Planning and Order Import FAQs

Can I give one operation a different priority from its order?

Yes. In Assignment Planner, select the dashed OP chip to change Operation priority. The P chip changes Order priority independently. Follow Plan Machine Assignments.

You can also choose the operation priority while creating an order or editing an operation. The dashed OP indicator beside its name shows the result. Follow Create a Production Order.

Why did my work disappear after I set a priority filter?

With Order priority and Operation priority both selected, work must match both. Filters affect unassigned operations and machine columns. Also check any order, product, or customer filter chip above the board. The information icon opens Assignment Planner Guide; see the planner page.

Which dates should I use to sort the steps of an order?

Use Operation Planned Start or Operation Planned End for individual steps. Order Planned Start and Order Planned End apply to the whole order and keep its steps together when sorting. Follow the sorting steps.

How can I see an order’s work by machine?

On the order page, choose Group by → Machine. Choose Operation to return to a view by production step. See Order Detail.

Why do planned dates change when I expand an order?

The grouped row shows the whole order’s planned window. Expanded rows show each assignment’s own window. The planned/actual choice beside the date pickers decides whether the date filter searches scheduled or recorded work. See Orders & Products.

Why didn’t a repeat import change the priority?

Existing orders and operations always keep their priority. Initial order priority (new orders) and Initial operation priority (new operations) apply only to new work with empty priority cells or no selected priority column. An empty initial operation priority uses 100. See the import settings.

Why is my operation priority marked even though I set an initial value?

The initial value fills empty priorities only. Text, fractions, and negative operation priorities are marked for correction. Enter a whole number of zero or more, then review the import again. Follow the import workflow.

Why does an imported operation stay on its old machine?

Recorded work prevents it from moving, but the operation is still imported. Choose Keep both if it should also run on the new machine. Production history stays unchanged. See re-import protection.

Why does the import ask me to review machine quantities?

Quantities already split across machines stay unchanged and are marked for review. Compare Planned quantity (machine) with Planned quantity (work order), then inspect the affected work in Assignment Planner. Follow the import workflow.

Can I plan work at a station without a sensor?

Yes. An administrator can create a Work center. Select it as the destination for an order or assignment, then review Orders today and Up next under Machines → Work centers. Follow Add a Machine or Work Center and Plan Machine Assignments.

What happens to the sensor when I change a machine to a work center?

The change removes its AVA assignments and stops all KPI calculation. Only administrators can change the kind. To collect readings again, save it as Machine and assign an AVA in the AVA tab. Follow Configure a Machine.

Why does my work center have no OEE or machine status?

A Work center has no AVA. It shows today’s worked orders and the waiting queue instead of sensor KPIs and is excluded from state counters and analytics. Missing KPIs do not mean zero performance. See Work Centers.

How do I switch from planning cards to the timeline?

Use the view switch in Assignment Planner or Assignment Gantt. Review dates in the timeline, then return to the planner to change assignments. Follow Plan Machine Assignments.

What does the Forecaster tell me?

It shows when work is expected to start and finish using current progress, queues, shifts, and earlier steps. Your planned dates stay unchanged until you save a planning change. Open Forecaster on Orders & Products, the order page, or Assignment Gantt. See the Forecaster guide.

Why are late orders outside my date range still shown?

The Forecaster’s late-order filters pause date range and status filters. Order, product, customer, and machine filters still apply. Remove the Forecaster filter to use dates and status again. See Orders & Products.

Why do Orders and the Gantt show different warning counts?

Orders & Products counts open orders late for delivery across the company. Assignment Gantt includes other warnings on selected machines, from last week to three weeks ahead and any week you have scrolled to. See Assignment Gantt.

How do I find orders that are missing from every planning board?

Open Orders & Products → Forecaster → Not planned at all → Show list. These orders have a delivery date but no operation on a machine or in a hall pool. Open an order to Assign steps. A step also needs a planned start before it counts as planned. Follow the planning workflow.

What does “at risk” mean, and can the expected finish be too early?

at risk (previously tight) means the work barely fits or an earlier step is not planned. Missing steps, planned durations, or shift plans can make the expected finish too early. Review these before relying on the date. See the Forecaster explanation.

