When your actual material consumption doesn't match your bill of materials — whether from material defects, process improvements, or component substitutions — you can adjust the usage to reflect what really happened.
Making Usage Adjustments
At the bottom of any production card, click Adjust usage. You'll see a dialog with two tabs: Components (for materials and products) and Resources.
Adjusting Materials and Products
The Components tab shows everything consumed in this production run:
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Planned usage — what your bill of materials calls for
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Actual usage — what you really used (starts out matching the planned amount)
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Location — which storage location the items came from
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Variance — how much over or under you used
Just update the Actual usage field with the real number, and the variance calculates automatically. Positive numbers (like "+0.8 sq m") mean you used more than planned; negative numbers (like "-0.4 sq m") mean you saved material.
Need to add something that wasn't in the original bill of materials? Click + Add row, pick the item, and enter how much you used.
Adjusting Resources
Switch to the Resources tab to record actual labor hours, machine time, or other production resources. Update the Actual usage field to see how it compares to what you planned.
You can also add resources that weren't originally planned by clicking + Add row.
Saving Your Changes
Click Save when you're done, and your adjustments will flow through to all your reports and cost calculations. Changed your mind? Just click Close to cancel.
Practical Examples
Example 1: Material Defect
Planned lumber usage — 4.2 sq m. During production, defects were discovered, requiring an additional 0.8 sq m. In the usage adjustment dialog, enter actual usage of 5 sq m.
Example 2: Material Savings
Planned fabric usage — 2.4 sq m. Optimized cutting allowed using only 2 sq m. Enter actual usage of 2 sq m; the system will show savings of -0.4 sq m.
Example 3: Extended Machine Time
Planned CNC machine time — 5 hours, but actually required 6 hours. On the Resources tab, enter 6 hours; the system will record overconsumption of +1 hour.