Example

A sofa has been sold with a choice of fill, legs, material and other items - and now needs to be manufactured

The sofa is a top level order line (eg 3 seater sofa XYZ)

• Choices made are each sub order lines (eg lines for: material, legs, seat fill, back fill, etc)

Source all components required

Sourcing of any non stocked items (or stocked items that are out of stock) is the first step

1. Suppliers > Special > Manage Supplier WIP >

   1. lists all items that need to be purchased (every line on the order that is externally sourced)

      1. Send purchase orders

      2. Once supplier sends invoice > create in system invoice

      3. Track Deposit Payment made

      4. Track ETA and update when received (removes from this dashboard)

Create build steps when ready to plan production

Production is a process

2. When ready to start planning production

   1. Suppliers > Special > Manage Supplier WIP > Production Plan

      1. All top level items that are to be manufactured are listed

   2. Confirm the attached drawings are ok to be used

3.  

Definitions and setups

Manufacturing Process - the Template of steps

Manufacturing Processes Template is copied to create a Build Process once an order item is ready to build

• a build process may then be modified to suit the unique item

A Manufacturing process

• has a number of steps through different Stations

• may attach to many manufactured items

Example simple manufacturing process

Open

Example DetailedManufacturing Process

Open

Process Flexibility

Scaling factor

When linked to individual SKU’s the Manufacturing Process Template can be scaled up or down from standard times.

Examples

1. Manufacturing Process “Sofa” Linked to

   1. 2 Seater - has scaling factor of x1

   2. 3 seater - has a scaling factor of x 1.75

2. Manufacturing Process “Cushion”

   1. 30x30 factor = 1

   2. 90x90 factor = 1.75

The result is less process are required to be defined

TAGS

Tags on a Manufacturing Step are Matched with TAGS on a SKU to modify the Build Process Created

Example

1. Manufacturing Process Step Mode (include) with a TAG (A)

   1. SKUS with a TAG of (A) will include this step when the build is created

2. Manufacturing Process Step Mode (exclude) with a TAG (B)

   1. SKUS with a TAG of (B) will exclude this step when the build is created

SKUS with a TAG of (AB) will include the TAG (a) step AND exclude the TAG (B ) Step when a build is created

The result is that less processes are required to be defined

Build Process - the actual work for an item

When the time comes to build an item - the build process is created

1. a copy of the Manufacturing Process is made for each item to be built

   1. Example order 2x 2 seater will result in 2 build processes (one each)

2. Build Processes are attached to the ordered item

3. Build Processes can be modified as required for each items unique design requirements

The build process is used to plan and capture actuals by ordered item

Manufacturing Process Template Steps

Processes Steps link to Stations

• One step is done by one station

Process Steps have a materials category

• Making it easier to find and consume materials from the warehouse

Process steps have a sequence used to manage the overall process flow

1. Where the sequence is the same - steps may happen in parallel

2. Where the sequence number is greater - the step must wait for previous sequences to be completed

Process Steps have a time estimate

• Used for capacity planning

• more than one person can work at a station on any date increasing the capacity of that station

Processes steps may revisit workstations

• Process steps and their sequence determine the flow through workcenters

Build process steps have a sequence.

1. Where the sequence is the same - steps may happen in parallel

2. Where the sequence number is greater - the step must wait for previous sequences to be completed

Example - multiple steps (Seq 2) may commence after the first step complete AND Uphosltery and Fabric cutting are revisited

1. Build Process: Seq - (Station): Step

   1. Seq 1 - (Woodwork) Make Frame

   2. Seq 2 - (Woodwork) Fit legs

   3. Seq 2 - (Fabric Cutting and sewing) Make slip cover

   4. Seq 3 - (Upholstery) Cover frame with foam

   5. Seq 4 - (Fabric Cutting and Sewing) cut Fitted fabric

   6. Seq 5 - (Upholstery) Fit Fitted Fabric

Manufacturing Stations

Stations are where people work and complete build steps

1. Planning: Stations have hours of work they can complete by date (Rosters)

2. Multiple persons may have hours in the same station and same date increasing the capacity of that station

Build steps are linked to the station type they require

Production rate factors allow for high performant machines vs low performant machines.

Overhead rate is used to estimate production costs based on time in the workcentre

Production Venue

Venues are your manufacturing centers

1. Each center has multiple Areas

2. Each Area may have multiple workstations

Example:

1. Manufacturing Venue may is at Street Address XYZ

   1. This is used on supplier purchase orders to indicate delivery address

2. This venue has the following Areas

   1. Woodwork

   2. Material Cutting

   3. Upholstery

   4. Fit Finish and QA

3. Stations are within areas

   1. Example - the Woodwork Area may have 3 stations

Stock Article Setups

1. Link to the build process

2. with an optional multiplier.

