Feature Overview
Shop Floor Mobile connects the production lists in Business Central to Mobile Flow, so operators register their work through guided flows instead of journals. Shop Floor Setup decides which flow each action runs. Actions on a production order line open the consumption, add-and-consume and finished-quantity flows. Actions on an operation open the start/stop, operation time and output flows. Each flow opens with the production order, the order line and, for operations, the operation already selected, so the operator only has to enter what happened. Allocating an operator to an operation can also run a flow that creates that operator's time collectors automatically.
The app also adds a few production settings that make registration on the shop floor smoother. Run Time on routings can be calculated from Cycle Time and Cycle Capacity and locked against manual changes, and Skip Production Pick on a location lets operators consume components without a warehouse pick. The Mobile Flow Production profile gives operators a role center with only the production flows. The standard production flows and their default setup are created when the app is installed, as described in the Shop Floor Mobile overview.
| Key Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Setup page | Shop Floor Setup (General and Flows groups) |
| Order line actions | Consume Component, Add Component and Consume, Post Finished Quantity (Production Order Lines) |
| Operation actions | Start / Stop, Register Time, Register Output (Operation Lines); Start / Stop (My Operations) |
| Automatic flow | Auto-create Collector (Flow), run when a resource is allocated to a released operation |
| Order status rule | All flow actions require a released production order |
| Run time settings | Run Time Not Editable, Cycle Time Unit of Meas. Code, Run Time Rounding Precision (Cycle Time), Cycle Time, Cycle Capacity |
| Warehouse setting | Skip Production Pick on the Location Card |
| Profiles | Mobile Flow Production; Shop Floor Tablet (Production Flows action) |
Getting Started
- Open Shop Floor Setup. In the Flows group, check Consumption (Flow), Operation Time (Flow), Start / Stop (Flow), Output Qty. (Flow), Finished Qty. (Flow), Add and Consume (Flow) and Auto-create Collector (Flow).
- In the General group, set Cycle Time Unit of Meas. Code and Run Time Rounding Precision (Cycle Time), and turn on Run Time Not Editable if Run Time should only be calculated.
- On Routing Lines, show the Cycle Time and Cycle Capacity columns and enter values for the operations you want calculated.
- On the Location Card of production locations that require pick, turn on Skip Production Pick if operators should consume without a pick.
- Assign the Mobile Flow Production profile to operators who only run flows.
- Release a production order, open Shop Floor Overview, select an order line or operation and run one of the flow actions to confirm the flow opens.
Related Features
The flows themselves, the resources that run them and the time collectors they create belong to Mobile Flow Core, so their steps and permissions are maintained there. The order line and operation lists the actions are launched from are described under My Operations and in the Shop Floor Mobile overview. Allocating a resource to an operation, which triggers automatic time collector creation, is described under My Operations.
User Stories
Choosing which flow each action runs
As a production administrator
I want to decide which mobile flow each shop floor action opens
So that registrations follow our own flow design
Setup:
- Open Shop Floor Setup.
- In the Flows group, select a flow in each field. The defaults are PROD CONSUMP, OPERATION TIME, TIME_STARTSTOP_PROD, OPERATION OUTPUT, PROD FINISHED QTY, SPECIAL PROD CONSUMP and TIME_CREATECOLL_PROD, when those flows exist.
Note: When Shop Floor Setup opens, and when an action in Operation Lines runs, any of these fields that is blank is filled with its default flow if that flow exists. A field with a default flow therefore cannot stay blank while that flow exists.
Starting and stopping work on an operation
As a machine operator
I want to start and stop my operation with one action
So that my time is registered on the right operation
Setup:
- Select an operation of a released order in Operation Lines on Shop Floor Overview, or in My Operations.
- Choose Start / Stop (Ctrl+F9 on My Operations).
- The flow in Start / Stop (Flow) opens with the order, order line and operation selected.
Note: The action stops with an error if the order is not released or Start / Stop (Flow) is blank.
Registering time on an operation
As a machine operator
I want to register time spent on an operation
So that capacity consumption is recorded
Setup:
- Select an operation of a released order in Operation Lines.
- Choose Register Time.
- The flow in Operation Time (Flow) opens with the order, order line and operation selected.
Registering output on an operation
As a machine operator
I want to register the quantity produced on my operation
So that the next operation can see what is ready
Setup:
- Select an operation of a released order in Operation Lines.
- Choose Register Output.
- The flow in Output Qty. (Flow) opens with the order, order line and operation selected.
Note: Output posted on an operation is shown as Quantity finished on previous operation on the next operation in Operation Lines.
Consuming components for an order line
As a production operator
I want to register consumption of the planned components
So that inventory is reduced as material is used
Setup:
- Select a released order line in Production Order Lines on Shop Floor Overview or the Shop Floor Tablet role center.
- Choose Consume Component.
- The flow in Consumption (Flow) opens with the production order and order line selected.
Adding and consuming an unplanned component
As a production operator
I want to consume a component that is not on the order
So that extra material used on the line is registered too
Setup:
- Select a released order line in Production Order Lines.
- Choose Add Component and Consume.
- The flow in Add and Consume (Flow) opens with the production order and order line selected.
