Here's a little idea that I think would cut down on some of the micromanaging tedium without reducing the actual use and sometimes fun of it.
Allow a workshop to designate a room around itself. Any other workshops of the same type in that room will be "linked" together. They would spread out the work orders and general profiles. If you make a mason's workshop, then designate a room to include 4 other mason's workshops. First, you want to make a total of 10 stone tables, so you go to one of them and put in 10 stone tables. The other 4 workshops automatically receive 2 work orders for stone tables. Now, let's say you want them to all have some quality, so you then go to one of the workshops and have it only allow Proficient masons, all five of the workshops automatically set their minimum skill to Proficient. If you select one of them, and then set it so that only Atir Stonebeard can use it, the other four will remain open to anyone of Proficient level of higher.
Why would this be useful?
The main reason it would be useful would be that it would allow you a level of control in between ordering workshops individually, and using the management screen to put out a general work order for items. That way, you could easily select where you want your items to be made, which allows you to manage what resources go in, who's making them, etc, while still allowing you to make objects in batches. If you want to be very specific, you order one workshop, if you don't really care how, as much as having a lot done, you can use the manage screen.
Other ideas:
Put in work orders in number form in the same way the management screen works.
Requires the manager to approve and set up the work room