Customer Jobs
A job keeps a customer's make-to-order work together: the requirements, private materials, production runs, deliveries, deposits and the balance invoice.
- Production managers, finance teams and shop floor supervisors
- Updated
In this guide
Where to find it: Sidebar > Production > Jobs
Who can do it: Manage manufacturing jobs. Cost columns and margins need View production costs and margins.
8.1 Job Lifecycle
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Quoted | Created; nothing paid or made yet |
| Deposit paid | A deposit invoice and payment are recorded |
| Making | At least one linked run exists, or part of the job is delivered |
| Delivered | The full quantity is delivered |
| Balance invoiced | The final invoice is issued |
| Cancelled | Stopped before any invoice, delivery or started run |
| Closed | Closed short with a reason |
The job page shows a stepper: Quoted, Deposit paid, Making (with how many are made), Delivered and Balance invoiced.
8.2 Creating a Job
- Click New job, or choose New customer job in Quick Create
- With Accounting, optionally choose an Accepted proforma (optional). It supplies the customer, made product, quantity and net price. It must have one made-product line, be in the business currency, and not be invoiced or used for another job. Using a proforma needs proforma view and convert permissions
- Or create the job directly: choose an Accounting customer, or type the Customer name for a job without Accounting
- Choose the Recipe, and enter Quantity and Net price per unit
- Enter Deliver by and any Custom requirements, such as wrapper artwork or packing
- Under Custom materials held for this job, add any special materials: Material, Workshop location and Total quantity for the full job
- Click Create job
Custom materials are held privately for the job. Only its linked runs can use them. A matching recipe material uses the job's quantity; other products are added to each run.
8.3 Making the Job
Who can do it: Manage manufacturing jobs and Create, plan and cancel production orders
Under Production, enter Units in the next run and click Create linked run. The run is created from the job's recipe version and planned straight away. A job can have several runs. You can plan only the remaining quantity: units already made plus open runs cannot exceed the job. Rejected or recalled output does not count as made, so you can plan a replacement run; the failed run's costs stay in the job.
Custom materials must be at the run's workshop. Otherwise you see "Move the custom materials to the workshop before creating this run."
With cost permission, Estimate against actual compares Estimate, Actual so far and Projected for materials, labour, outsourced steps, power and overhead, and by-products. Margin shows the estimated and projected margin.
If a batch is waiting for quality, people who can release see Release the first N.
8.4 Deposits
Who can do it: Manage manufacturing jobs plus Accounting's invoice create, invoice issue and payment create permissions. The job needs an Accounting customer.
- Under Take a deposit, enter Deposit before tax
- Enter the Payment date and choose the Payment method
- Choose Money received into (cash, bank or MoMo account)
- For mobile money, choose the MoMo network — MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash or AT Money — and enter the Transaction reference. Both are required for MoMo
- Click Invoice and record deposit
SikaBooks issues a real deposit invoice with tax from the customer's and product's current tax profile, and records the payment received. VAT is charged on the deposit when it is paid.
Under IFRS 15 the deposit is not yet revenue. SikaBooks moves the net deposit into 2190 Customer deposits ("Customer deposit deferred · JOB-…") and releases it to revenue as goods are delivered ("Customer deposit released · JOB-…"). A deposit invoice does not dispatch goods.
8.5 Deliveries
- Under Deliveries, enter the Quantity and Delivered on date
- Click Record delivery
Only released stock from this job is delivered, first expiry first. Batches on quality hold, under an open recall, or past their best-before date are skipped. Partial deliveries are fine. Stock and cost of sales are recorded once, here.
8.6 The Balance Invoice
After the full quantity is delivered, click Invoice the balance. The invoice covers the remaining net amount and its tax, after deposit invoices, so VAT and revenue are never counted twice. If deposits already cover the job, the button reads Complete invoicing.
The Money panel shows the job total, tax on the current profile, each deposit and balance invoice with its payment, and Balance before tax.
8.7 Returned Goods
- In Accounting, create a credit note against the deposit or balance invoice with Goods returned as the reason. The job page offers a Credit link for each invoice
- Back on the job, under Returned goods, choose the Posted credit note and enter Units returned
- Click Record returned units
The units return to their original batches; recalled lots stay quarantined. The delivered quantity goes down, and comes back if the credit note is voided. Released returned units can be delivered again. Returned-and-credited goods do not create a new customer deposit.
8.8 Closing a Job Short
When the customer accepts fewer units, click Close job short, enter a Reason and click Close job. First:
- Finish or cancel every linked run
- Credit the undelivered goods in Accounting
- Resolve any remaining customer deposit
The reason, person and date are kept. A closed job accepts no more production or delivery, and its unused private materials are released.
8.9 Cancelling a Job
Cancel job works only before any invoice, delivery or started run. It cancels its draft or planned runs and releases its custom materials.
8.10 If Accounting Is Not Enabled
The job, its private materials, linked production and deliveries all work. Deposits, invoices and returns are hidden, and the page says "Enable Accounting to issue tax invoices and receive payments."