# Plan and run an order (/learn/plan-and-run-an-order)



<Callout title="By the end of this chapter">
  A production order scheduled, started, and reporting live progress.
</Callout>

A **production order** is one job: make a target quantity of a product. This is the core loop of the factory, and it works end-to-end without any connected machines — you log output by hand.

**Role needed:** production planner (to plan/schedule) and production technician (to run).

## Order lifecycle [#order-lifecycle]

```
draft → scheduled → running → completed → awaiting QA
                       ↓
                   cancelled
```

## Steps [#steps]

1. In the sidebar, open **Orders**.
2. Click **New order**.
3. Choose the **product**, enter a **target quantity**, and set a **planned start / end** window. Save it — the order starts as a **draft**.
4. **Schedule** the order — assign it to a machine or work area and confirm the time window. It moves to **scheduled**.
5. When work begins, click **Start**. The order is now **running**.
6. As parts come off the line, **log the quantity completed**. On the lite plan you enter this manually as you go (with the IoT add-on, connected machines roll this up automatically).
7. When the target is met, click **Complete**. The order moves to **awaiting QA** for sign-off.

<Callout type="info">
  State changes go through dedicated actions (**Start**, **Pause**, **Complete**, **Cancel**) — not by editing a status field. This keeps the audit trail and any quality holds intact.
</Callout>

## Pausing and cancelling [#pausing-and-cancelling]

If a run stops, use **Pause** and pick a reason — that reason feeds the Order Interruptions report so recurring disruptions surface over time. **Cancel** ends an order that won't be finished.