Production Chains
To optimize production, think through every step a Seedling must take from raw material to finished product. You design the system and set up tasks; Seedlings carry them out. Things don't move around by themselves. Every step needs a Seedling.
The Three Stages of Production
Resource Collection: Seedlings gather raw materials (wood, stone) from the world, or you buy materials from the Marketplace.
Hauling & Processing: Seedlings move materials from storage and operate machines to process them into finished goods.
Output & Delivery: Seedlings move finished goods from the machine's output to another storage container, ready for use or sale.
Assigning Production Tasks to Employees
Recruit Seedlings and assign job task priorities with the Employment tool in the Business Panel: select the activity type to prioritize (e.g., "Produce"), then specify the item (e.g., "Produce Algae Paste"). The assigned Seedling will only do the top priority; if it's impossible (e.g., missing materials) they move to their second task. Design your priority system with the whole chain in mind.
Preventing Work Interruption
Seedlings pause work for urgent needs (hunger, thirst), so provide food and water facilities near the workplace so breaks stay short.
If no assigned priority is possible, employees just hang around. Ensure machines are turned on, all required materials are available, production tasks are set on machines, and there are enough machines that Seedlings aren't queuing for equipment.
Observe your employees at work. It's the best way to learn how to manage their jobs effectively.
For large-scale production across multiple machines, use the Crafting management tool (in your Business Branch, and in the Properties Panel): create tasks per machine and keep an overview of all of them. It doesn't yet cover resource-gathering in the wild (harvesting or mining). Remember the harvesting restriction: employees can only be tasked to harvest resources on your own business property.