A Work Order is a document which authorizes the production of manufactured Items. Work Orders can exist in five different states—from creation to completion. The five different states of Work Orders are listed below:
Open ("O"): This is the initial state a Work Order receives when it is first created.
Exploded ("E"): A Work Order is considered exploded once it has been opened and its accompanying Work Order Material Requirement and Work Order Operations have also been created.
Released ("R"): This state describes a Work Order that has been released to the shop floor.
In-process ("I"): This is the state a Work Order reaches when Work Order Material Requirements have been issued to it.
Closed ("C"): The final state of a Work Order occurs when it is closed.
The creation and control of Work Orders is handled by the "W/O Control" section.