What Is the Best Way to Track Work in Progress Across Production Stages?
A clear way to track work in progress across production stages is to show every open order on a Kanban with one column per stage, update the stage as work moves on the shop floor and measure how long orders stay in each stage.
In Jestor, SLA tracking records time per stage, and dashboards show where work in progress accumulates.
Why is work in progress hard to see?
Partially finished products sit between stations, and only the people nearby know their status.
Managers walk the floor to find orders, and customers wait for answers.
Bottlenecks grow unnoticed until deadlines are missed.
What problems does WIP tracking solve?
- No visibility of order status on the floor
- Bottlenecks discovered too late
- Orders forgotten between stations
- Too much work started at the same time
- No data on stage durations
How do I track WIP in Jestor?
- Create a production board with stages such as Cutting, Machining, Assembly, Finishing, Quality.
- Move orders between stages from tablets at each station.
- Set SLA targets for each stage.
- Highlight orders that exceed the target time.
- Build dashboards of orders per stage and average time.
| Indicator | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Orders per stage | Where work accumulates |
| Average time per stage | Slow stations |
| Orders over target | Immediate attention |
| Orders started vs finished | Flow balance |
How do I reduce bottlenecks?
When one stage always has many orders waiting, it limits the whole flow.
Adding capacity there, or starting fewer orders at once, usually speeds up deliveries.
Why use Jestor for work in progress?
- Production Kanban: every order visible by stage.
- SLA per stage: time measured automatically.
- Station updates: stages moved from tablets.
- Dashboards: bottlenecks clear at a glance.
What else helps you track work in progress across production stages?
- WIP data also helps answer customers. Sales can see exactly where each order is and give realistic completion dates.
- Limiting how many orders are open at each stage also helps. When teams finish work before starting new jobs, orders move faster and the board stays clear and easy to read.
- The dashboard shows whether these limits are respected.
This is how you track work in progress across production stages and keep orders moving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can stations update orders on tablets?
Yes. Jestor works on tablets and phones.
Can I try this free?
Yes. Jestor offers a free account at jestor.com.
Can I measure time per stage?
Yes. SLA tracking records time spent in each stage.
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