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Importing manufacturing operations

How to import manufacturing operations to inFlow

Easily track your manufacturing progress and costs with inFlow. Import bulk operations using CSV files to simplify your process.

Import file

Importing Manufacturing Operations | Importing Data to inFlow

Please note: Importing manufacturing operations is only available on inFlow Manufacturing for Web.

Creating the CSV

To start, you’ll need to create a CSV import template. You can export a blank template from inFlow or manually add the headings to your spreadsheet. 

How to export an operations CSV 

  1. From the inFlow Homepage, click on the Main menu, then Export.
  2. In the Data type list, select Operations.
  3. Click Export and save the file on your computer. 
  4. Open the CSV in the spreadsheet software of your choice. 

Create the CSV manually 

On a spreadsheet, add the following headings:

  1. ProductName
  2. OperationType
  3. OperationPerUnitCost
  4. OperationPerHourCost
  5. OperationEstimatedDurationSeconds
  6. OperationInstructions

Note: You might have noticed that the headings don’t have any spaces. Leaving the headings like this will allow inFlow to read the information on the CSV faster. 

Editing the operations CSV

Once you have a CSV with the appropriate headings, fill out the rows and columns starting with ProductName. 

The ProductName field is a unique identifier and must be filled out. inFlow flags an error if the field is left empty.

Import field breakdown

Import fieldExplanation
ProductNameThis is to track the hourly rate of manufacturing for a specific operation. 
For example, the hourly rate for labor and applicable fees. 
OperationTypeThis acts as a category for the operation.  Operations can be added to the inFlow settings or added to the CSV template and created by import. 
OperationPerUnitCostThis is for tracking fees that are associated with the particular operation.  
This field is helpful for tracking costs if the operation is outsourced and you’re charged on a per-unit basis. 
OperationPerHourCostThis is to track the hourly rate to manufacture for a specific operation. 
For example, the hourly rate for labor and applicable fees. 
OperationEstimatedDurationSecondsEnter the time in seconds for how long this operation should take. 
This field holds up to 4 decimal points for precise time tracking. 
Estimated duration and Per-hour costs are used to calculate the cost for the specific operation.
OperationInstructionsThis field is where you can add written instructions for how to assemble the components in the bill of materials. 
This field accepts HTML links also. 

Adding multiple operations for a product

To add multiple operations, copy the product name to another row and fill out the remaining columns on that row. 

The operations listed on the CSV will be listed in the same order as they are listed in the Manufacturing tab of the product record. 

Note: at the moment, there isn’t an option to change the order of operations. You can reimport the CSV file to change the display order.

Import steps

Importing Manufacturing Operations | Importing Data to inFlow

Importing to inFlow

If you have your import file ready to go, read on for how to import your file to inFlow.

  1. Click on Main Menu > Import.
  2. In the Data type drop-down menu, select Operations.
  3. Below, select the CSV file from your computer, then click Next.
  4. A preview of your import file will appear and will let you know how many line products you have in your file.
  5. To edit the mapping of CSV columns to inFlow fields, click on Edit data mapping.
  6. Match the inFlow fields on the left to the fields in your CSV file that are in the drop-down menus.
  7. Once you’re satisfied that all the fields you need match, click Import.
  8. A confirmation message noting that your import is in progress will be displayed. You’ll be emailed the import results when it’s done.
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In this tab
  • Creating the CSV
  • Editing the operations CSV
  • Adding multiple operations for a product
  • Importing to inFlow
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