A Routing is a detailed specification of the sequence of manufacturing operations required to produce a part or product, defining which work centres perform each operation, the order operations must occur, standard times for setup and processing, tooling and equipment required, and work instructions or specifications for each step. Think of routing as the manufacturing roadmap, complementing the bill of materials (which lists what components are needed) by documenting how to transform those materials into finished products. Whilst BOMs answer “what goes into this product,” routings answer “how do we make it.” Each operation in a routing includes: operation number (sequence position like 10, 20, 30), work centre where the operation occurs (machine, assembly station, inspection area), operation description (drill holes, assemble sub-assembly, apply finish), setup time (equipment preparation before production), run time per unit (processing time), tooling requirements, and quality inspection requirements.
Routings serve multiple critical functions in manufacturing operations. Production planning uses routings to calculate capacity requirements, identifying whether sufficient work centre capacity exists to meet production schedules and revealing bottlenecks where demand exceeds available hours. Detailed scheduling assigns specific work orders to machines based on routing specifications, sequencing jobs to minimise changeovers and balance workload. Job costing uses routing labour times to estimate production costs and establish standard costs for pricing and profitability analysis. Work order documentation includes routing steps providing operators with instructions for what operations to perform and in what sequence. As-built records capture actual operations performed versus planned routing, documenting process deviations or engineering changes. Manufacturing engineering maintains routings, updating them when process improvements change methods, equipment replacements alter capabilities, or time studies reveal more accurate duration estimates.
Modern ERP and MES systems manage routings as live data structures rather than static documents, enabling dynamic capabilities. Alternate routings define multiple ways to produce the same item, allowing schedulers to route work around bottlenecks or unavailable equipment. Routing variants accommodate different production volumes (manual assembly for small quantities, automated line for large volumes) or customer specifications. Process
routing supports process manufacturing where operations occur in sequence without discrete hand-offs. Integration between routing data and shop floor systems automatically displays work instructions, captures operation completions, and updates job status. Some advanced systems use AI to optimise routing selection, choosing among alternatives based on current shop floor conditions, due dates, and capacity availability. As products become more complex and customer demand more varied, accurate, flexible routing management becomes essential for manufacturers balancing efficiency, quality, and responsiveness.
