How to set up production stages for a small workshop
By Olusegun Osunrinde, Founder, Sentralbee · 4 October 2026
To set up production stages, list the 3 to 5 steps every order goes through, such as cutting, sewing and finishing for tailoring. Give each order a promised date and one person responsible. Then check one board each day for orders that have sat in a stage too long or are close to their date.
The short version
Production stages are the steps every order goes through, from start to finish. Name them, give each order a person and a date, and look at them once a day.
| Business | Example stages |
|---|---|
| Tailoring | Cutting, sewing, finishing |
| Cakes | Baking, decorating, ready |
| Furniture | Cutting, assembly, finishing, delivery |
That is it. The rest of this guide is how to do it well.
What are production stages?
Production stages are the steps an order moves through in your workshop. Each order sits in one stage at a time, so you can see at a glance where everything is.
Without stages, the only way to know where an order is, is to ask someone. With stages, you look.
How do I choose my stages?
Walk through one order from start to finish and write down each real step. Then group them into 3 to 5 stages.
A good stage:
- Is a clear step that someone can say is done or not done
- Often hands work to someone else, like from the cutter to the tailor
- Is where things tend to wait, like waiting for fabric or a fitting
Keep it short. If you have ten stages, nobody will keep them up to date.
What stages does a tailoring business need?
Most tailors do well with three: cutting, sewing, finishing.
- Cutting: the fabric is measured and cut to the customer's measurements
- Sewing: the main construction, including embroidery if you do it in-house
- Finishing: buttons, hems, pressing, quality check, packing
If fittings are a big part of your work, add fitting between sewing and finishing. That is where many orders wait for the customer to come in.
What stages does a cake business need?
Three is often enough: baking, decorating, ready.
- Baking: the sponges are baked, cooled and levelled
- Decorating: filling, icing, fondant, sugar flowers
- Ready: boxed and waiting for collection or delivery
For big wedding cakes, some bakers add sugar work as its own stage, since flowers are often made days ahead.
What stages does a furniture workshop need?
Four works for most pieces: cutting, assembly, finishing, delivery.
- Cutting: timber is cut and shaped
- Assembly: joints, gluing, fitting parts together
- Finishing: sanding, filling, staining, varnish
- Delivery: loaded, delivered and set up
Finishing often takes longer than people expect, because each coat needs time to dry. Watch that stage closely.
Should different products have different stages?
Yes, when the work is truly different. An alteration does not go through cutting. A cupcake order may not need a separate decorating stage. A chair and a fitted wardrobe follow different paths.
Set up stages for your main product types. Don't force every order into one list.
How do I assign work to people?
Give each order one named person. That person is who you ask when you want to know how it is going.
Some tips:
- One person per order, even if several people touch it. They own the date.
- Look at the load. If one tailor has eight orders and another has two, move some.
- Make it visible. When people can see what is on their list, they plan their own day.
How do I spot stuck orders?
Look for two things: orders that have sat in one stage too long, and orders close to their promised date that are not near the end.
A stuck order usually means something is missing:
- Waiting for a material that ran out
- Waiting for a decision from the customer, like a colour or design
- Waiting for a payment before you continue
- Waiting for a person who is busy or away
Check once a day. Five minutes in the morning is enough. Ask about anything that looks stuck, and fix the cause, not just the order.
Why does every order need a promised date?
Because a stage tells you where an order is, but not whether it is late. The promised date is what you told the customer. Compare the two and you know which orders need attention today.
Set the date when you take the order. Be honest about how long the work takes, and leave room for fittings, drying time and delays.
Can I do this without software?
Yes. A whiteboard with one column per stage and a sticky note per order works well in a small workshop. Write the customer, the item, the person and the date on each note, and move it along as work is done.
It gets harder when you have many orders, more than one workshop room, or you want to check from home. That is where an app helps.
How does Sentralbee track production?
Sentralbee has a production board built for made-to-order work.
- Your own stages per product, so suits, alterations, cakes and tables can each have their own steps
- Assign each order to a person on your team
- Stuck and overdue flags, so orders that have sat too long or are past their date stand out
- Board, list and schedule views, so you can see by stage, as a list, or by date
- A promised date on every order, and measurements and an agreed price on each made-to-order line
- Material stock with low-stock levels, so "waiting for fabric" happens less often
It works on the web, iPhone and Android, so you can check the board from anywhere. See production in Sentralbee, or the pages for fashion, cakes and furniture.
Want help setting up your stages? Book a free Clarity Review. It is a 30-minute call, and we'll also cost one of your products with you.
Questions
How many production stages should I have?
Usually 3 to 5. Enough to see where each order is, but not so many that moving an order becomes a chore. If two steps always happen together, make them one stage.
Can different products have different stages?
Yes, and they often should. A suit and an alteration don't go through the same steps. In Sentralbee you set your own stages per product.
What is a stuck order?
An order that has sat in one stage much longer than usual. It often means someone is waiting for a material, a decision or a payment. Spotting it early gives you time to fix it before the promised date.
Should I assign orders to people or to stages?
Both. The stage tells you where the order is. The person tells you who to ask. One named person per order works better than 'the team'.
Do I need software to track production?
No. A whiteboard or a wall of sticky notes works for a small workshop. Software helps when you have more orders, more people, or need to check from your phone.