The value of a manufacturing ERP comes from operational use: where users issue materials, track work, capture labor, inspect parts, move orders, and generate the data needed for real-time reporting. For small and mid-sized manufacturers, those points of action are where the system creates the most value.
That is why Cetec ERP’s design approach is focused on reducing friction where users are doing the work. As Cetec ERP grows, we keep looking for ways to make high-use screens faster, clearer, and easier to use across a wide range of use cases.
With Cetec ERP 4.24, we are releasing the newest version of the Work Order screen. This update keeps the core functionality your team already uses, while improving the layout around the information and actions users rely on during production.
We know changes to familiar screens require communication, retraining, and time to adjust. That is why we are sharing resources ahead of the release, so your team can see what is changing and prepare users before the update goes live.
View the overview video here.
Why We Updated the Work Order Screen
The Work Order screen is one of the most critical and heavily used screens in Cetec ERP. Production teams use it to track work, capture labor time, review work instructions, monitor material shortages, check quality issues, manage scheduling needs, and keep orders moving through production.
Because this screen supports so much production activity, layout changes matter.
Cetec ERP has been working to understand how different teams use the Work Order screen across roles, industries, and production processes. The goal of this update is practical: reduce unnecessary clicking, bring more useful information into view, and make common production actions easier to reach.
The Work Order screen touches several parts of the production process, including:
- Work tracking
- Labor time capture
- Work instructions
- Material shortages
- Scheduling
- Quality issues
- Order status
- Location movement
- Production history
The new layout applies these usage patterns to a clearer page structure without changing the full work order process your team already knows.
What Is Changing
01. Larger Header for Order Details
The top of the page still includes key order information such as order number, part number, revision, quantity, customer, and ship date.
The new header makes this information easier to scan at the start of the order.
02. Clearer Alerts for Production Issues
Important alerts are easier to find in the new layout.
If there are material shortages, quality issues, or holds on the order, clear warning buttons now appear directly in the header. This helps users identify issues earlier while working from the order page.
03. Always-Visible Sidebar
The sidebar now stays visible on the left side of the screen.
This gives users access to work order tools without opening and closing a menu. For users who move between different sections of the Work Order screen during the day, this should reduce extra clicks and make navigation more predictable.
04. Single Scrollable List of Work Locations
The Work tab includes one of the biggest layout changes.
In the previous layout, users moved through work locations using a horizontal carousel. In the new layout, locations appear in a single scrollable list.
This lets users review the order path from top to bottom without clicking through locations one at a time.
05. Easier Access to Work Instructions and Time Logging
The Work tab is also where users will notice the biggest improvement in accessing work instructions and logging time.
Each location row shows key information such as progress, active users, timing information, and available work actions.
Users can expand a location to review work instructions, view operations, and track work on individual steps.
06. Familiar Supporting Tabs
To avoid disruption across the full page, the supporting tabs remain in the same familiar design.
The Info, Materials, Status, Documents, and History tabs have not changed. Teams do not have to relearn the entire work order process at once.
Use Old Version Link
Of course, we want to avoid disruption, maintain backwards compatibility, and give your team time to adapt.
The Use Old Version link will remain available at the top of the page, allowing users to switch back to the previous view while they get comfortable with the new layout.
This gives teams time to compare the old and new screens, update internal training materials, and help users transition at a practical pace.
Training Resources
We recommend sharing the overview video and this blog with supervisors, production leads, and users who work from the Work Order screen regularly.
These resources can help your team get familiar with the new layout before the Cetec ERP 4.24 release:
- Overview video
- Training card slide deck
- Updated Work Order screen documentation
Work Order How-To Guides
We will also link the full set of Work Order how-to guides here, so your team can quickly find the instructions they need while learning the new screen.
These guides will cover common Work Order actions, including reviewing order details, accessing work instructions, logging time, moving work between locations, checking materials, reviewing documents, and using related Work Order tools.
- Order Processing - How To Pick Parts, Update Status, and Log Time
- Workorder Management - Complete Required Work Instructions
- How To Batch Multiple Work Orders on the Production Floor
- How To Track Work Orders on the Shop Floor
- How To Tag Work Orders With Special Flags or Properties
Preparing for Cetec ERP 4.24
The new Work Order screen will be released in the upcoming Cetec ERP 4.24 update.
Before the release, we recommend reviewing the video, sharing this blog with key users, and identifying anyone on your team who may need extra time to get familiar with the new layout.
The core process remains familiar. The update focuses on making the page easier to scan, reducing extra clicks, and giving users clearer access to the information and actions they use every day.
We will continue adding resources to this page as they become available.