- Understanding Work Center

Understanding Work Center in Furniture Manufacturing with Odoo

In the manufacturing industry, especially in furniture production, efficiency and process management are key factors for success. One of the essential elements in a manufacturing system is the Work Center. This article will discuss the basic concept of Work Center and how, in furniture manufacturing, there are two types of Work Centers: Generic Work Center and Associate Work Center.

What is a Work Center?

A Work Center is a unit within a manufacturing system used to carry out specific production processes. Each Work Center can represent a machine, a group of machines, or even a workforce handling production tasks. Work Centers typically have parameters such as production capacity, cycle time, operational costs, and efficiency rates.

In the Odoo system, Work Centers help manage and control production processes, ensuring that each stage runs as planned while monitoring the efficiency of each production unit.

Types of Work Centers in Furniture Manufacturing

In furniture manufacturing, there are two main types of Work Centers:

1. Generic Work Center

A Generic Work Center serves as a grouping or categorization system for standard production processes. Examples include commonly used furniture manufacturing machines such as Jointers, Planers, CNC Routers, and others that directly work on raw materials.

In Odoo, the Generic Work Center can be found in the following menu:

Manufacture -> Configuration -> Generic Work Center

This category allows users to classify different types of tasks or equipment available for production.

Functions and Benefits of Generic Work Center

• Groups various types of machines and production tools.
• Simplifies the identification and management of manufacturing resources.
• Provides structure in organizing production processes.
• Optimizes production capacity planning.

2. Associate Work Center

Unlike the Generic Work Center, the Associate Work Center is the actual unit used in the manufacturing process. This Work Center is linked to external parties or partners and is used to designate contractors or vendors responsible for specific production tasks. For example, in furniture manufacturing, certain processes such as finishing, coating, or carving may not be handled internally but outsourced to third parties.

In Odoo, the Associate Work Center can be accessed via:

Manufacture -> Configuration -> Associate Work Center

This feature is highly useful for managing work relationships with external partners while ensuring that outsourced processes are monitored within the production workflow.

Functions and Benefits of Associate Work Center

• Allows companies to collaborate with contractors for specialized tasks.
• Provides flexibility in production using external resources.
• Reduces investment in specialized equipment that is not frequently used.
• Simplifies project management involving third parties.
• Used throughout the entire manufacturing process to ensure smooth production.

Steps to Create Generic and Associate Work Centers in Odoo

Creating a Generic Work Center

1. Navigate to Manufacture -> Configuration -> Generic Work Center.

​2. Click on New to open a new Work Center form.

​3. Enter the Work Center Name (e.g., CNC Router, Jointer, Planer).

​4. Set the Work Center Code, Production Capacity, and Efficiency Factor.

​5. Define the Time Efficiency and Cost Per Hour if needed.

6. Add a Substitute Work center, Substitute Workcenter is Associate Work center

7. Save the Work Center.

Creating an Associate Work Center

1. Go to Manufacture -> Configuration -> Associate Work Center.

​

2. Click on New to add a new Associate Work Center.

3. Enter the Work Center Name (e.g., External Finishing, Coating Partner).

4. Specify the Contractor or Vendor associated with the Work Center.

5. Define the Capacity, Cycle Time, and Cost Parameters

6. Save the Work Center.

Advantages of Separating Work Centers in Odoo

By dividing Work Centers into Generic and Associate, several benefits can be achieved:

• More structured management: Clearly separates internal and external production processes.
• Efficient task assignment: Operators can easily determine whether a process should be handled internally or by a contractor.
• More accurate performance monitoring: Each Work Center has different performance metrics, allowing production managers to analyze the effectiveness of each category.
• Business process automation: In Odoo, the workflow for Generic and Associate Work Centers can be automated based on production needs.
• Optimized production costs: By combining internal and external resources, companies can reduce unnecessary expenses and allocate budgets more efficiently.

Conclusion

Implementing Work Centers in Odoo provides flexibility for furniture manufacturing industries in managing production processes. With Generic Work Centers functioning as groupings and Associate Work Centers as active production units, efficiency and transparency in manufacturing can be significantly improved.

By gaining a better understanding of Work Centers in Odoo, companies can optimize production and enhance control over each workflow stage, ensuring high-quality and timely end products.

Proper use of Work Centers also helps businesses reduce costs, increase operational efficiency, and ensure that every produced item meets established quality standards.