A Product is something you manufacture.  It can be a complete Product or part of a complete Product.

You may also know of Products as Parts, Assemblies, Sub Assemblies, etc.  

As an example if you were a furniture maker making Tables and Chairs, you may have two Products

• Table
• Chair. 

A Process is a step carried out to manufacture the Product – examples of Processes are cut, assemble, etc. 

For example you have three steps (Processes) needed to make a table 

• Make the legs
• Make the top
• Assemble them.

Three Processes may be needed to make a chair

• Make the legs
• Make the seat
• Assemble them.

It may help your understanding to see this in a diagram as follows

 
The important point to note is that there is only one Process called Assembly (rather than two Processes, one called Assemble Chair and one called Assemble Table). The same is true for Make Legs (i.e. there is only one Process rather than two).

When thinking about the Processes that make up your Products, Empower recommends that staying at a high level in the first instance. 

Sometimes rather than having multiple Processes like cut legs, drill legs, etc. a single Process such as make legs may be simpler. 

Careful thought should be given to the naming of you Products and Processes.  Names need to be short and clear to Employees.

It may also help to set up a table similar to that above, listing your Products and the various Processes required.

We will set up these Products and Processes up in Empower Time Track. Note, that the set up is a one off event.  Don’t get concerned if you don’t quite get them right first time as changing them is a simple task.