Tutorial – produce a wood chair

This walkthrough shows how to plan and produce a wood chair using ProdCalc.

You type plain-English commands and ProdCalc runs the action and shows results in the chat.

The steps follow the usual MRP planning order: register materials and stock, define the BOM, plan demand (output), check shortages, schedule production, plan supply (inputs), receive goods, run orders, and ship.

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Before you start

Open the chat

1. Open the ProdCalc AI Chat.
2. Wait until Verifying session… finishes (a guest session is created automatically).
3. You should see Your command and a text box with Send.

Guest vs registered

Badge	Meaning
Guest user	Try ProdCalc freely; use Upgrade account to keep your work.
Your name	Registered and logged in.

You do not need to create an organization manually. ProdCalc attaches your work to Future ProdCalc Powered Factory automatically.

How to send a command

1. Type your command.
2. Click Send or press Ctrl + Enter.
3. Read the reply in Chat results.

Save your tokens

Replies include 15-character tokens (for example Ntc66r8nGgbX8rd). Copy them from the chat — you need them in later steps.

Placeholder	Replace with
PLANK_TOKEN	Token for Wood plank
SCREW_TOKEN	Token for Wood screw
STAIN_TOKEN	Token for Wood stain
CHAIR_TOKEN	Token for Wood Chair
OUTPUT_TOKEN	Token from the output forecast
ORDER_TOKEN	Token from the production order
PLANK_INPUT_TOKEN	Token from the plank input forecast
SCREW_INPUT_TOKEN	Token from the screw input forecast
STAIN_INPUT_TOKEN	Token from the stain input forecast

Get help in the chat

You type	You get
show commands	Full command list
show material commands	Material examples
how do I create a batch?	Required fields for that action

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What we are building

A simple chair made from purchased parts:

Wood Chair (ASSEMBLED)
├── Wood plank   × 4   (legs, seat slats, back)
├── Wood screw   × 12  (assembly)
└── Wood stain   × 1   (finish)

Scenario: A customer order for 5 chairs, due 2026-07-20. You start with partial raw stock, plan production, order the rest from suppliers, build the chairs, and ship.

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Step 1 — Register materials

Create the raw items and the finished product.

Commands:

create raw material named Wood plank

create raw material named Wood screw

create raw material named Wood stain

create assembled material named Wood Chair

What you should see: For each command, a table with Name, Material Token, Type (RAW or ASSEMBLED), and Inventory 0.

Copy the tokens → PLANK_TOKEN, SCREW_TOKEN, STAIN_TOKEN, CHAIR_TOKEN.

Verify:

materials

You should see all four materials.

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Step 2 — Register initial inventory

Record stock already in the warehouse using batches. In this example you have enough raw material for 2 chairs (not the full 5):

Material	Quantity on hand
Wood plank	8
Wood screw	24
Wood stain	2

Commands:

create batch for PLANK_TOKEN 8

create batch for SCREW_TOKEN 24

create batch for STAIN_TOKEN 2

What you should see: Created batch of … for each material.

Verify:

materials

The Inventory column should show 8, 24, and 2 for the raw materials. Wood Chair stays at 0.

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Step 3 — Create the BOM

Define what one Wood Chair is made of.

Commands:

add PLANK_TOKEN as a component for CHAIR_TOKEN with quantity 4

add SCREW_TOKEN as a component for CHAIR_TOKEN with quantity 12

add STAIN_TOKEN as a component for CHAIR_TOKEN with quantity 1

What you should see: Confirmation that each component was added.

Verify:

list components for CHAIR_TOKEN

You should see three components with quantities 4, 12, and 1.

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Step 4 — Register an initial output forecast

Register planned outgoing demand — chairs you will ship to the customer.

Command:

Create an output for material CHAIR_TOKEN, quantity 5, forecast date 2026-07-20

What you should see: Created output forecast of 5 with an outputToken → save as OUTPUT_TOKEN.

Verify:

show outputs

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Step 5 — Check shortages

With materials, stock, BOM, and a shipment plan in place, see where the plan already gaps.

Commands:

shortages

show shortages for material CHAIR_TOKEN

What you should see: Shortage rows where planned output exceeds available Wood Chair stock (you have 0 chairs and plan to ship 5). You may also see component gaps once production is scheduled — that appears more clearly after step 6.

If nothing is short yet, continue; shortages often appear after orders and forecasts are combined.

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Step 6 — Create production orders

Schedule manufacturing 5 chairs before the shipment date.

Command:

create order for CHAIR_TOKEN 5 from 2026-06-24 to 2026-07-15

Adjust dates to your plan (YYYY-MM-DD). The end date should be on or before the output date from step 4.

What you should see: Order created with an orderToken → save as ORDER_TOKEN.

Verify:

show orders

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Step 7 — Check shortages

Production is planned but not executed. ProdCalc should now show component shortages: you need 20 planks, 60 screws, and 5 stain for 5 chairs, but only have 8 / 24 / 2 on hand.

Commands:

shortages

show shortages for material PLANK_TOKEN

show shortages for material SCREW_TOKEN

show shortages for material STAIN_TOKEN

What you should see: Rows with negative difference for materials that will run short. Note how much you still need from suppliers.

