Know where the work stands.

Work in progress, or WIP, is work that has started but has not finished its production route. A spreadsheet may list the job, while a cart, traveler, or operator holds the most current information about its location. The gap becomes visible when somebody asks for a delivery update or a station runs out of work.

Useful WIP tracking connects a job identifier, a route, a station, and a state. It should distinguish a job that is running from one that is queued, blocked, complete at a station, or waiting for the next handoff. A single percentage-complete number cannot explain those differences.

Seneca shows work moving through manufacturing stations and connects that view to camera activity and operator inputs. An operator can report an issue at the job or station, giving the supervisor a place to start investigating.

The important question is not simply whether a job moved. Teams need to know whether it is ready for the next operation and what prevents it from moving. Connect a reported issue to its work order, station, time, and owner so the production view leads to an action.

Compare the work waiting before a station with the work available after it. A growing queue can reveal a constraint, while an empty downstream station can indicate a delayed handoff or missing material. Review repeated patterns across representative jobs before changing the line.

Start with one route and define the transitions clearly. Test unusual paths such as rework, split jobs, shared carts, and returns to an earlier station. Keep a way for an operator or supervisor to correct a status when the record and the floor disagree.