The process code in Business Central lets you group manufacturing operation lines that cannot be grouped through the work center. You assign a process code to each routing line, for example to distinguish mechanical, visual, and other types of operations within the same work center.
You add the process code as a header filter in the shop floor overview and to the operation line itself. When you filter on a process code and recalculate the operations, the overview shows only the operations matching that code. This gives the people working on the shop floor a cleaner, more focused view.
A typical use case is quality control. You can have several quality control processes, such as visual inspection, mechanical tests, and similar checks, all handled by the same people in the same work center. Instead of creating multiple work centers, you keep one work center and use process codes on the routing lines to separate the different inspection types.
What the process code does in the shop floor overview
The shop floor overview is the view you use in the manufacturing area to keep track of operations. You can add the process code in two places: as a filter on the header, and as a column on the operation line.
When you look at your operation lines, you can see the process code assigned to each one. Some operations are marked as mechanical, some as visual, and so on. This lets you immediately see what type of work each operation line represents.
Grouping operations that cannot be grouped through the work center
The main idea behind the process code is to bundle operation lines that you cannot bundle through the work center alone. The work center already groups operations by where the work happens, but sometimes you need another way to group operations that share the same resources but differ in their nature.
A good example is quality control. You might run different quality control processes such as visual inspection, mechanical tests, and other checks. All of these apply to the same work center, with the same people or the same assembly handling the work. You only want one work center or one machine center for this, but you still want to distinguish the different processes.
By defining a different process code on each routing line, you keep a single work center while still being able to tell the inspection types apart. The process code works like a dimension you attach to each operation, which you can then use for filtering.
Filtering and recalculating to simplify the view
Once your operations carry process codes, you can filter on them in the overview. For example, if you filter on the mechanical process code and recalculate your operations, the overview shows only the operations with that process code. The result is a simpler, more manageable view focused on exactly the work you want to see.
This is what the process code is really about: creating a better overview for the people working with the shop floor. When every operation is part of a process code, you can use that code to filter and keep your view clean.
Q&A
What is the process code used for in Business Central manufacturing?
The process code lets you group manufacturing operation lines that you cannot group through the work center. You assign a code to each routing line, for example mechanical or visual, and use it to filter the shop floor overview.
Where do you add the process code in the shop floor overview?
You add it in two places. You can add it as a filter on the header, and you can add it as a column on the operation line so you can see the code assigned to each operation.
How does the process code help with quality control?
You can keep a single work center for quality control while still distinguishing different processes such as visual inspection, mechanical tests, and other checks. You assign a different process code to each routing line instead of creating multiple work centers.
How do you simplify the shop floor view using the process code?
You filter on a specific process code, such as mechanical, and recalculate your operations. The overview then shows only the operations matching that code, giving you a simpler and more focused view.