if at all, and never attributed to the order.
Section 03
The life of an order on the line
We build the order lifecycle into the control system and the data layer, so each order has one status that the operator, the supervisor and ERP all see.
- Released: the order arrives at the line with SKU, quantity, recipe and due time.
- Selected: the operator picks the order at the HMI, and the recipe and set-points load with it.
- Running: quantity made, rate, stops and rejects are counted from the PLC against the order.
- Paused or split: a part-run is recorded as it happened, not reconstructed later.
- Complete: actual start, finish, good output, consumption and scrap are confirmed back.
Section 04
Work in progress and order history
Once orders are tracked in the control layer, work in progress becomes visible by line and by area without a walk around the floor. Each completed order leaves a record of what was made, when, on which line, with which recipe and from which material lots. That record is the backbone for traceability, for OEE and downtime attributed to an order, and for comparing planned against actual in the next planning cycle.
Section 05
The ERP handshake
The connection to ERP is designed once and documented. Orders come down through an agreed interface, file exchange or database, and confirmations go back up with rules for partial completions, duplicates and communication loss agreed before any code is written. We follow the ISA-95 object models so either side can change later without rebuilding the line integration. For the ERP side in detail, see ERP and SAP integration; for planning the sequence of orders, see production scheduling from line data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions
Do we need an MES to track production orders?
Not always. For a single-site plant with a few lines, order tracking can be built on the SCADA platform and SQL database already on site, with orders from ERP. A dedicated MES earns its cost when many sites, complex genealogy or validated electronic batch records are required.
Can operators still enter orders by hand?
Yes. Manual entry stays available as a fallback for orders that do not come from ERP, such as trials. The difference is that the order then carries the same status, counts and history as any other order.
How is consumption recorded?
Where the line measures it, from the PLC: weighed ingredients, dosed quantities and material movements recorded against the order. Where it does not, consumption can still be calculated from the bill of materials, with the difference made visible.
Does this replace our CMMS work orders?
No. Maintenance work orders stay in the CMMS. The same plant data can raise them automatically from fault events, which we have delivered with MEX at Remedy Drinks.
Related Work
Connected services, industries and proof
Service
Plant Intelligence: factory data and OEE
OEE, reports, quality, CIP, maintenance and energy data from the team that builds and programs the lines.
Service
Production scheduling from line data
Live line status, actual rates, stops and CIP in front of the scheduler, for re-planning in real time.
Service
ERP and SAP integration
Orders down to the line and counts, consumption, scrap and batch results back to ERPs such as SAP and Pronto Xi.
Service
Recipe management
Recipes and set-points held in the control system, loaded with the order and recorded against every batch or run.
Service
MES for mid-size food plants
The MES functions a mid-size food plant uses, what it can skip, and whether to build on Ignition or buy enterprise MES.
Service
Maintenance from plant data
Plant events that raise CMMS work orders, condition alerts before a stop, and runtime counts for preventive maintenance.
Project
Real Pet Food raw materials handling
Pet food raw materials automation covering batching, handling and production control requirements.
Project
Tibaldi automated inventory management
Automated inventory tracking integrated with production controls for real-time stock visibility and traceability.
Project
Remedy Drinks MEX CMMS integration
Ignition to MEX integration generating automatic work orders from plant events for a beverage producer.
Service
Ignition SCADA integrator Melbourne
Ignition Gold Certified System Integrator for Ignition SCADA, historian, reporting and MES functions.
Insight
ISA-95 and the Purdue model for food plants
The ISA-95 levels and the Purdue model explained on a food line, with where each piece of context lives.
Insight
MES and SCADA integration in food plants
The ISA-95 levels, the SCADA-to-MES boundary, production tracking and genealogy, B2MML and ERP integration for food manufacturers.
Industry
Food and beverage automation Australia
Automation, traceability, CIP, SCADA and production data for Australian food and beverage plants.
Related work
Related project proof
Project
Real Pet Food Company
Real Pet Food Company needed automated raw materials handling with stronger batch traceability and scheduling, across a plant where mechanical, electrical and automation scope all had to be brought together by one team before startup. Metromotion Controls structured the batch control to ISA-88, breaking each product into recipe phases and validating the transfer route and ingredient at each step so material moved against a confirmed path rather than an assumed one. The team supplied, installed and commissioned the system, coordinating mechanical, electrical and automation scope through simulation, FAT and startup.
Project
Tibaldi
Tibaldi needed better stock visibility as production volumes increased and manual stock tracking struggled to keep pace with rising throughput. Metromotion Controls implemented automated inventory management integrated with the existing production controls, taking stock movements directly from PLC events into a SQL database rather than relying on manual entry. This kept the inventory record in step with what the line was actually doing, reducing manual entry and improving stock traceability as throughput grew.
Project
Remedy Drinks
Remedy Drinks is one of Australia's fastest-growing beverage producers, known for its kombucha and low-sugar drink range. As production volumes grew, the maintenance team needed a tighter connection between the plant floor and their MEX CMMS system. Metromotion Controls designed and delivered the integration between the Ignition SCADA platform and MEX, enabling automatic work order creation from plant events and giving the maintenance team structured visibility of asset status without manual data re-entry.
Related pages
Plant Intelligence
Plant Intelligence
Factory data, OEE, reports, quality, CIP, maintenance and energy from the team that builds and programs the lines.
Plant Intelligence
Production Scheduling from Line Data
Live line status, actual rates, stops and CIP fed to the schedule, with adherence and forecast finish times, so schedulers can re-plan during the shift.
Plant Intelligence
ERP & SAP Integration
Production orders and recipes down to the line, and counts, consumption, scrap and batch results back to ERP, on an ISA-95 model with clear transaction rules.
Plant Intelligence
Recipe Management
Recipes and set-points held in the control system, selected with the order, version-controlled, and recorded against each batch or run.
Want orders that match what the line made?
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