If you run manufacturing in Business Central and use the My Operations functionality, you can register your production time directly from the operations list. This article walks through how to start and stop time registration on an operation, and what the different options actually do.
You start time registration directly from the menu in My Operations. You choose between setup time, run time, and stop time, where stop time is the standard Business Central setting for handling a breakdown.
You leave the duration field empty if you want an open timestamp that you stop manually later. You enter a value in the duration field only if you want to register a fixed amount of time, which closes the entry immediately.
Registering production time from My Operations
If you use the My Operations functionality, you or someone else allocates the operations that need to be done. From that same list, you can start and stop the operations directly. This means you don’t have to go elsewhere in Business Central to record the time spent on a given operation.
For example, if you want to start a setup time on the next operation in the list, you select the operation and use the start and stop options from the menu.
Choosing between setup time, run time, and stop time
When you start an entry, you decide what kind of time you are registering. You have three options:
- Setup time for the preparation of the operation.
- Run time for the actual production.
- Stop time, which is the standard Business Central time used when you have a breakdown.
So if you start a setup time, you select setup time from the menu and the registration begins.
Open timestamps versus fixed durations
When you start an entry, the duration output field controls how the entry behaves. If you leave it empty, the system just records a start time and leaves the entry open. You then stop it manually when the work is done.
If you enter a value in the duration field, you lock and close the timestamp right away. You do this when you want to register a fixed amount of time rather than tracking it live.
Either way, you’ve created a time collecting entry on the operation, and you can manage all of it straight from My Operations.
Q&A
Where do I start and stop production time in Business Central?
You start and stop production time directly from the menu in the My Operations functionality, on the operation you are working on.
What time types can I register on an operation?
You can register setup time, run time, and stop time. Stop time is the standard Business Central setting used when you have a breakdown.
What happens if I leave the duration field empty?
The entry stays open with only a start time recorded. You stop it manually later when the work is finished.
When should I enter a value in the duration field?
You enter a value when you want to register a fixed amount of time. This locks and closes the timestamp immediately instead of leaving it open.