What is production scheduling and WIP tracking?

Production scheduling plans the order and timing of work. Work-in-process (WIP) tracking shows where each job actually is, what has been completed, what is waiting and why. Connecting both gives planners a schedule grounded in current shop-floor conditions.

How can I see where each manufacturing order stands?

Connect work orders to operation-level status, timestamps, quantities and reasons for holds. A shared view can show which orders are queued, running, blocked, in inspection or ready for the next step.

Can production schedules update when a machine goes down?

Yes. When downtime and actual progress are captured, planners can see which operations are affected and adjust priorities and estimated completion dates. The exact degree of automatic rescheduling depends on the data and workflow.

How do PLCs and SCADA support WIP tracking?

PLCs and SCADA can provide machine status, counts, alarms and process events. Those signals can be combined with work-order, operator and quality information to establish meaningful job progress.

Do we need MES to track work in process?

Not always. A focused scheduling and WIP layer may connect existing ERP, spreadsheets, PLCs and operator updates. A full MES may be appropriate when broader execution, traceability or quality functions are needed.

Can this connect to our existing ERP or accounting system?

Integration can exchange work orders, item information, due dates, completed quantities and approved production updates using supported APIs, databases or other appropriate interfaces.

How do we identify bottlenecks and late orders?

Compare planned versus actual operation progress, queue age, available capacity, downtime and hold reasons. This makes it easier to identify the work center limiting throughput and the orders at risk.

Can legacy equipment be included?

Often, yes. Depending on the equipment, progress can come from existing control signals, gateways, barcode scans or simple operator updates without replacing every machine.

What is the difference between production scheduling and capacity planning?

Capacity planning asks whether resources can meet expected demand. Production scheduling assigns work to specific resources and time windows. WIP tracking provides actual conditions so both decisions can be corrected as work progresses.

How does Rent Custom Software apply to scheduling and WIP?

Ayoka can configure a connected workflow around the operation and provide it through its Rent Custom Software monthly model, rather than requiring a conventional off-the-shelf purchase or a full build-from-scratch project.

24 Years of Software Development & Integration 100% U.S.-Based Marine-Owned Business First

Industrial automation software & systems integration

Industrial Automation That Gets More Finished Product Out the Door

Connect the Factory. Connect the Business.

Your equipment may be running. Your people may be working hard. But orders can still stall between scheduling, production, inspection, and shipping.

Ayoka connects the machines, systems, and decisions behind your work in process (WIP), so you can find bottlenecks, recover capacity, and move more finished product out the door—without assuming you need another machine or another disconnected system.

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Where Is Your Production Getting Stuck?

Maybe your schedule looks right in the office but not on the shop floor. Maybe operators enter the same information twice. Maybe nobody can tell which jobs are waiting for materials, inspection, rework, or the next machine until the delay has already cost you time.

When machine data, production status, labor, materials, and financial information live in different places, it becomes harder to answer the questions that matter: Which job needs attention? What is slowing the next shipment? Are we making money on this work?

Winning is in the WIP™. The opportunity is often in the work already moving—or waiting—through your operation.

Connect What You Have. Improve What Happens Next.

Industrial automation is not simply collecting more signals. It is turning the information you already have into action across your operation.

01 / SEE

Know what is happening

Bring machine status, production counts, job progress, downtime, and WIP into a useful operational view.

02 / FIND

Identify the real constraint

Spot queues, missing materials, changeovers, rework, and handoffs that keep finished goods from shipping.

03 / IMPROVE

Make the next decision easier

Connect scheduling, labor, quality, inventory, and job costing so teams can act earlier and with better information.

Industrial Automation Capabilities Built Around Your Operation

PLC Integration & Programming

Connect PLCs and machine controls to production and business data, reducing manual entry and making machine signals useful beyond the equipment.

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SCADA Integration & Machine Monitoring

Bring equipment status, alarms, events, and production performance into a clearer view for operators and managers.

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Production Scheduling & WIP Tracking

See where orders stand, what is waiting, and how the schedule connects to actual shop-floor conditions.

MES & Manufacturing Operations Software

Link execution, quality, inspection, rework, materials, and production records without forcing people into disconnected workflows.

ERP, Accounting & Job Costing Integration

Connect operational data with systems such as ERP and accounting tools to improve visibility into labor, material use, job cost, and margin.

