The quick answer
Open Advanced Manufacturing > Tablet Data Entry > Tablet, pick the operation from the Work Queue and press Start. Then record what happens on the operation screen, one panel at a time. Material Issue takes a component quantity and a bin. Scrap takes a quantity and a reason. Downtime opens when you press a reason and ends when you press it again. Enter Production takes the quantity made. Each panel prints a one-line confirmation, so you can see what was just recorded.
The screenshots show sample data. Person and operating-company names are fictional. Use your own records and values when following the steps.
Before you start
The Tablet Data Entry menu is part of Advanced Manufacturing, so the operator's role needs access to it, and at least View access to employee records. The operator's employee record also needs a Location. Without one, the Work Queue shows "The employee location field is not set in your employee record. Contact an administrator." and the Work Center list has nothing to pick. You also need a work center for that location, with matching NetSuite and Advanced Manufacturing work center records, and released work orders whose operations are on its queue.
The scrap and downtime buttons are reasons an administrator keeps in the AM Material Loss Reasons and AM Downtime Reason lists. The screen shows five reason buttons per panel, and - Other - on the Scrap panel opens a list of every scrap reason. Which entries post to the work order, inventory or an operation report depends on how Advanced Manufacturing is configured in your account. This guide stops at the confirmations the tablet itself shows. It does not press Stop, and it does not check the work order afterwards.
01. Open the work queue
Choose Advanced Manufacturing > Tablet Data Entry > Tablet. The Work Queue opens on its own page, without the usual NetSuite menus. Work Center shows Assembly Station 1, and the table lists each operation with its planned start, assembly, work order, operation sequence and name, work order quantity and produced quantity. Operation 10 of WO-20517 is first, quantity 5, nothing produced yet.
02. Open the operation and start it
Select the WO-20517 row. The operation screen opens with the work order, operation and item across the top. It is red because the operation has not started, and every panel button is dimmed. Press Start. The screen turns green and the red Stop control starts counting from 00:00, with the Started and Current times beside it.
03. Issue a component
On Material Issue, press the component button. PWR-300 shows 0/5, which is the quantity issued against the quantity required. A keypad opens. Enter 1, then choose List beside Bin. The list shows each bin that holds the component with its quantity on hand. Pick A-04-02 and press Ok.
The Material Issue band now reads "1 unit of PWR-300 issued", and the button shows 1/5.
04. Scrap a unit with a reason
On Scrap, press - Other -. The dialog asks for a Category and a required Reason. Choose List beside Reason and the full list opens. Pick Electrical Damage, press Ok, enter 1 on the keypad and press Ok again.
The Scrap band reads "1 unit scrapped because of Electrical Damage".
05. Log downtime
When the machine stops, press the reason on the Downtime panel. Here that is Machine Breakdown. The screen turns amber, the reason button turns orange and the panel reads "Open Downtime - Machine Breakdown started at" followed by the time.
When the machine is running again, press Machine Breakdown a second time. The screen goes back to green and the band changes to "Last Downtime", with the start time and the duration. This example lasted a few seconds, so it reads 0 minutes.
06. Report the produced quantity
Press Enter Production, enter 5 and press Ok. The Production band reads "5 units produced" and the button shows 5.
Check the result
- Production reads 5 units produced.
- Material Issue reads 1 unit of PWR-300 issued, and the button shows 1/5.
- Scrap reads 1 unit scrapped because of Electrical Damage.
- Downtime reads Last Downtime for Machine Breakdown, with its duration, and the screen is green.
The tablet's confirmations are not the same as a posted transaction. To see what these entries became, open the work order and the inventory records in NetSuite.
Common questions
Why does the Work Queue say the employee location field is not set?
The Work Center list depends on the Location on the signed-in employee's record. With no Location, the message appears and the list is empty. An administrator has to set the Location on the employee record.
What is the difference between a scrap button and - Other -?
The Scrap panel shows five reason buttons. - Other - opens a Category and Reason dialog with the full list, which covers reasons that have no button. Whichever way the reason is chosen, the quantity is entered on the keypad and the panel band confirms the reason.
Does pressing a downtime reason twice create two events?
No. The first press opens one downtime event and turns the screen amber. The second press on the same reason ends that event, and the Downtime band switches from Open Downtime to Last Downtime.
Why does Last Downtime say 0 minutes?
The duration is printed in minutes, and the example event lasted a few seconds.
What does the Stop button count?
The red control shows the elapsed time since Start, as minutes and seconds. This example does not press Stop, so the guide does not show what happens next.
Where do the scrap and downtime reasons come from?
An administrator maintains them in the AM Material Loss Reasons and AM Downtime Reason lists, under Advanced Manufacturing > Administration / Setup.