An assembly order is an instruction in Exact Online to make a composite item from the components in its bill of materials. With the Barcode Scan App you finish assembly orders on the work floor: you scan batch numbers, serial numbers and storage locations, and the assembled item goes straight into stock in Exact Online. Useful for wholesalers, web shops and small manufacturers that put together sets or assemble simple products.
In short:
- The app shows all open assembly orders of the warehouse you are working in.
- For each order you see the planned quantity, the finished quantity, a progress bar and the components from the bill of materials.
- You scan batch numbers, serial numbers and storage locations of the components and of the assembled item.
- You can finish the full quantity or only part of it.
- The result is sent directly to Exact Online.
- Assembly orders are included in the Basic subscription.
What is an assembly order?
In Exact Online you record a bill of materials for an item: which components it consists of and how many of each you need. That makes it a composite item. An assembly order is the instruction to make a number of these composite items. When the order is finished, the components are consumed and the composite item is added to stock.
An assembly order has an order number, an order date, an assembly date, a planned quantity and a storage location. Its type is either assembly or disassembly. You see all of this in the app.
When do you use assembly orders?
- Kitting and sets: you make packages or starter kits in advance, so you can ship them as soon as an order comes in.
- Simple assembly: you put a product together from a few fixed components, without operations or time registration.
- Traceability: you want to record which batches or serial numbers of the components went into an assembled item. Read more about batch and serial numbers.
Step by step: finishing an assembly order in the app
- Log in with your Exact Online account. See secure login with Exact Online for how this works.
- Open the Assembly order tile. You see the open assembly orders of your warehouse with Ordernumber, Item, Description, Orderdate and Assemblydate. You can filter and sort the list. The app reloads the orders from Exact Online every 15 minutes; the Load assembly orders button does this immediately.
- Choose an order. You see the Planned quantity, the Finished quantity, the Progress, the storage location and any notes. Under Items you find the components from the bill of materials with the quantity per assembled item.
- Scan the components. For a component with batch numbers, scan the Batch number and the Storage location; the button next to the field opens a list of locations with the stock per location. For a component with serial numbers, the app creates a field for every serial number you need. Components without batch or serial numbers need no scanning.
- Enter the amount under Finish assembly order. The field defaults to the quantity that still has to be made. If the assembled item has serial numbers, you finish one piece at a time and scan its serial number or let the app generate one. For a batch item you enter the batch number.
- Scan the storage location where the assembled item will be stored. This field appears when the warehouse uses storage locations and defaults to the location of the order.
- Click Submit. The app finishes the assembly order in Exact Online. If Exact Online returns an error, the app shows it right away. After finishing, you can print a label for the assembled item.
Settings
The tile is switched off by default. Go to Settings, section General, and tick Assembly order under Menu. The tile then appears on the home screen and in the menu.
On the Progress screen you see the number of open assembly orders in your warehouse, next to purchase orders, sales orders and shop orders. Clicking the block opens the list of assembly orders.
Tip: count the stock of frequently used components regularly with planned stock counts, so your bill of materials and your stock stay in line.
Assembly order, composite item or shop order?
| Assembly order | Composite item on a sales order | Shop order | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Make an assembled item and put it in stock | Pick the components of a set for a customer | Produce with operations and hours |
| Starting point in Exact Online | Assembly order | Sales order | Shop order (Exact Online Manufacturing) |
| What you do in the app | Scan components and finish | Pick components for the delivery | Issue materials, register time, receive the finished product |
| Result | Assembled item in stock | Delivery to the customer | Finished product in stock |
Do you ship a set to a customer without putting it in stock first? Then you pick the components on the sales order; see composite items. If you need operations, material issues and time registration, use a shop order in Exact Online Manufacturing.
Frequently asked questions
What is an assembly order in Exact Online?
An assembly order is an instruction in Exact Online to make a composite item from the components in its bill of materials. When the order is finished, the components are consumed and the composite item is added to stock. In the Barcode Scan App you see the open assembly orders of your warehouse and finish them with the scanner.
How do I finish an assembly order with the scanner?
Open the Assembly order tile in the app and choose an order. Scan the requested batch or serial numbers and storage locations of the components, enter the amount under Finish assembly order, scan the storage location for the assembled item and click Submit. The app sends the result directly to Exact Online.
Can I scan batch and serial numbers on an assembly order?
Yes. For components with batch numbers you scan the batch number and the storage location, for components with serial numbers you scan each serial number. If the composite item itself has batch or serial numbers, you also enter its batch number or serial number. The app can also generate a serial number for you.
Can I partially finish an assembly order?
Yes. The Amount field defaults to the quantity that still has to be made, but you can enter a lower amount. The order then shows the Finished quantity and a progress bar. A composite item with serial numbers is finished one piece at a time.
What is the difference between an assembly order and a shop order?
An assembly order makes a composite item from a fixed bill of materials and finishes it in one step. A shop order belongs to Exact Online Manufacturing and is meant for production with material issues, operations, time registration and receiving the finished product.
Which subscription do I need for assembly orders?
Assembly orders are included in the Basic subscription of the Barcode Scan App. Printing labels after finishing an order is part of the Advanced subscription.