Batch Manufacturing Orders in Odoo#
When you produce the same product repeatedly, batching multiple manufacturing orders together into a single production run reduces setup overhead, minimizes changeovers, and improves throughput. Odoo supports batch production through work order scheduling and MO grouping.
Why Batch Production?#
Individual MOs processed separately:
- Machine setup: 30 min per MO
- Production: 2 hours per MO
- 5 MOs: 12.5 hours total (2.5 hours in setup)
Batched (one setup for all 5):
- Machine setup: 30 min (once)
- Production: 10 hours (5 × 2 hours)
- Total: 10.5 hours - saves 2 hours
Setup time reduction = capacity increase without new equipment.
Grouping MOs by Product#
Manufacturing → Orders → Manufacturing Orders:
- Filter by Product: Widget A
- Date range: this week
- Select all MOs for Widget A → these are batch candidates
Work Center Scheduling (Sequencing)#
In the work center Gantt view:
Manufacturing → Planning → Work Centers:
- Sequence all Widget A work orders consecutively
- Setup time (30 min) is entered once at the start
- Production continues for all batched units before switching products
Using Production Batch (Community/Enterprise Feature)#
In Enterprise or via community module, Production Batches allow:
Manufacturing → Orders → Batches → New:
- Batch Name: Widget A - Week 42
- Manufacturing Orders: add all Widget A MOs for the week
- Start: Odoo schedules all work orders as a continuous block
Produce all units at once → validate the batch → all linked MOs are completed.
Component Picking for Batches#
When components are picked for a batch:
- All components for all MOs in the batch are picked at once
- Picker goes to each location once, not 5 separate times
- Saves 30-50% of component picking time for high-variety batches
Quality Control in Batch Production#
For each batch, create a single quality check record:
- Sample size: inspect 10% of the batch (e.g., 5 of 50 units)
- Record pass/fail per sampled unit
- If fail rate > 2%: hold the batch → full inspection or rework
This is more efficient than inspecting each MO individually.
Reporting on Batch Efficiency#
Manufacturing → Reporting → Production Analysis → group by Batch:
- Total setup time vs. production time ratio
- Average cycle time per unit (improving with experience)
- Scrap rate per batch (quality trending)