Manufacturing Information

The orderlineMX manufacturing information suite provides a unique blend of the latest concepts to control and monitor activity as it enters and flows through your factory.

Running any manufacturing process efficiently requires decision support information to be presented to executive management in a real time way, so that allocation of resources is planned in time to a works order.

Bills of Material / Process Layouts

One of the most important systems required within any manufacturing company is the Bill of Material (BOM). This system is critical because it maintains parent - child relationships in single or multi-level BOMs and conversely, shows where each raw material, component, sub assembly and assembly is used. Routines are available in order to easily maintain, and copy for similar products, the process layouts with the labour times, quality procedures and the tools used. The process layout incorporates standard descriptions to describe a simple operation for component manufacture, extended operation descriptions when it is necessary to describe the operation in more detail, details of any outwork activities set up and run times and works centre application to incorporate different labour and overhead rates. Extensive enquiry facilities exist for on screen displaying and printing of the manufacturing database.

Works Order Processing

This forms the basis of the Total Works Management System. Orders created manually or automatically via the factory planning routines, enable works order paperwork to be generated. The work in progress transactions can then operate against the full manufacturing route.

Work In Progress

The work in progress management system provides for the control of all works associated with the progression of works orders throughout the factory. Internal functions such as material issues, work achievement, rejection notice and outwork are accommodated. Extensive work in progress and production achievement facilities are available via screen and reports. When it is necessary to move work on to another machine or process, a very flexible approach to splitting the batch is provided. Various options exist for the collection of actual times taken for each operation.

Costing

A product cost roll-up routine is available for individual or groups of products, using standard or latest prices and a file of labour and overhead rates specific to each work centre. These costs are then used by the system to provide extensive reporting facilities showing contribution, cost of conversion and work in progress. Separate options exist to value the actual cost of manufactured products.

Works Documentation

Works documentation will include all the relevant information for the issuing of materials and tools, together with the manufacturing and quality procedures. Bar coding is available as an option.

Sub Contractors Control

Purchase orders detailing the actual heat treatment, plating, patching or painting processes are raised when appropriate. Enquiry and reporting facilities exist to analyse this outwork.

Factory Planning

Facilities exist to quickly re-schedule customer requirements, and to reflect these requirements in the factory in order to achieve optimum performance. This is accomplished by amending the due dates of existing works orders, the cancelling of orders no longer required and the automatic creation of new orders. All levels within the BOM structures are considered for order cover. However, phantom items can be bypassed if required and a backflush facility exists in order to reduce the stocks of components made previously.

Resource Availability

Running any manufacturing process efficiently, requires decision support information to be presented to management in a real time way so that the allocation of resources to an order is planned in time. Routines are available to re-schedule the work load in the factory. Options exist to perform short and medium term planning by transferring work between machine centres and processes, to manipulate priorities, to see the effect graphically on a what-if basis and to accept the changes. On screen and printed reports, in the form of work - to 'lists', show the work load by work centre and individual machine.

Quality Control

Facilities exist to validate the chemical composition of raw materials during the goods receiving process. This detail can then be printed on the certificate of compliance as part of the despatch documentation. Non conforming products when identified during the manufacturing process, can be quarantined pending a quality decision to either scrap, grant a concession, or create a separate batch for re-work, all controlled by an internal rejection process.
Outwork is subject to the same controls. As part of the total audit and traceability process, manufactured parts have the works order and batch detail appended to the "into stock" transaction for use when printing the despatch note and invoice. This information is then available should a query arise from your customer at a later date.

Tool Management

By including single or multiple tools against specific operations on the manufacturing routes, a history is established of production output for specific tools. Further options exist to advise the scrapping or re-working of tools. This information coupled with the production output is used to determine average tool life. A sub system exists to raise works orders for the Tool Room to perform the refurbishment process and to collect material and labour costs. Alternatively, purchase orders can be raised on outside suppliers to undertake this work.

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For more info, or to discuss your requirements, please contact our consultants on 0845 026 2255 or email.