Material	Needed for 5 chairs	On hand (step 2)	Still to buy
Wood plank	20	8	12
Wood screw	60	24	36
Wood stain	5	2	3

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Step 8 — Create input forecasts

Register incoming supply — purchase orders expected from suppliers.

Commands:

Create an input for material PLANK_TOKEN, quantity 12, forecast date 2026-07-01

Create an input for material SCREW_TOKEN, quantity 36, forecast date 2026-07-01

Create an input for material STAIN_TOKEN, quantity 3, forecast date 2026-07-01

What you should see: Created input forecast for each, with an inputToken → save as PLANK_INPUT_TOKEN, SCREW_INPUT_TOKEN, STAIN_INPUT_TOKEN.

Verify:

show inputs

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Step 9 — Check shortages

With input forecasts added, shortages should shrink or clear for the planned dates.

Command:

shortages

What you should see: Fewer or no shortage rows for planks, screws, and stain around the production window — incoming input now covers the gap. Wood Chair may still show a gap until you produce (step 11).

If shortages remain, increase input quantities or move forecast dates earlier.

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Step 10 — Receive inputs

Goods arrive from suppliers. Receive converts forecast into stock (and creates batch movements).

Commands:

receive PLANK_INPUT_TOKEN 12

receive SCREW_INPUT_TOKEN 36

receive STAIN_INPUT_TOKEN 3

What you should see: Received … units from input … for each line.

Verify raw stock:

materials

Inventory should now be at least 20 planks, 60 screws, and 5 stain.

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Step 11 — Execute production orders

Accept reserves components and starts the order. Deliver records finished chairs.

Accept:

accept order ORDER_TOKEN

What you should see: Order moves to ACCEPTED. If acceptance fails, read the shortage table — finish step 10 or add batches, then retry.

Deliver all 5 chairs:

deliver order ORDER_TOKEN 5

What you should see: Delivery confirmation.

Verify finished goods:

materials

Wood Chair should show Inventory 5.

show order ORDER_TOKEN

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Step 12 — Deliver output

Ship chairs against the output forecast from step 4.

Command:

ship output OUTPUT_TOKEN 5

What you should see: Shipped 5 units from output … ProdCalc uses chair stock from step 11.

If stock is insufficient, the reply shows available vs requested quantities.

Final check:

shortages

materials

Wood Chair inventory should drop by 5 after shipping. With the plan fully executed, shortages should be clear or minimal.

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Complete command checklist

Step	Action	Command
1	Register materials	create raw material named Wood plank
1		create raw material named Wood screw
1		create raw material named Wood stain
1		create assembled material named Wood Chair
2	Initial inventory	create batch for PLANK_TOKEN 8
2		create batch for SCREW_TOKEN 24
2		create batch for STAIN_TOKEN 2
3	BOM	add PLANK_TOKEN as a component for CHAIR_TOKEN with quantity 4
3		add SCREW_TOKEN as a component for CHAIR_TOKEN with quantity 12
3		add STAIN_TOKEN as a component for CHAIR_TOKEN with quantity 1
4	Output forecast	Create an output for material CHAIR_TOKEN, quantity 5, forecast date 2026-07-20
5	Check shortages	shortages
6	Production order	create order for CHAIR_TOKEN 5 from 2026-06-24 to 2026-07-15
7	Check shortages	shortages
8	Input forecasts	Create an input for material PLANK_TOKEN, quantity 12, forecast date 2026-07-01
8		Create an input for material SCREW_TOKEN, quantity 36, forecast date 2026-07-01
8		Create an input for material STAIN_TOKEN, quantity 3, forecast date 2026-07-01
9	Check shortages	shortages
10	Receive inputs	receive PLANK_INPUT_TOKEN 12
10		receive SCREW_INPUT_TOKEN 36
10		receive STAIN_INPUT_TOKEN 3
11	Execute order	accept order ORDER_TOKEN
11		deliver order ORDER_TOKEN 5
12	Deliver output	ship output OUTPUT_TOKEN 5

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Command quick reference

Topic	Example
List materials	materials
Create raw material	create raw material named Wood plank
Create assembled	create assembled material named Wood Chair
Initial inventory	create batch for TOKEN 8
BOM	add CHILD_TOKEN as a component for PARENT_TOKEN with quantity 4
Output forecast	Create an output for material TOKEN, quantity 5, forecast date 2026-07-20
Input forecast	Create an input for material TOKEN, quantity 12, forecast date 2026-07-01
Receive input	receive INPUT_TOKEN 12
Production order	create order for TOKEN 5 from 2026-06-24 to 2026-07-15
Execute order	accept order ORDER_TOKEN → deliver order ORDER_TOKEN 5
Ship output	ship output OUTPUT_TOKEN 5
Shortages	shortages
Help	show commands

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Troubleshooting

Problem	What to do
Session is not ready	Reload the page; wait for session verification.
No materials found.	Normal for a new guest — start at step 1.
I could not match your request	Use the checklist phrases, or type show commands.
Accept order fails	Complete step 10 (receive inputs) or add batches in step 2.
Ship output fails	Complete step 11 (deliver order) so chair stock exists.
Invalid token	Run materials, show inputs, or show outputs and copy again.
Guest and lost work	Use Upgrade account before leaving the site.