Why does work move ahead of an assignment that is on hold?

After Hold limit (working hours), the forecast treats that assignment as parked and lets work behind it move up. The paused work is not finished. Only working time counts; without shifts, 24 hours count as the full limit. Administrators change the limit in Planning settings. See Assignment Gantt.

Does trying a different ordering change my plan?

No. Show on board is a preview. Save as plan changes eligible queue positions and Watchmen planned dates after review. Running, on-hold, and blocked work keep their place, so the saved result can differ from the preview. Delivery dates stay unchanged. Follow Compare and Save a Plan.

Why can I not move an assignment or undo its move?

Running, on-hold, and finished assignments cannot use the Gantt move controls. Recorded work prevents changing the machine. Automatic ordering by delivery date prevents manual queue reordering. If the queue changed after a move, automatic undo is unavailable; review it and move the assignment back by hand. See move limits.

How do I tell the forecast that a machine runs several jobs at once?

An administrator sets Planning → Jobs in parallel in the machine’s basic information. Enter a whole number from 1 to 100 that matches actual capacity, then save. Follow Configure a Machine.

Who can change what the Forecaster runs next?

Administrators choose the plant’s ordering under Planning settings in Assignment Gantt. Other users with planning access can compare alternatives in Improve plan without changing that setting. See the ordering choices.

Where can I open the Forecaster explanation?

Click the information icon beside Forecaster on Orders & Products, the order page, or Assignment Gantt. In Assignment Planner, open Forecaster check → How does the Forecaster work?. The help explains the colours, expected times, and why a finish may be too early. Opening it changes nothing in your plan. See the Forecaster guide.

Why does Up next show work for another day?

Up next is the whole machine queue, independent of the selected date. Worked follows the selected day. Waiting steps show planned times and keep their queue numbers when filtered. Follow Monitor a Machine Live.

Why does the card show fewer waiting steps than the total?

Machine and work center cards show the first 10 waiting steps. The total counts the entire waiting queue. Running steps appear in Orders today. Open the machine page for the whole queue, with running steps first.

Why does a new operation have priority 100?

New operations and operations without a saved priority start at 100. Its name and colour depend on your company’s priority levels; with the default levels, 100 is Critical. Choose another company level in the order or operation form. A saved value outside those levels remains selectable. See Order Detail.

How many machines can I plan at once?

You can select up to 25 machines in Assignment Planner or Assignment Gantt. Planner hall pools do not count toward that limit. Gantt has no pool columns. See Assignment Planner.

How do I keep hall pools visible while I scroll through machines?

On a wide screen, open Hall pools → Where to show them → Beside the list, then tick halls under Which pools to show. Your choice is saved for your account. In the board returns pools to the machine layout. Follow Plan Machine Assignments.

Can I drop work into a collapsed pool?

Yes. For moves without a dialog, dropping onto the narrow strip places work at the end of the pool, including cards not yet shown. If your search covers the pool, close it first so the work lands at the very end. Otherwise, the drop can land among the cards. Unassigned does not filter pools. Click the strip or use Expand pool to see its cards again. See hall-pool controls.

Started, stopped work opens a handover dialog. After confirmation, its remainder goes to the top of the pool, including when the pool is collapsed. Follow hand over work.

Where has the Planner search box gone?

Press Ctrl+F (⌘F on a Mac) or use the search icon in Filter & Sort. Search for an order, product, or customer and choose an area under Search in. Esc or × closes and clears search. The icon remains available when the unassigned list is hidden. Follow the search steps.

Why does my search leave cards on machines or in pools?

Search starts with Unassigned, which only filters the unassigned list. Choose Search in → Everything to filter the list, pools, and machines together. Machines searches work on machines, not machine names. Your choice is remembered; a link with a search uses Everything for that visit without replacing it. See search choices.

Why does my Planner queue show only 40 cards?

Queues initially show 40 matching cards. Use Show 40 more, or the smaller remaining number, for the next cards. The count and summary include every card in the queue, also the ones not shown yet. Pools load up to 500 assignments and machine queues up to 100. See queue display limits.

Why does the Gantt stay the same while I select machines?

