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I have a similar need.  From time to time someone wants us to track some
other value, that BPCS has no provision for, and I can find tons of fields
in Item Master and other files that currently are not populated, but I do
not know what they are FOR, and the manuals we have are for end users, we
don't have any of the serious IT field explanation manuals.  I do not want
to adopt some unused field that will later be in conflict with its real
purpose in BPCS.

I am looking for a list of fields in BPCS key files that truely are unused
by our version of BPCS, that nothing will go wrong regardless of what we
populate them with, and a list of fields used only by certain applications,
such that if we are not using those applications nothing will go wrong if
we populate them as we please.  We are not on OSG, so I can't go to some
place there for answers.

In a few cases, I have added a new file to contain new info, which can be
linked to BPCS files via item # customer # vendor # etc.  But it is much
better to look at all the fields that are already on INV300 BOM300 SFC300
and the other 300ds, locate one that is unpopulated and try to find out if
it is safe to use that.  Some engineering fields are larger than we need,
so we have parsed them out to say things like - the first X positions is
the customer # we are making this item # for, the last X positions is the
real revision code.  We located the L# message id on field description, and
changed it to the new usage, so that all BPCS programs (screens and
reports) now showed the new label, without us having to do any
modifications to those programs.  We have copy of all our L# substitutions
in a separate library for ease of remerger after any BPCS BMR PTF etc.
upgrade that wipes out all our hard work.

At the very foot of this e-mail is a copy of our notes on our L#
substitutions that we have been useing for years without any known
trouble.  So assuming your version (V6 Unix) sufficiently similar to us (we
405 CD on mixed mode AS/400) and collection of applications and SYS800
settings, then the fields we mucked with might be starting points for you
to consider.  Are you using the whole extra description field?  If not, you
could assign the last 5 positions to your stock locator.

In your case, even if you are operating with multiple facilities, you can
still use some field of IIM item master provided each facility uses the
same kind of Aisle Row Shelf number system within its stockroom warehouse.

We use Item Notes for multiple purposes.
Note that we are using additional description for purposes that most other
companies use notes.
Customer Service department makes heavy use of notes on customers, orders,
lines, ship to etc.
Engineering department does use notes heavily on Items Revisions BOM but
other departments also use some notes.
Raw Materials have notes related to our vendor part numbers for these
items, and contract pricing information managed by the Purchasing Department.
We track factory floor capital products maintenance using Item Numbers for
each machine mold applicator, and the people in charge of that maintenance
use those notes for a history of repairs needed.

Our materials department would like to enter a stock locator for all part
numbers.  This locator will be a reference field only which would be used
for barcode scanning and various reports.  The purpose of the Stock
Locator:  Receiving will know which Aisle, Row and Shelf in which to place
Stock and the material handlers and cycle counter will know where stock is
stored.  We will not manage inventory in and out of these
locations.  Materials controls Facility Planning Data and this would be
the ideal place for this information as materials may enter/update the
locator as required.  The locator number would be 5 characters and
alpha-numeric.

Some of the ideas that we currently considered:  Item Notes but this area
is controlled by Engineering.  Drawing/formula field, controlled by
Engineering and already in use.  List/Catalog No in the Item Master but
this field will be used by Sales in the future.

Is there another company that uses something similar to this now?  Does
anyone have any suggestions on where I could store this data?

Current BPCS Version 6.0.04 (Unix).

> Sincerely,
> ___________________________________________
> Sylvia L. Dufour
> Business Analyst
> Schukra of North America Ltd.
> 666 Ellis Street West
> Windsor, Ontario  N8X 1B4
> Telephone (519) 254-2633  Ext-241
> Fax (519)254-7515
Here are our current Literal substitutions to support our use of fields
other than how BPCS intended them to be used.

