Which term refers to an order to machine shop for tool manufacture or equipment maintenance, including authorization to start work on an order?

• A. Work order
• B. What-if analysis
• C. Waybill
• D. Warehousing

Answer: (A)

A work order is the shop floor directive that tells the machine shop what to manufacture or what maintenance to perform, and it includes the authorization to start the work. It specifies the item, quantities, routing, required tools and materials, and the time frame, and it serves as the formal instruction and authorization to begin the job. What-if analysis is a planning exercise to explore outcomes under different scenarios and does not direct shop floor tasks. A waybill is a shipment document used for goods in transit, not to initiate manufacturing. Warehousing refers to storing and handling inventory, not issuing work instructions.