The order lifecycle

Every order runs through fixed phases: Draft → Planned → Released → In Progress → Completed. Alongside these there is Canceled as a final side exit.

What the phases mean

• Draft: the order is being prepared; it does not appear under "My Work" yet.
• Planned: the order has its place in the plan, usually via "Planen" (plan) in the scheduling dialog. An accepted offer also stands at "Planned" until it is scheduled.
• Released: the workshop can get going; the order appears under "My Work".
• In Progress: work is actually being done.
• Completed: operationally finished. The order moves to the desk archive (sidebar Desk → button "Archive").

Two transitions happen on their own

1. Draft → Planned: If you enter "Start date (optional)" and "Planned end" by hand for a draft in the edit dialog, Gantway automatically promotes it to "Planned". If the draft already has work positions, this is scheduling at the same time: Gantway schedules the positions from the start you entered, and afterwards start and planned end follow the positions. If one of the two fields drops out again, it goes back to "Draft". The delivery date, by contrast, never triggers a status change.
2. Released → In Progress: As soon as the first work step goes into progress — via status change, starting a timer or the first time entry — the order starts automatically. There is no "Start" button: the work itself is the start.

Which transitions are allowed in detail, and why a button is sometimes missing, is covered under Status & allowed transitions.