Work Orders That Roll Up Into Job Costs
Most work order systems just track tasks. Jolted work orders automatically roll up into job costs and margins. Time logged on the floor flows into profitability. Materials issued feed job cost. Your work orders become your job costing system—not a separate thing to manage.
Digital
Work Orders
Automatic
Cost Roll-Up
Real-Time
Visibility
THE WORK ORDER PROBLEM
Work Orders Should Connect to Profitability
Disconnected Work Orders
Paper travelers get lost, damaged, or illegible
Workers have to walk to the office to see drawings or specs
No visibility into work order status until you walk the floor
Time tracked on work orders doesn't connect to job costing
Creating work orders takes forever—copy/paste from old jobs
Can't tell if a job is over budget until it's done
Connected Work Orders
Digital work orders that can't be lost—always accessible
Drawings and specs attached to the work order, visible on the floor
Real-time status dashboard—see all work orders and progress
Time logged flows directly into job cost calculations
Clone from templates or past jobs—customize in minutes
See estimated vs. actual costs in real time as work progresses
WORK ORDERS = JOB COSTING
The Work Order Is Where Job Cost Happens
Work orders define operations and estimated times. Workers log actual time against operations. That time, at configured labor rates, becomes job labor cost. Add material issues, and you have complete job cost. Work orders aren't just task tracking—they're the source of your job costing data.
Real-Time
Job Profitability
See margins updating as work order time is logged
Automatic
Cost Roll-Up
No separate cost calculation—work orders are job costing
Live
WIP Visibility
In-progress work orders show current WIP value
See how much spreadsheets are costing your shop
Calculate Your SavingsWORK ORDER FEATURES
Digital Work Orders for Manufacturing
From job creation to cost capture
Digital Work Orders
Create work orders with operations, estimated times, and instructions. No paper travelers to lose or damage. Everything digital and trackable.
Attach Files & Drawings
PDFs, CAD files, photos—attach anything workers need to the work order. They see it on their tablet right at the machine.
Flexible Routings
Define operations and sequence for each job. Copy from similar jobs or templates. Handle the variety of job shop work without rigid structures.
Auto Cost Roll-Up
Time logged against work order operations flows into job costs automatically. No separate costing step—work orders ARE job costing.
Shop Floor Access
Workers view work orders on tablets. See instructions, log time, report progress. The work order travels with the job digitally.
Progress Visibility
See work order status in real time. Know which operations are complete, which are in progress, and which haven't started.
CONNECTED OPERATIONS
Work Orders Support Complete Job Management
Labor Tracking
Workers clock into work order operations. Time flows into job labor cost automatically. Compare estimated vs. actual time per operation.
Material Issues
Log materials issued against work orders. Material cost adds to job cost. Compare actual vs. estimated material usage.
Scheduling
Schedule work order operations against machines and work centers. Visual scheduling with capacity view. Actual progress updates schedule status.
FAQ
Manufacturing Work Order Software: FAQ
Can I attach files to work orders?
Yes. Attach PDFs, images, CAD drawings, Excel files—anything workers need. These attachments are visible from the shop floor tablet interface. Workers see the drawing right there, no walking to the office or hunting for the paper copy.
How do workers interact with digital work orders?
Workers see their assigned work orders on tablets or phones. They tap to clock into an operation, view attached documents and instructions, and report when complete. It's designed to be simple—no training required beyond a quick walkthrough. Most workers are comfortable within an hour.
What if every job is different?
Job shops thrive on variety, and Jolted handles it. Each work order can have its own operations and routing. For similar jobs, clone from a past work order and modify. You're not locked into predefined structures—the system adapts to how you work.
How do I create work orders quickly?
Start from templates for common job types, or clone from a similar past job. Modify operations, estimated times, and notes. Attach files. In practice, creating a work order takes a few minutes. Many shops reduce work order creation time by 50%+ compared to paper methods.
Can I track estimated vs. actual time per operation?
Yes. Each operation has an estimated time. As workers log actual time, you see the comparison. Identify which operations consistently run over, which estimates are accurate, and where time is lost. This data improves future quoting and planning.
What happens to paper travelers?
Most shops eliminate paper travelers entirely. The digital work order contains everything: routing, instructions, drawings, notes. Workers access it on their tablet. If you still want paper (some shops do for specific reasons), you can print work orders. But most find they don't need paper once the tablets are in place.
How does this help with job shop scheduling?
Work orders define what needs to be done. Scheduling puts that work on the calendar. In Jolted, you schedule work order operations against resources (machines, work centers). The schedule connects to work orders—actual progress on work orders updates schedule status automatically.
Work Orders Connected to Profitability
Your work orders should tell you more than task status. See how digital work orders become real-time job costing.
Digital work orders with attachments
Automatic cost roll-up
Shop floor tablet interface
Real-time job profitability
No credit card required
14-day free trial
Setup in 5 minutes