The timeline applies your choices when you close the machine selection menu. You can select several machines or a hall group before closing it, up to 25 machines. See Assignment Gantt.

Why was my operation added but not put in the position I chose?

A hall pool loads up to 500 assignments; a machine queue loads up to 100. With Queue Position on, dropping an unassigned operation into a large queue adds the work but does not save its chosen position. This affects hall pools with more than 500 active assignments and machine queues with more than 100. The Planner shows Could not persist queue reorder. Local changes were rolled back. and reloads the queue. Check the queue before trying again. Reordering work already in a large pool is still saved. See Planner limits.

How do I move orders that cannot start to the bottom?

In Data Acquisition V3, open Card Display Settings → Sort Order. With Sort by Queue Position off, click Add sort rule, select Waiting on a previous step and choose At the bottom. This rule comes before priority or date, but after Running and on-hold orders if you add that rule. At the top lets you review waiting orders first. Select Save to apply your choice. Follow Configure the Data Acquisition V3 Display.

Can I put waiting orders last and keep the planned queue order?

Yes. With Sort by Queue Position on in Data Acquisition V3, choose Orders waiting on a previous step → At the bottom. Waiting work appears after other orders. To bring running and on-hold work first as well, choose Running and on-hold orders → At the top. Select Save. The queue order stays the same within each group. Keep in place restores the usual queue display. Your choice is saved for your account and applies to the machine list and Pool. These options are not offered in Assignment Planner. See Data Acquisition.

Why is my order still marked as waiting after the previous step finished?

Check whether another step with a lower number in the same work order is still unfinished. A step without an assignment also counts as unfinished. Earlier steps must be completed or cancelled. Once none remains unfinished, the next refresh moves the order into the group that can start. See waiting orders in Data Acquisition.

How do I put one order before another without raising its operation priority?

Enable Sort by Queue Position in Assignment Planner and drag the card to the place you want. For moves without a dialog, it lands where you drop it, and everyone sees the saved queue order. A handover places the remaining work at the top of its destination queue. Running and on-hold cards stay on top. To sort the whole queue at once, choose Sort by priority and date in the machine or hall-pool header, review the proposal, and choose Apply order. This button is available to administrators and users with access to the Orders page and the machine. Operators do not see it. Follow the queue sorting steps.

Why can’t I see the button to sort by priority and date?

The button appears only with Sort by Queue Position on. You need an administrator account or a user account with access to the Orders page, plus access to the machine. Operators do not see it. See Assignment Planner.

Can I undo a queue sort, and why did the proposal change?

After applying, use Undo in the New order applied confirmation. If someone changes the queue while you review a proposal, it reloads for you to check again. If loading fails, retry before applying. If undo fails, the queue reloads; check its current order before adjusting it. Follow the queue sorting steps.

Why have the numbers on my Planner cards disappeared?

Numbers show Place in this queue only in queue-position mode. Clear priority, operation priority and tag filters, restore the usual status selection, and clear search in the affected area. Numbers count active work and continue when you reveal more cards. Completed and cancelled cards have no number. Data Acquisition cards do not show them. See queue position numbers.

Who can set the sorting everyone starts with?

Administrators can set the mode, rules, and Moves in Assignment Planner under Filter & Sort, then choose Save as company default. People without personal sorting start with it; existing personal choices take precedence. Data Acquisition uses the mode and shared rules, with separate choices for running and waiting work. Follow Save or Use Company Sorting.

Why hasn’t my sorting changed with the company default?

Your own saved sorting takes precedence. A reset also saves a personal copy of the current company choices; it does not follow later changes. Reset again to use the newer choices. In Data Acquisition, saving unrelated display changes keeps you following the default if you have no personal sorting. See company sorting.

Why are running orders no longer at the top in Data Acquisition?

Previously, running and on-hold orders stayed on top automatically with Sort by Queue Position on. In Data Acquisition V3, they now keep their queue position by default with Keep in place. Open Card Display Settings → Sort Order and choose Running and on-hold orders → At the top to show them first. In Assignment Planner, running and on-hold cards still stay on top. With queue sorting off, add Running and on-hold orders as a rule and choose At the top or At the bottom. It comes before the waiting-order rule. Select Save. Follow the display setup steps.

