Assembly operations need station-level scheduling
You run an assembly operation. Products move through a sequence of stations: component prep, assembly, soldering, testing, programming, quality check, packaging. Each station is a step. Each step needs a person and sometimes a machine.
The challenge is coordination. If testing falls behind, assembled units pile up waiting. If you’re short on a component, the whole line stops. If two rush orders both need the same test station, one of them waits.
Machestra treats each station like a machine. You see every station, every job, and every operator on one screen.
What assembly operations deal with
Station dependencies. Every step depends on the previous one finishing. You can’t test before you assemble. You can’t package before you test. A delay at one station cascades through every station after it.
Component tracking. Assembly operations consume many small parts. PCBs, connectors, fasteners, enclosures, labels. Missing one component stops the entire build. You need to know what’s in stock before scheduling a production run.
Mixed batch sizes. A custom order of 10 units runs alongside a standard order of 500. Both go through the same stations. The schedule has to handle both without the large batch blocking the small one.
Operator-dependent work. Assembly is people-intensive. Your stations need operators. Some stations need trained operators. Your schedule needs to show who’s at which station and when.
Test and rework loops. A unit fails testing and goes back to assembly for rework. The schedule should let you track rework without creating a new job. The original job just loops back through a step.
How Machestra works for assembly
Stations as machines. Add each station: assembly bench 1, soldering station, test station, programming station, packaging. They show up on the scheduling board like any machine.
Per-operation tracking. A job moves through prep, assembly, solder, test, program, QC, pack. Each step is a separate operation with its own station, operator, and time slot. You always know where a job is in the line.
Component tracking. Track every component, part, and material by quantity. Get alerts when stock drops below your reorder point. No more starting a build without enough parts.
Operator scheduling. Assign operators to stations and time slots. See who’s available. Make sure nobody is double-assigned.
Conflict detection. Two builds need the test station at the same time? Machestra catches it before production day.
Most assembly operations start with a spreadsheet and outgrow it once they hit 10+ active builds. And full MRP systems like MRPeasy charge per user, which gets expensive when your whole assembly line needs access to the schedule.
Pricing
No per-user fees. Assemblers, testers, packagers, office staff. Everyone sees the schedule.
- Free: 3 stations, 5 users.
- Starter ($12/mo):* 10 stations, 50 users.
- Growth ($39/mo):* 100 stations, 100 users.
Getting started
- Sign up free
- Import your stations and jobs
- Start scheduling your production line
Under 10 minutes. No training sessions required.
*All Machestra prices shown in USD. Actual price may vary based on your location.