Assembly Build
Assembly Build is the transaction that actually transforms components into the finished assembly.
Build Overview
ASSEMBLY BUILD PROCESS
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Components Assembly
│ ▲
▼ │
┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐
│ Part-A │ ─┐ │ Finished │
│ Part-B │ ─┼───▶ [BUILD] ─────────▶│ Assembly │
│ Part-C │ ─┘ │ │
└──────────┘ └──────────┘
↓ Qty ↑ Qty
Decreases Increases
Standard Assembly Build
What Happens
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Create from WO | Build transaction linked to Work Order |
| Confirm quantities | Components consumed |
| Set build location | Where assembly is stored |
| Save build | Inventory transformed |
Creating Assembly Build
ASSEMBLY BUILD FROM WORK ORDER
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Work Order #WO-001 (Build 10 assemblies)
│
▼
Assembly Build #AB-001
├── Assembly: Widget-Assembly (qty: 10)
├── Components Consumed:
│ ├── Part-A: 20 units (2 per × 10)
│ ├── Part-B: 10 units (1 per × 10)
│ └── Part-C: 30 units (3 per × 10)
└── Location: Main Warehouse
Result:
- Components reduced
- Assembly increased by 10
- Work Order updated
GL Impact
| Account | Debit | Credit | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly Inventory | $500 | Finished goods added (Asset ↑) | |
| Component Inventory (Part-A) | $200 | Parts consumed (Asset ↓) | |
| Component Inventory (Part-B) | $150 | Parts consumed (Asset ↓) | |
| Component Inventory (Part-C) | $150 | Parts consumed (Asset ↓) |
ASSEMBLY BUILD GL EXPLAINED
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
What happened: Components transformed into finished assembly
Assembly Inventory $500 Dr
└── Finished goods now exist = Asset INCREASES
Part-A Inventory $200 Cr
└── 20 units used up = Asset DECREASES
Part-B Inventory $150 Cr
└── 10 units used up = Asset DECREASES
Part-C Inventory $150 Cr
└── 30 units used up = Asset DECREASES
Total: Debits = Credits ($500 = $500)
Inventory value unchanged, just transformed
Inventory Impact
INVENTORY AFTER ASSEMBLY BUILD
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Components (BEFORE):
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Part-A: On Hand: 100, Committed: 20 │
│ Part-B: On Hand: 50, Committed: 10 │
│ Part-C: On Hand: 150, Committed: 30 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
Components (AFTER):
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Part-A: On Hand: 80, Committed: 0 │
│ Part-B: On Hand: 40, Committed: 0 │
│ Part-C: On Hand: 120, Committed: 0 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
Assembly (BEFORE):
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Widget-Assembly: On Hand: 0 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
Assembly (AFTER):
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Widget-Assembly: On Hand: 10 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
Partial Builds
Build only part of the Work Order quantity:
PARTIAL BUILD SCENARIO
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Work Order #WO-001: Build 100 assemblies
│
├── Build #1: 40 assemblies
│ └── WO Status: In Process (40/100)
│
├── Build #2: 35 assemblies
│ └── WO Status: In Process (75/100)
│
└── Build #3: 25 assemblies
└── WO Status: Built (100/100)
WIP (Work-In-Progress) Tracking
For more complex manufacturing, track components separately:
Component Issue
Move components from inventory to WIP:
WORK ORDER ISSUE
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Work Order #WO-001
│
▼
Work Order Issue #WOI-001
├── Part-A: 20 units issued to WIP
├── Part-B: 10 units issued to WIP
└── Part-C: 30 units issued to WIP
Result:
- Component inventory decreases
- WIP inventory increases
GL Impact (Issue):
| Account | Debit | Credit | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|
| WIP Inventory | $500 | Components in production (Asset ↑) | |
| Component Inventory | $500 | Parts moved to WIP (Asset ↓) |
Work Order Completion
Move from WIP to finished assembly:
WORK ORDER COMPLETION
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Work Order #WO-001
│
▼
Work Order Completion #WOC-001
├── Assembly: Widget-Assembly (qty: 10)
└── Completed from WIP
Result:
- WIP inventory decreases
- Assembly inventory increases
GL Impact (Completion):
| Account | Debit | Credit | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly Inventory | $500 | Finished goods added (Asset ↑) | |
| WIP Inventory | $500 | Production complete (Asset ↓) |
Complete WIP Flow
WIP TRACKING FLOW
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Components WIP Assembly
│ │ ▲
▼ ▼ │
┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐
│ Raw │ │ Work in │ │ Finished │
│ Materials│ ──▶│ Progress │ ────▶│ Goods │
└──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘
│ │ │
Issue In Process Completion
GL Flow:
Issue: WIP ↑, Components ↓
Complete: Assembly ↑, WIP ↓
Work Order Close
Finalize the work order and capture variances:
What Happens
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Close WO | Finalizes production |
| Calculate variances | Differences captured |
| Post variance GL | Variance accounts debited/credited |
| Release uncommitted | Remaining commitments released |
Variance Types
| Variance | Cause |
|---|---|
| Material Variance | Used more/less components than standard |
| Labor Variance | More/less labor than planned |
| Overhead Variance | Overhead different than allocated |
| Scrap Variance | Material scrapped during production |
GL Impact (Close with Variance)
WORK ORDER CLOSE WITH VARIANCE
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Standard Cost: $500 per assembly
Actual Cost: $520 per assembly (used extra Part-A)
Variance: $20 unfavorable
Close Entry:
Material Variance $20 Dr ← Cost overrun (Expense ↑)
WIP Inventory $20 Cr ← Clear remaining WIP
OR if favorable:
WIP Inventory $20 Dr ← Clear remaining WIP
Material Variance $20 Cr ← Cost saving (Expense ↓)
Assembly Unbuild
Reverse an assembly - disassemble back to components:
ASSEMBLY UNBUILD
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Assembly:
Widget-Assembly: 10 units ──▶ 0 units
Components:
Part-A: 80 units ──▶ 100 units (returned)
Part-B: 40 units ──▶ 50 units (returned)
Part-C: 120 units ──▶ 150 units (returned)
Use Case:
- Defective assembly needs rework
- Parts needed for other orders
- Incorrect build needs reversal
GL Impact (Unbuild):
| Account | Debit | Credit | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Component Inventory | $500 | Parts returned to stock (Asset ↑) | |
| Assembly Inventory | $500 | Assembly removed (Asset ↓) |
Quick Reference
Build Transactions
| Transaction | Components | WIP | Assembly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly Build | ↓ | — | ↑ |
| Work Order Issue | ↓ | ↑ | — |
| Work Order Completion | — | ↓ | ↑ |
| Assembly Unbuild | ↑ | — | ↓ |
Common Scenarios
| Scenario | Path |
|---|---|
| Simple build | WO → Assembly Build |
| Tracked production | WO → Issue → Completion → Close |
| Partial completion | Multiple builds against one WO |
| Defective build | Unbuild, then rebuild |
Next Steps
- Work Orders - Work order creation
- Outsourced Manufacturing - Vendor manufacturing