How do I restore company sorting at the terminal?

In Data Acquisition V3, open Card Display Settings → Sort Order → Reset to company sorting, then Save. A tick means the mode and rules already match, so the button is unavailable. Reset keeps the queue-mode choices for running and waiting orders but replaces sort rules; add any special running- or waiting-order rules again. Without a company default, the icon labelled Reset to default (no company default set yet) restores standard choices. See Data Acquisition.

How do I return work when my machine cannot finish it?

In Data Acquisition V3, select the step and choose Back to pool. Running work first opens the normal stop dialog for quantities, then any PDA Assist time choice. Confirm the remaining quantity and optional reason in the return dialog. Work goes to your machine’s own hall pool; recorded times and good parts stay on the original machine. Follow return work to the pool.

Where has the Create button gone?

In Data Acquisition V3, Create becomes Back to pool while a step is selected. Tap the selected card again to clear the selection and bring Create back. See Data Acquisition.

Why is Back to pool unavailable?

Finished and cancelled steps stay on the machine. A machine without a hall has no pool; ask your planner to check its hall. Hover over the unavailable button to read the reason. A running step can use Back to pool, but you must stop it in the dialog first. See return requirements.

Can I send the remaining work straight to another machine?

Administrators and users with access to the Orders page can drag a started, stopped card in Assignment Planner onto another machine they can access. Every user also needs access to the step’s current machine. Other users can only return work to the pool of its current machine’s hall, in Assignment Planner or Data Acquisition. Review Quantity left, add Reason (optional), and confirm Move. The remainder goes to the top of that machine’s queue. Administrators and users with access to the Orders page can also choose any hall pool. Data Acquisition only returns work to the current machine’s own hall pool. Follow hand over work.

Why is the quantity left higher than I expected?

Quantity left subtracts only good parts from the planned quantity. Scrap must be made again. For example, 40 good parts out of 100 leave 60, even if you also recorded scrap. Change the quantity if more parts are needed, or leave it empty if unknown. If nothing is left, finish the step unless you need more parts. See quantity rules.

Does Handed over mean the whole step is finished?

No. Handed over marks the finished part on the original machine. The rest remains open, and later steps can still be waiting. Partly done: shows quantities and where the remainder is. In Data Acquisition, choose the third view tab with the history icon, Time Window + All Statuses. It shows all steps in the chosen date window, including completed and cancelled ones. All Open and Time Window + Open hide the handed-over part. On the order, hover over Handed over for each affected step. See handover details.

Can I undo a handover?

Administrators and users with access to the Orders page can undo a handover of started work manually, but only while the remainder has not started and is still waiting in a pool or queue. If it has already run on the other machine, you cannot undo it. Do not delete that part: deleting it also deletes its recorded times.

First, note the original quantity: the second number in Partly done:, such as 100 in “40 of 100”. You can also find it by hovering over the order’s Handed over badge. After deleting the new part, the line changes to Done on and no longer shows the original quantity. If no “of …” number appears because the planned quantity was unknown, there is no original quantity to restore.

1. Delete the new part, identified by From … already done. On the order detail page, select the red Delete button (trash icon) in its assignment row, then confirm Delete. Alternatively, drag its card in Assignment Planner onto Unassigned Operations. This removes it immediately, without confirmation.
2. On the order detail page, find the first machine’s part marked Handed over. Select Edit (pencil icon). In Edit Assignment, choose Hold, restore Planned Qty to the original quantity if known, and select Save.

The first part is back in its machine’s queue on hold, with its recorded times and good parts. Its Handed over label, the order’s Handed over badge and the step’s Partly done: line disappear. For example: 40 of 100 made on DMU 50, with 60 still waiting in the Hall 2 pool—delete the 60-part assignment, then set the DMU 50 part to Hold with Planned Qty of 100.

Why do I see “This step was changed in the meantime”?

The step changed while you were reviewing it. The dialog closes. Data Acquisition refreshes the list; Assignment Planner refreshes both queues. You then see the notice This step was changed in the meantime. The list has been refreshed. Check the current step before trying again. Review the machine, running state, and quantities instead of repeating the old choice. See return work to the pool.