Work in process inventory refers to materials that have been partially completed during the production process. These products are generally found in the production area. However, they can also be held on one side in the buffer storage area. Usually, the cost of work in process includes all raw material costs associated with the final product. The reason for this inclusion is that the raw materials are added at the beginning of the conversion process. Some of the direct labor costs and factory overheads are added to work in process inventory.

More of these costs will be added later as part of the remaining production process. Calculating the amount of work-in-process inventory is a time-consuming thing. Thanks to work in process inventory, the percentage of completion is determined and a cost is assigned. For these reasons, many companies try to minimize the amount of work in process inventory just before the reporting period ends and this is standard practice. Work in process inventory is an asset and therefore the inventory on the balance sheet is merged. Generally, this is the smallest of the three main inventory accounts where the others are finished and raw materials. These were the information about what is work in process inventory.

What is the Difference between Work in Process and Work in Progress?

While work in progress explains the cost of unfinished goods remaining in the production process, work in process refers to the materials that turn into goods in a short time. The terms work in progress and work in process are used interchangeably to refer to goods that are in the middle of the manufacturing or assembly process. Work in progress refers to the cost of unfinished goods in the manufacturing process. Work in process is the term used to describe partially completed goods that are converted from raw material to finished product in a short time.

Work in process and work in progress are listed on a company’s balance sheet. Work in progress is also referred to as WIP. It is a term used to describe the costs of unfinished goods in supply chain management and production processes. These costs include general expenses, labor, and raw materials. While work in progress is according to unfinished goods work in process is according to partially finished goods. Many companies that produce very large products use WIP inventory. These were information about the difference between work in process and work in progress.

Why is Work in Progress Important?

Work in progress is important because it is one of the most reliable ways to track the company's production capacity utilization and production progress. At the same time, the company’s work in progress numbers play an important role in loan applications. However, although many companies show WIP as collateral, they may not get credit with this collateral. Because selling WIP units can be difficult.

However, bankers, lenders, and insurers also evaluate work in progress to know the firm's credibility. In addition, both managers and owners constantly evaluate work in progress programs to understand where the company is in terms of production and its financial status. For this reason, a company should always keep its WIP activities up to date and be close to them. Achieving an accurate WIP is a difficult process, as there may be various WIP elements at different production levels. So completing such a difficult process will increase the reputation of a company. Work in progress is important and reliable. Because it allows workers to keep track of jobs and increases the company's credibility. These are reasons why is work in progress important.

How Do You Calculate Work in Process Inventory?

Companies usually calculate the work in process at the end of a month, year, or another accounting period. Therefore, the work in process becomes a finished WIP process. But it is also used as a starting figure for the next accounting period. The work in process formula is the beginning work in process amount, plus manufacturing costs minus the cost of manufactured goods.

Let's explain this formula with an example. Suppose ABC Widget Company has an initial inventory of $ 8,000. Throughout the year, the company accrues $ 240,000 in production costs and produces products at a cost of $ 238,000. According to this formula, $ 8,000 plus $ 240,000 minus $ 238,000. The result of this transaction is $ 10,000. For this reason, work in process inventory is $ 10,000. The number in the work in process formula gives an estimate rather than an exact number. It does not take into account the additional costs that may occur when completing the job, such as scrap costs, deterioration, or the need to reprocess some products, so it does not give a definitive result. These were information for how do you calculate work in process inventory.

What is Optimal WIP Limit?

The best WIP limit is the limit that will be calculated based on your company's needs. The best work in progress limit determines the amount of work and costs that can exist in the development phase and in any case of a work phase. Limiting work in progress makes it easier to identify a team's inefficiency in the workflow. Therefore, the optimal work in progress limit is important and varies according to the company's costs and job status.

Thanks to the work in progress limit, bad situations and bottlenecks in the company can be clearly seen before the situation gets worse. Work in progress limits force the team to focus on a smaller set of tasks, increasing efficiency and reducing the "almost complete" amount of work. WIP limits encourage the completed business culture. So, thanks to these limits, completed work increases. More importantly, work in progress makes boundaries and bottlenecks visible. Teams can understand, practice, and work to resolve issues when they have a clear understanding of the current job's bottleneck. After the blockages are removed, the work starts again throughout the team. These were the information on the optimal WIP limit.