Production Items: Core Manufacturing Unit
Outbound Deliveries describe what must be fulfilled.
Production Items describe what will actually be produced.
Production Items are the core operational objects in P4 production.
They are the units that are:
scheduled on production lines,
reordered in the production queue,
executed during production,
measured in reporting.
This page explains:
what Production Items are,
why they exist,
how they are created from an Outbound Delivery.
What is a Production Item?
A Production Item represents a single executable production unit.
Depending on your setup, a Production Item can represent:
a kanban,
a batch,
a pallet,
a fixed quantity of material.
Each Production Item:
is linked to one Outbound Delivery,
contains one material/product,
has its own status and timing,
can be assigned to exactly one production line.
If Outbound Delivery answers what the customer wants,
Production Item answers what production will actually run.
Why Production Items are necessary
Production Items exist to separate demand from execution.
This separation allows you to:
split one order into multiple production units,
plan production flexibly across lines,
react to changes without changing the original order,
measure performance at an operational level.
Without Production Items:
planning would be rigid,
replanning would be risky,
reporting would be inaccurate.
Creating Production Items from an Outbound Delivery
Production Items are typically created directly from an Outbound Delivery.
To create Production Items:
Open an existing Outbound Delivery.
Select the materials you want to produce.
Use the option Create Production Items.
The system generates Production Items based on:
quantities,
handling unit definitions,
material configuration,
material BOM
After creation:
Production Items exist independently,
but are still fully linked to the Outbound Delivery.
At this stage:
Production Items are not assigned to any production line,
and are not yet scheduled.
This is normal.
Understanding Production Item status
Each Production Item has its own lifecycle.
Typical statuses include:
created,
assigned,
producing,
finished.
The exact status names may differ by configuration, but the principle is always the same:
Production Item status reflects real production progress.
Outbound Delivery status does not replace this.
Where to find Production Items
After creation, Production Items are visible in:
the Production Items overview - Distribution Table,
Parallel Planning (as unassigned items).
If a Production Item is not visible on a production line, it usually means:
it has not been assigned yet,
or it requires attention before planning.
Common first issues (and what they mean)
Too many Production Items created
This often means the handling unit definition splits quantities more than expected.Production Items exist but nothing is planned
Planning happens in the next step. Creation alone does not schedule production.
These situations are expected during first use and are part of normal setup.
What you should be able to do now
After completing this step, you should:
understand why Production Items exist,
be able to create Production Items from an Outbound Delivery,
know where to find them,
understand that planning comes next.
➡ Next step:
Planning Production: Assigning Items to Production Lines
This is where Production Items become an actual production plan.