Posting the finished quantity of an order line
As a production operator
I want to report the finished quantity of an order line
So that the produced items are available in inventory
Setup:
- Select a released order line in Production Order Lines.
- Choose Post Finished Quantity.
- The flow in Finished Qty. (Flow) opens with the production order and order line selected.
Note: All order line actions stop with an error if the order is not released or the matching flow field on Shop Floor Setup is blank.
Creating time collectors when an operator is allocated
As a production foreman
I want to have time collectors created as soon as I allocate an operator
So that the operator can start registering setup, run and stop time right away
Setup:
- On Shop Floor Setup, set Auto-create Collector (Flow).
- Allocate a resource to an operation of a released order, either with Resource No. or by adding a line in Allocated Resources.
- The flow runs once for each time collector category in Mobile Flow Core's time collector setup, for example Setup, Run and Stop.
Note: The selected flow must include the production order line and the production order routing line, otherwise allocating the resource stops with an error. Nothing is created when the field is blank or no time collector setup exists.
Calculating run time from cycle time and cycle capacity
As a production engineer
I want to enter how long a cycle takes and how many units it produces
So that Run Time per unit is calculated for me
Setup:
- On Shop Floor Setup, set Cycle Time Unit of Meas. Code to the unit you enter cycle times in, for example seconds.
- On Routing Lines, Planning Routing or Prod. Order Routing, enter Cycle Time and Cycle Capacity.
- Run Time is calculated as Cycle Time divided by Cycle Capacity, converted to the line's run time unit and rounded to Run Time Rounding Precision (Cycle Time). For example, a cycle time of 30 seconds producing 2 units gives a Run Time of 0.25 when the run time unit is minutes.
Note: Cycle Time and Cycle Capacity accept whole numbers only. Run Time is recalculated each time either value changes. While one of them is 0, the calculated Run Time is 0, so enter both. If Cycle Time Unit of Meas. Code is blank, no unit conversion is done. The values are copied from routings to planning routings and production order routings.
Locking run time to the calculated value
As a production engineer
I want to prevent manual changes to Run Time
So that run times always come from the cycle time calculation
Setup:
- On Shop Floor Setup, turn on Run Time Not Editable.
Note: Typing a value in Run Time on routing lines, planning routing lines or production order routing lines then gives an error. Run Time calculated from Cycle Time and Cycle Capacity is still updated.
Consuming components without a warehouse pick
As a warehouse manager
I want to let operators consume components at a pick location without a pick
So that consumption flows are not blocked by missing picks
Setup:
- Open the Location Card and, on the Warehouse FastTab, turn on Skip Production Pick.
Note: For released production orders at that location, components are marked as completely picked when they are created or changed, if the location requires pick. Bin code checks on production consumption lines are skipped for the location.
Giving operators a production-only role center
As a Business Central administrator
I want to give operators a role center with only production flows
So that they see just the flows they need
Setup:
- Assign the Mobile Flow Production profile to operators. Its role center shows the Mobile Flow role center filtered to the Production area group.
- Foremen using the Shop Floor Tablet profile, or Shop Floor Overview, can open the same view with Production Flows.
Field Reference
| Field name | Where to find it | What it does | Default value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumption (Flow) | Shop Floor Setup | Flow opened by Consume Component on order lines. | PROD CONSUMP (if the flow exists) |
| Operation Time (Flow) | Shop Floor Setup | Flow opened by Register Time on operations. | OPERATION TIME (if the flow exists) |
| Start / Stop (Flow) | Shop Floor Setup | Flow opened by Start / Stop on operations. | TIME_STARTSTOP_PROD (if the flow exists) |
| Output Qty. (Flow) | Shop Floor Setup | Flow opened by Register Output on operations. | OPERATION OUTPUT (if the flow exists) |
| Finished Qty. (Flow) | Shop Floor Setup | Flow opened by Post Finished Quantity on order lines. | PROD FINISHED QTY (if the flow exists) |
| Add and Consume (Flow) | Shop Floor Setup | Flow opened by Add Component and Consume on order lines. | SPECIAL PROD CONSUMP (if the flow exists) |
| Auto-create Collector (Flow) | Shop Floor Setup | Flow run to create time collectors when a resource is allocated to a released operation. | TIME_CREATECOLL_PROD (if the flow exists) |
| Run Time Not Editable | Shop Floor Setup | Blocks typing a Run Time on routing, planning routing and production order routing lines. | No |
| Cycle Time Unit of Meas. Code | Shop Floor Setup | Capacity unit that cycle times are entered in, used to convert to the run time unit. | Blank |
| Run Time Rounding Precision (Cycle Time) | Shop Floor Setup | Rounding precision for Run Time calculated from cycle time. | 0.00001 |
| Cycle Time | Prod. Order Routing, Routing Lines (hidden), Planning Routing (hidden) | Time for one cycle, used to calculate Run Time. | 0 |
| Cycle Capacity | Prod. Order Routing, Routing Lines (hidden), Planning Routing (hidden) | Units produced per cycle, used to calculate Run Time. | 0 |
| Skip Production Pick | Location Card | Treats released production components at the location as picked and skips bin checks on consumption. | No |