For an old item, the production department will look at the work in process and finished goods inventory sheets to see if there are any items left over from the last time the job was run.
Over- and underruns are neither unusual nor publicized.
Customer service doesn’t like underruns because that means an undershipment.
Meanwhile, accounting scorns overruns because of the unnecessary inventory generated.
However, where enough of the completed product exists to fill the new order, customer service is notified.
Customer service then drafts a ship order on the word processing software, delivers a copy to the production department for shipping, and retains a copy for the sales order file.