When building an MRP report, if you don't want to see all the data, look at
the reports available on MRP menus, and the use of planner codes, where you
can break up the total work of your factory into model lines associated with
different customers & types of products, so different personnel can focus on
different sub-sets of the MRP data, or you can work on different kinds of
product development on different days.
My understanding of the method code is that your BOM and routings can have
more than one method setup of how to make some part, then at time of
launching the orders, the person who does the order launching selects which
method to use, where the blank one is the default one.
If the BOM and routings are setup correctly, then the production will be
correctly done according to the selected method, and consume the mix of
parts needed.
Managing this can be a royal pain in the rear end.
We instead handle methods as exceptions.
We leave method code blank on most all items, then after launching the shop
orders, can go into shop order maintenance to change the BOM or routings to
agree with whatever is different, this one time.
This also works great on substitutions, where we run out of some standard
raw material, call the customer, get approval to use some other component,
so that they can get what they need on time, instead of a delay waiting on
replacement components.
Where we do use method codes are on repairs and reworks where the need is
short term. Suppose we have sent 1,000 of part 12345 to some customer, of
revision-C, and now are making revision-D. The customer sends back to us
750 of part 12345 at revision-C paying us to rework those parts into
revision-D. The BOM and routings for these 750 parts may be using some of
the same steps, and will have some stuff that is different, so method codes
can be used, or we can copy all the stuff on part 12345 as 12345R for redo,
then alter the redo copy.
Something that can go wrong on new parts is the effectivity date.
Suppose you have a part whose normal lead time for raw materials is 60 days,
and the BOM is entered with an effectivity date of starting the day the new
item was entered into the system, then the engineer tells co-workers when
the engineering has all been keyed in, and then a new customer order is
entered on that new part. However, the raw materials were needed 60 days
ago, which is before the date the new item was entered into the system,
which means the BOM components only effectively needed from that entry date
forwards, so the raw materials do not get ordered by MRP. Further, if a
shop order is released to make the new part, the FMA data copied from BOM is
only what was effective, projecting dates backwards to when due to make the
part on time. If that crosses the effectivity start date backwards to a
time when those raw materials not yet inside that date window, then the shop
order is created not needing those parts. Thus, when entering new parts,
engineers need to know to not use today's date as a starting date, but
retroactive to make sure all components get included by MRP.
There are several companies that make manuals for BPCS that are superior to
the documentation that came with BPCS. Most of them are aimed at either
"Here's how to make BPCS work" or
"Here's what is going on with BPCS"
Not so many oriented with figuring out what you doing wrong when something
messed up.
Even so, it might pay for your company to buy a manual that is specific to
making MRP work effectively, such as one of these:
http://www.unbeatenpathintl.com/13menu/source/1.htm
-
Al Mac
BPCS GEEK
-----Original Message-----
From: bpcs-l On Behalf Of pchen7@xxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 3:32 AM
To: bpcs-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [BPCS-L] No planned production order for certain items
Dear Kevin,
I'm a BPCS & AS400 user from China. I didn't use this forum system before
and don't know whether my post way is correct or not.
I'm very interesting on your question "- Are these items using a method
code on the BOM (other than blank) ?", actually I'm facing this kind of
problem. Do you have any suggestion or solution in MRP maintenance with
not only one method code on BOM, can I choose a specifically method code
in building MRP report?
Your advice is highly appreciated!
"Chris,
I hope these questions are helpful at determining the issue....
- Is there demand for the parent item(s) ?
- Is the parent item demand showing up in MRP maintenance?
- Are these items within their effectivity date range on the BOM ?
- Are these items using a method code on the BOM (other than blank) ?
- In Facility Planning, what is the Requirements Code ? (should be D or S
or
blank)
Kevin Harper
Waterfall Data Solutions, Inc.
(717) 982-2765 "
midrange.com