1. Tags - indicate if process steps are included or excluded.

2. Tags are individual letters - can have multiple Tags

Staff Rosters

Capacity across workcenters requires rosters

Rosters are easily created from a pattern for n weeks in advance - and can be adjusted anytime (shifts added / people changed)

Roster Patterns

Roster patterns are used to create shifts (and hence capacity) - think of them as a template

1. They have links to Rooms, Persons and Stations and hours and breaks

Small manufacturing centres may have a single roster patter for the week

Larger organisations may have patterns for each area (eg paint booth) or skill (eg Electrician)

Example Roster Pattern

Example Roster Pattern filtered for an individual

Preview of example roster pattern

Roster Shifts

Rosters are work shifts

Rosters can be created manually or from a roster pattern

When creating a Roster from a Roster Pattern

1. Will skip existing shifts

   1. Example

      1. roster pattern has nobody on Monday - but a person is now hired for Monday > so the roster pattern is adjusted

      2. Rosters were already created some time ago

      3. Using the roster pattern to create rosters will only add the Monday shift (it skips where the shift already exists

2. Can skip weeks

   1. Example

      1. every second week we work the weekend

      2. create a roster pattern for the weekend work only

      3. then when creating the roster by enter the # weeks to skip (every 1 week)

Example using a roster pattern to create 4 weeks of work (skipping 1 week between weeks)

Results in

View and edit the Roster shifts once created from the venue

From a view of the Roster can:

1. edit

2. delete

3. clear to create new shifts

Sourcing

Stocked items - Available or Out of Stock

Items indicated as stocked will show OOS if not sufficient for this order after previous orders

Stocked items are purchased to stock normally and not to order (although they can be purchased for an order if required)

Not Stocked Items Purchasing

The WIP dashboard lists all Authorised orders that have outstanding components to order externally

• Components for Fabrications to be done in house (supplier to send to your fabrication centre)

• Components for Fabrications that are to be done by others (supplier to send to your external fabricator)

• Fabrications that are to be done by others

  • Note that external fabricators can use the supplier portal to view and accept all work as it comes in

Right click to send orders to suppliers.

Last email referencing the order to the supplier date is indicated and correspondence is attached to the order.

Each customer order will be ordered separately - including all items required from that supplier.

Can update across any order the ETA of all items for that order

Once the supplier has accepted and sent the deposit invoice - right click to create the deposit invoice

Once the product has arrived it can be removed from this dashboard

Build Planner

A build is the process steps for an individual ordered item

Builds are created manually once the sourcing planner is confident the materials are or will be available in time

Create from the Sales Order

1. Create build for this item creates the build steps

   1. Copy from the build process and apply multiplier and tags

2. Build steps can be individually modified to improve planning

   1. ie additional time may be required to do different seaming based on design etc.

It is common for

1. An order to have more than one item - it will have one build per item

   1. eg order with 2x 2 seater And 1x 3 seater = 3 builds (one per item being built)

2. Manufacturing of all the items on one order flow through together

Creating and managing Builds

The build planner

1. Creates build steps once materials available and ready to plan

2. Modifies the build steps if required (example modifications to standard design)

3. Manages priority (order ExWarehouse date)

Trigger to create a Build

Order Must Be Authorised

1. Deposit Received or not required

External components must be ordered - example material

1. External supplied components are identified on the order line and an ETA is required before can create a Build

Creating a build

On the Sales Order > right click on the sofa to create the job

1. Quantity will be the order line

   1. Builds are one per item - so a qty = 2 will create 2 build jobs

2. Build Steps are created

   1. Where a component has a TAG that tag will be respected to add or remove production steps

      1. Example

         1. Production Process step “sew cushion full cover” is only required when feathers are chosen

            1. Feather choice has a tag of “F”

            2. Production step has a tag of “F” and is set to “Include only with TAG”

         2. So a 2 Seater sofa with a feather fill seat will have an additional step of sewing cushion covers

Modifying Build Steps for an individual item

Can modify all details name, sequence, station, materials and estimated time for individual build steps

Creating Builds from the Production Plan Tab

First confirm you have viewed the drawings are ok to manufacture (audit tracked)

Then create the build

1. The build once created shows in this dashboard

   1. the time already completed

   2. The qty

   3. The scaling factor

   4. The date production started

   5. if the build is in process

   6. and the Estimated Date of arrival (based on capacity)

Capacity Planning

Each order has an exWarehouse Date

1. All the work in all workstations for an order must be completed by the end of the exWarehouse Date

   1. Hence total time by workstation type to be completed

Capacity ( Rostered shifts )

1. Roster has person + Station + start / end / breaks

   1. Hence hours by Station Type per day

Required work ( Build Steps )

1. Hours required by Station Type

2. Plan shows

   1. On promise date

   2. effort required before that date

Each order has an exWarehouse Date

Changing the exWarehouse date changes the required work dates for each of the build steps

The Capacity planner has two numbers for each workstation each day

1. The total number of hours of work required to be completed by that day

2. The total number of hours of capacity left after work completed

Question - am I staffed correctly for the orders I need to complete ?

Key questions to answer

1. What do I have to get done - effort required for my promised order dates

2. Have I staffed correctly across all workcentres

3. Do I need to delay some orders (change ex-warehouse date) - or add shifts

4. Which orders can I bring forward (change ex-warehouse date)

5. Can I fit more orders in before a date - do I have capacity ?

Framing example - lots of time to get ahead

Could drop 2 shifts here

Fabric Cutting does not have enough Shifts to keep up

need to add more shifts to meet deadlines

Stations starting and completing build steps

Stations have a pile of build steps to complete

1. Priority of the pile is based on the order ExWarehouse date

People do NOT need to be rostered on to take build steps

Starting - Users select from the top of the waiting list and indicates their station and name

1. They can print detailed instructions, review drawings and update estimated time required

2. Start button moves the status of the build step to in process

Completion - User later selects from the in process list and indicates the actual time and finishes their step

• Common to attach QA photographs as last step

• The next process step for the job is now top of the list for the next station

• Completion of the last step completes the build process for that item and progresses the status of the item

• Last item to progress then progresses the order

  • to Awaiting Final Payment if not yet finally paid

Production Process Overview