MSGFXPLORE contains the "master" collection & the merge program is called
SYSMSGF

Updates here since last installment are mainly in
             none at all - just a review since some of the fields involved
are next mod bait

First Column is what we want BPCS screens & reports to say
     Second is "old BPCS" object description DDS into IBM tools like Query
          Third = L# Al changed & now y"all need further testing to verify
got right one
                Fourth = field name corresponding to this to help MIS &
Query creators
                     Fifth = where should we be looking to see if it got
changed right
                            Sixth = Additional Notes on occasion

# of wires
     packaging size
          L006353
               IPACK in IIM item master
                    INV100

Customer Number
     Drawing/Formula No
           L018135
                IDRAW in IIM item master
                      INV100 INV300 BOM300

Freight
     Pre Paid Amount
           L# not yet re-constructed ... 1998 records misplaced  6646? 6661 ?
                field scenario not yet refreshed from lost corporate memories
                       Shipping

***** next three relevant to Machine Applicator Mold Application

JIT Max Run Rate
     Machine Cut-Off
          L005036
               IMAXR in IIM item master
                    INV100 Machine Applicator Mold Application
                         Rediscovered 2000-July while tidying Al's hovel

JIT Min Run Rate
     Machine To-Date
          L005038
               IMINR in IIM item master
                    INV100 Machine Applicator Mold Application
                         Rediscovered 2000-July while tidying Al's hovel

Maximum Inventory
     Machine Last labor
          L?????
               IMXIN in IIM item master
                    INV100 Machine Applicator Mold Application
                         Rediscovered 2000-July while tidying Al's hovel

Not Used
       Revision Number
             L000633
                    IFENO in IIM item master
                              INV100

Part # / Descr
       Item Description
              L004764
                   IDESC in IIM item master
                              INV100

Pro Bill #
      Loading Pier
             L005223
                field scenario not yet refreshed from lost corporate memories
                           Shipping

Qty per Carton
      Units per Pallet
              L018324
                   IVULP in IIM item master
                              INV100
                                   Jerry wanted "Quantity per Carton" but
                                    Al does not know where else in BPCS
that L#
                                    "object" is used ... creating a
potential for breaking
                                     other software if literal is made
larger than the space the
                                     other software has allocated for it
to fit in
                                     Counter Proposal = "Quantity/Carton"
(no spaces)

Quantity/Carton
                                    see "Qty per Carton"

Quantity per Carton
                                     see "Qty per Carton"

Rev #
   Ref 1
         L007309
              IFII in IIM item master
                              INV100

***** next one relevant to Machine Applicator Mold Application

Target Annual Quantity
     Machine Date Last Maintenance
          L008353
               ITGQY in IIM item master
                    INV100 Machine Applicator Mold Application
                         Rediscovered 2000-July while tidying Al's hovel

Test Board Y/N
       List/Catalog No
              L018136
                   IABBT in IIM item master
                              INV100
                                    Also see Tst Board YN

Tst Board YN
       List/Catalog
              L005205
                   IABBT in IIM item master
                              INV300
                                    Jerry wanted "Test Board Y/N" here
                                     and there is room for that text to
fit on INV300 but
                                    Al does not know where else in BPCS
that L#
                                    "object" is used ... creating a
potential for breaking
                                     other software if literal is made
larger than the space the
                                     other software has allocated for it
to fit in
                                     Counter Proposal = substitute L018136
                                     of INV100 for L005205 of INV300
                                     as a modification, or use plain text
                                     Note INV300 is not a virgin - the DDS
already been
                                     modified at Central
                                     IABBT starts at position 22 of line
15 of INV300
                                     L005205 starts at sideways 2 of line 15
                                     That means there is room in INV300 for a
                                     -19- long literal (22-2-1)

***** next one relevant to Machine Applicator Mold Application

Units per KANBAN Card
     Machine History
          L008849
               IUNCN in IIM item master
                    INV100 Machine Applicator Mold Application
                         Rediscovered 2000-July while tidying Al's hovel

Weight Per 1000
    Weight Per Unit
           L018323
               IWGHT in IIM item master
                              INV100


Al Macintyre
BPCS/400 Computer Janitor at http://www.globalwiretechnologies.com/
Find BPCS Documentation Suppliers
http://radio.weblogs.com/0107846/stories/2002/11/08/bpcsDocSources.html



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