Abstract: Method and apparatus for an improved interface for controlling transactions in a manufacturing execution system. A common display interface is displayed on a computer system display which represents a series of transactions for a single manufacturing process, The common display interface includes a plurality of subdisplays each separately accessible through the common display interface. Each of the plurality of subdisplays includes various information related to the step in the manufacturing process represented by the subdisplay, The common display also can access a first group of the plurality of subdisplays in a sequential order and perform transactions related to the subdisplays in a sequential order. The common display also can access a second group of the plurality of subdisplays at arbitrary time intervals, and performing transactions associated with the second group of the plurality of subdisplays at the arbitrary time intervals.