Losing $974K on Manual Workcenter Juggling? Master Alternative Workcenters in Odoo 18

Manufacturing company has Assembly Line 1 (capacity: 100 units/day). Receives rush order: 250 units needed in 2 days. Production planner: "Assembly 1 maxed out at 100/day. Can't do 250." CEO: "We have Assembly Line 2 sitting idle." Planner: "Can't use it—BoM hardcoded to Assembly 1." Manually creates duplicate BoM for Assembly 2. Takes 3 hours. Starts production. Next week: 5 more rush orders. Each needs manual BoM duplication + workcenter reassignment. Planner spends 15 hours/week on manual workcenter juggling. Lost opportunity: $847K in rejected orders (couldn't promise delivery times). Overtime costs: $127K (ran Assembly 1 nights/weekends instead of using idle Assembly 2).

Odoo 18 Alternative Workcenters fixes this: Configure Assembly 2 as alternative to Assembly 1. When Assembly 1 capacity full, system auto-routes new work orders to Assembly 2. No manual intervention. No BoM duplication. Click Plan → Odoo checks capacity → Routes to available workcenter automatically. Here's how to configure alternative workcenters so you stop losing $974K annually to manual capacity juggling.

What Alternative Workcenters Do

Automatic capacity overflow routing: Configure alternatives → System monitors capacity → Routes work orders to available workcenter → No manual intervention → Maximizes equipment utilization.

Step 1: Enable Work Orders

1. Go to Manufacturing → Configuration → Settings
2. Enable Work Orders checkbox
3. Optional: Enable Work Order Dependencies (operation sequencing)
4. Click Save

Step 2: Create Primary Workcenter

1. Manufacturing → Configuration → Work Centers → New
2. Fill details:
   • Name: Assembly Line 1
   • Code: ASM-1
   • Working Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
   • Time Efficiency: 100% (adjust if faster/slower)
   • Capacity: 100 units/day
   • Setup Time: 30 min
   • Cleanup Time: 15 min
   • Cost per Hour: $87
3. Save workcenter

Step 3: Create Alternative Workcenter

1. Work Centers → New
2. Fill details for backup workcenter:
   • Name: Assembly Line 2
   • Code: ASM-2
   • Working Hours: Same as primary
   • Capacity: 100 units/day
   • (Same specs as primary—capable of same work)
3. Save workcenter

Step 4: Link Alternative to Primary

1. Open primary workcenter (Assembly Line 1)
2. Find Alternative Workcenters field
3. Select Assembly Line 2 from dropdown
4. Save
5. When Assembly 1 at capacity, new orders auto-route to Assembly 2

Step 5: Create Bill of Materials with Operations

1. Products → Bill of Materials → New
2. Select product to manufacture
3. Components tab: Add raw materials
4. Operations tab:
   • Add operation line
   • Operation: Assembly
   • Work Center: Assembly Line 1
   • Duration: 60 min
5. Save BoM
6. Note: Only specify primary workcenter—alternative auto-used when needed

Step 6: Create Manufacturing Order (Primary Workcenter)

1. Manufacturing → Manufacturing Orders → New
2. Select product with BoM configured
3. Set quantity: 100 units
4. Click Confirm
5. Click Plan button
6. Work Order tab shows: Operation scheduled on Assembly Line 1
7. Click Start → Status: In Progress
8. Assembly Line 1 now at capacity (100 units in production)

Step 7: Trigger Alternative Workcenter (Capacity Overflow)

1. Create second manufacturing order (same product, 150 units)
2. Click Confirm
3. Click Plan
4. System checks: Assembly Line 1 at capacity?
5. Yes → Auto-routes to Assembly Line 2
6. Work Order tab shows: Operation scheduled on Assembly Line 2
7. No manual intervention required!

Step 8: Monitor Workcenter Status

1. Manufacturing → Configuration → Work Centers
2. Overview shows:
   • Assembly Line 1: In Progress (red indicator)
   • Assembly Line 2: In Progress (after auto-routing)
3. Click Plan Orders to see scheduling
4. Visual timeline shows capacity utilization

Advanced: Workcenter Configuration Tabs

General Information Tab

• Time Efficiency: 200% = twice as fast (30 min for 1hr operation)
• Capacity: Units producible simultaneously
• OEE Target: Overall Equipment Effectiveness goal (%)
• Setup/Cleanup Time: Pre/post-production time
• Cost per Hour: For production costing

Specific Capabilities Tab

Define product-specific capacity/times.

• Add product: "Table Assembly"
• Capacity for this product: 50 units/day
• Custom setup time: 45 min (vs standard 30 min)
• Overrides general settings for specific products

Smart Buttons

• Operations: List of operations using this workcenter
• OEE: Overall Equipment Effectiveness (percentage)
• Load: Current workload/capacity utilization
• Performance: (Expected Duration / Real Duration) × 100

Real-World Impact

FAQs