SmartERP Documentation An Ashewa Technology Solutions Platform

Manufacturing Accounting & Production Concepts

Core architectural concepts: BoM explosions, double-entry WIP absorption, standard costing, and OEE.

1. Overview & Business Value#

This comprehensive operational guide details the architecture, business workflows, configuration parameters, and execution steps for Manufacturing Accounting & Production Concepts within SmartERP.

Core architectural concepts: BoM explosions, double-entry WIP absorption, standard costing, and OEE.

{screenshot:concepts-overview-dashboard}

2. Prerequisites & Security Access Groups#

  • Required Modules: mrp, quality_control, smarterp_manufacturing_costing
  • Security Groups:
    • Manufacturing User (Technical ID: mrp.group_mrp_user)
    • Manufacturing Administrator (Technical ID: mrp.group_mrp_manager)
    • Quality Inspector (Technical ID: quality.group_quality_user)
  • Master Data Dependencies: Bills of Materials (BoM), routing operations, work centers with machine/labor hourly rates, raw material stock, and inspection checkpoints.

3. Step-by-Step Configuration & Execution#

Step 1: Navigating to the Module Interface#

  1. Log into your SmartERP instance at https://smarterp.et/odoo.
  2. Open the main App Switcher (grid icon in the top-left corner).
  3. Select the Manufacturing app icon.
  4. From the top navigation bar, open Manufacturing β†’ Operations β†’ Manufacturing Orders / Work Orders; Quality β†’ Quality Control.

{screenshot:concepts-app-switcher-navigation}

Step 2: Creating and Parameterizing Records#

  1. Click the New button in the top-left control panel.
  2. Complete the mandatory fields in the record form:
    • Finished Product (Mandatory): Manufacturable item variant linked to an active Bill of Materials
    • Quantity to Produce (Mandatory): Target production batch volume in standard unit of measure
    • Bill of Materials (BoM) (Mandatory): Active engineering recipe defining component roll-ups and operation steps
    • Scheduled Date (Mandatory): Target production execution date and shift allocation
  3. Configure optional operational parameters and localized tags as required:
    • Work Center Routing (Optional): Specific shop floor machine or assembly station sequence
    • Lot / Serial Number (Optional): Assigned traceability lot for finished goods batch tracking
    • Analytic Cost Account (Optional): Cost absorption center for direct labor and utility overhead
  4. Click the Save icon in the control bar to commit the record.

{screenshot:concepts-record-creation-form}

Step 3: Validating and Processing Transactions#

  • State Transitions: Execute operational state progression (Draft β†’ Confirmed β†’ In Production β†’ Quality Gate Passed β†’ Done β†’ Cost Closed).
  • Ledger & System Impact: Consumes raw materials from inventory (crediting stock valuation), absorbs labor/machine overhead, and debits finished goods inventory at actual cost.
  • Audit Verification: Automated recording of author ID, timestamp, and immutable revision history.

{screenshot:concepts-transaction-processing-state}

Core Production Mechanics#

Manufacturing in SmartERP is governed by double-entry operational and financial accounting. Every material conversion on the shop floor triggers simultaneous updates to inventory quants, analytic accounts, and general ledger journals.

The Bill of Materials (BoM) Explosion#

A Bill of Materials defines the engineering recipe for a product. When a Manufacturing Order (MO) is confirmed, SmartERP executes a BoM explosion:

  • Level 0: Finished Good (e.g., Corrugated Steel Roofing Sheet 3m).
  • Level 1: Semi-Finished Goods (e.g., Galvanized Steel Coil Strip) and direct raw materials.
  • Level 2: Raw chemical coatings, zinc ingots, and packaging materials.

The system determines whether intermediate sub-assemblies should be manufactured via child MOs or treated as phantom kits that explode directly into the parent assembly.

[mrp-bom-cost-rollup]

Double-Entry WIP and Absorption Accounting#

Unlike simplistic ERP systems that record product costs only upon receipt, SmartERP tracks cost evolution across three continuous stages:

  1. Raw Material Issuance:
    • Debit: Work-in-Progress (WIP) Inventory Account (103100)
    • Credit: Raw Materials Inventory Asset Account (102100)
  2. Operational Overhead & Direct Labor Absorption:
    • Debit: Work-in-Progress (WIP) Inventory Account (103100)
    • Credit: Direct Labor Absorption Recovery Account (502100)
    • Credit: Machine Overhead Absorption Recovery Account (502200)
  3. Finished Goods Receipt:
    • Debit: Finished Goods Inventory Asset Account (104100)
    • Credit: Work-in-Progress (WIP) Inventory Account (103100)

[mrp-wip-accounting-flow]

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)#

SmartERP calculates OEE across all active work centers to quantify production line efficiency:

$$\text{OEE} = \text{Availability} \times \text{Performance} \times \text{Quality}$$

  • Availability: Actual operating time divided by planned production time (penalized by breakdowns, setup delays, and raw material stockouts).
  • Performance: Actual units produced per hour divided by standard engineering design speed.
  • Quality: Defect-free units (first-time pass) divided by total units produced.

By-Products, Co-Products, and Scrap Taxonomy#

  • Finished Good: The primary output intended for customer sale or inventory stocking.
  • Co-Product: A secondary valuable product generated simultaneously (e.g., refined oil and press cake during oilseed extraction). Cost is apportioned based on relative sales value.
  • By-Product: A minor secondary output with nominal market value (e.g., sawdust in timber mills).
  • Scrap / Spoilage: Damaged, off-spec, or waste material that cannot be used. Normal scrap is absorbed into product cost; abnormal scrap is expensed immediately to profit and loss.

4. Advanced Configuration Points#

  • Automated Actions & Scheduled Tasks (Crons):
    • MRP: Recalculate BoM standard costs (mrp.ir_cron_bom_cost_roll): Runs weekly to update standard costing from latest procurement purchase prices
    • Quality: Trigger periodic inspection alerts (quality.ir_cron_inspection_check): Runs daily to flag mandatory quality testing queues
    • Workcenter: Update OEE statistics (mrp.ir_cron_workcenter_oee): Runs hourly to compute Overall Equipment Effectiveness metrics
  • Custom Print Templates & Reports:
    • Production Order Traveler & Pick List
    • Shop Floor Work Order Execution Slip
    • Quality Inspection Certificate & Non-Conformance Report
    • Manufacturing Cost Analysis & Variance Ledger
  • Multi-Company Rules: Record-level security isolation under Company 1 (Ashewa Technology Solutions S.C.), preventing cross-company ledger leakage across parent and subsidiary legal entities.

5. Comprehensive Troubleshooting Matrix#

Error Symptom / ExceptionProbable Root CauseCorrective Action / Resolution
BoM Missing Error: No active Bill of Materials foundProduct variant lacks a verified and confirmed BoM in the system.Create and confirm an active BoM under Manufacturing β†’ Products β†’ Bills of Materials.
Component Shortage Block: Insufficient stockRaw material components have not been transferred to the shop floor location.Execute an internal transfer from main warehouse to production staging location.
Quality Gate Blocked: Mandatory test failedWork order failed critical quality tolerance threshold.Perform required corrective rework or request authorized Quality Manager override.
Workcenter Capacity OverloadScheduled production duration exceeds available work center shift capacity.Adjust scheduled start dates or distribute load across alternative work centers.
Last updated: 2026-10-30