How can I add a No-cost, No-labor operation to a shop order?

​@Arbetrayer This is a common requirement when you need to track activities without impacting costs.

You have a few approaches to add a no-cost, no-labor operation to a shop order:

Option 1: Create a Zero-Cost Work Center and Operation

1. Set up a dedicated work center for tracking purposes:

   • Navigate to Manufacturing > Work Centers
   • Create a work center with zero overhead rates
   • Set all cost parameters (machine rate, labor rate, etc.) to zero

2. Create the operation using this work center:

   • Go to your shop order and add a new operation
   • Assign the zero-cost work center
   • Set operation times as needed for tracking, but costs will be zero

Option 2: Use Operation Categories for Tracking

If you want even more granular tracking:

• Set up Operation Categories in Manufacturing > Basic Data > Operation Category
• Create categories like "REWORK", "CLEANING", "REPAIR"
• Assign these to your zero-cost operations for better reporting

Option 3: Custom Fields for Issue Tracking

For simple issue tracking without formal operations:

• Consider adding Custom Fields to the Shop Order or Shop Order Operation
• Create fields for issue type, description, time spent, etc.
• This gives you tracking without the complexity of additional operations

Reporting Considerations

With zero-cost operations, you can still:

• Track actual time spent via Shop Floor Workbench
• Generate reports on rework frequency and duration
• Analyze quality issues by operation category

The first option is probably your best bet since it maintains the standard IFS manufacturing flow while eliminating costs. You'll still get all the tracking benefits for your quality analysis.

-jason

​@jbush0419 Are these available in APPS10 IEE version? I am not seeing the Operation Categories?