OEE & Production Performance Visibility

Understand availability, performance, and quality alongside the queues and constraints that equipment metrics alone can miss.

Have an immediate machine connectivity question? Start with our Free PLC Connection Check. Using Eaton equipment? See our Eaton Direct Connect integration.

What Changes for Your Business?

More usable capacity

Find avoidable waiting and friction before investing in more equipment or headcount.

More reliable delivery

See at-risk orders earlier and give production teams better information to protect commitments.

Better financial visibility

Connect WIP, labor, materials, and completed work so operational decisions reflect their cost and margin implications.

The goal is not another dashboard nobody uses. It is a more connected operation where people can make better decisions and get more work completed.

Custom Industrial Software Without a Traditional Custom Software Purchase

You should not have to rebuild your operation around a rigid software package. Ayoka offers a different option: Get custom software built around your manufacturing workflows for a fraction of the cost of traditional custom software development. Instead of a large upfront investment, you pay a predictable monthly fee.

We can connect existing systems and create the operational views and workflows your business needs, while keeping your ERP and other tools where they belong. B.O.S.S. can serve as your operational headquarters across teams and functions.

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Experience Across Complex Production Work

For more than 24 years, Ayoka has connected factory-floor processes with business systems. Our U.S.-based team approaches each operation by understanding where work slows down before recommending what to automate.

Production workflow visibility

See how custom production software supports the interconnected steps behind a complex manufacturing operation.

Sexing Technologies case study →

High-stakes operational coordination

Explore how integrated planning and information can support time-sensitive refinery turnaround work.

Refinery turnaround case study →

B.O.S.S. — Manufacturing Operations Software

Connect production workflows, scheduling, inventory, quality, and operational data in one system that works with your existing manufacturing and business software.

B.O.S.S. →

How This Applies to Your Operation

What is industrial automation software?

Industrial automation software connects equipment, controls, production data, and operational workflows to help manufacturers monitor work, coordinate decisions, and improve production performance. Depending on the need, it can include PLC and SCADA integration, machine monitoring, production scheduling, WIP tracking, MES functions, and business-system integration.

What is the difference between industrial automation and factory automation?

Factory automation focuses on automating production equipment and shop-floor processes. Industrial automation is broader and can include the software, controls, data, and business-system connections that coordinate work across an industrial operation. The two often overlap.

Can Ayoka connect our PLCs and SCADA systems to ERP or accounting software?

Ayoka develops integrations that connect shop-floor systems with business applications. The exact approach depends on the equipment, data interfaces, ERP or accounting system, and operational requirements. The goal is to reduce duplicate entry and make production information more useful.

Do we need to replace our ERP to improve WIP visibility?

Not necessarily. ERP systems are often useful for planning, transactions, and accounting, while additional operational software can capture the real-time job status, queues, inspection, rework, and handoffs between those transactions. Ayoka can connect systems instead of replacing them.

How can machine monitoring software help if our machines are already running?

Machine monitoring can reveal status, downtime, cycle performance, and events. Connecting that data with scheduling, materials, labor, quality, and WIP can show why completed output still falls short even when individual machines appear productive.

Can industrial automation help us improve production scheduling?

Yes. When scheduling is connected to actual job progress, material availability, machine status, and constraints, teams can identify conflicts sooner and adjust priorities using current operational information.

How does WIP tracking relate to manufacturing job costing?

WIP tracking shows where work stands and what resources it consumes. When connected with labor, materials, and accounting data, it can help reconcile expected versus actual job costs and reveal where delays, rework, or extra handling affect margin.

Is this only for large manufacturers?

No. Smaller and mid-sized manufacturers can also benefit from connecting disconnected processes. The right starting point is usually one costly bottleneck, manual handoff, or visibility gap—not a plant-wide software replacement.

Do we have to buy custom software?

No. Ayoka offers Rent Custom Software as an alternative to a traditional purchase or one-time custom build. The scope and commercial structure depend on what your operation needs.

Where should we start?

Start with a specific production problem: a missed shipment, an unexplained queue, unreliable job status, repeated data entry, or unclear labor and material costs. Ayoka can discuss what systems and information need to connect to address it.

What Is Holding Your Production Back?

Tell us where work is waiting, where information disappears, or where the numbers do not line up. We will start with the problem—not a software pitch.

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