A completion signal is a status, event, or data point that indicates a defined manufacturing activity has been completed. In industrial systems, it commonly marks that a work step, operation, inspection, material movement, or system transaction has reached its required end state.
Completion signals may be generated manually by an operator, automatically by equipment, or electronically by software such as an MES, ERP, QMS, or warehouse system. They are often used to trigger the next workflow step, update production status, post labor or material consumption, record inspection progress, or make work visible to downstream systems.
A completion signal should not be confused with quality acceptance, final release, or regulatory approval. It indicates that an activity is recorded as complete according to defined criteria. Additional review, inspection, disposition, or approval may still be required before product can move forward or be shipped.