Re: End user guide

Al Mac # 5 to Ryan.

Another doc you want to look for, and this may be on Internet.
Net Change SAP to BPCS.

A net change document is a synopsis of what is different for someone moving
from one software collection to another. In your case it would give
examples:
Here's how you did something on SAP.
Here's how to do the equivalent thing on BPCS.
Here's stuff you could do on SAP which cannot be done on BPCS.
Here's stuff you can do on BPCS, which you could never do on SAP.

The info, I gave earlier was a mixture of what I thought useful to a
spectrum of different types of BPCS users.

Forget what I said about programming languages.

BPCSDOC access is not designed for end user access, but if you can get to
it, I think one friendly way to navigate, for a non-programmer, is:
1. Send to printer, but do not print
2. import from AS/400 printer to PC World, such as Word

If you do send to printer, the BPCSDOC vanilla form (unless someone has
modified, like I have where I work), is designed to work great on 8 1/2 x 11
paper 6 lines to inch, and really crummy on the green bar printer we use 8
lines to inch on AS/400.

I could give you names of files you can look at via Query/400, assuming that
is loaded on your AS/400 or I Series, but there are many alternative query
tools various companies have installed, and you should wait until you learn
which one is at your company, such as SEQUEL, before making your own
queries, in perhaps the wrong tools for your company's choices.

When looking up your company data, it helps to start with some reference
lists.
* CAP130C prints a list of factory departments
* CAP110C prints a list of factory work centers
* INV145C prints a list of codes used for tracking labor transaction
problems
* INV115C prints a list of warehouses your company uses
* INV165C prints a list of your company's item classes
* INV175C prints a list of your company's item types

There are others, but the above reference lists should be only a page or so
each in length.

Remember a program which starts with one of the 3 letter alpha I listed at
end of my #2 installment, then has a # 300 to 399 . that is an inquiry
program, looking up info, not changing anything. Most, but not all, will
have letter C on the end.

Here are some inquiry programs you could use to view your company's data.
With inquiry, you are not updating anything, you are just familiarizing
yourself with the data which is out there.
The info I am giving on each of these is sketchy, not getting into any
details on each inquiry program, since we don't know yet which ones you will
need, and what kind of detail documentation you will eventually nail down
from a better source.

The first thing you should do, when getting into any of these inquiry
programs is F1, then scroll thru the help relevant to that screen. Again,
as you get to additional screens, remember the help is relevant to where you
are, and it starts with specifics about the field you were on. After you
using some inquiry program a lot, you can forget about checking the F1-help.
You won't need any longer, but is good to remember it is there, in case your
job responsibilities evolve, and you need to recheck what can be done at
that program.

* ACR = get to main menu for Accounts Receivable
* ACR310C = Customer Alpha / Phone Inquiry - or just scroll thru names
... note first screen has basic info, F11 to show more info on each customer
. F11 to toggle back to simple list . jot down some customer numbers, or
maybe do a screen print when in detailed mode (this will help you later when
looking up some other info)
* ACR300C = Accounts Receivable Inquiry into what a particular company
owes, once you have the account number from ACR310C
* BOM = get to main menu for product structure
* BOM300C = Bill of Material Inquiry . you will want to know some of
your company's item #s before doing this (see CAP300C for how to get some
of them)
* CAP = get to main menu for capacity planning
* CAP300C = get bar graph of work load at a particular work center .
it helps to have a list of the work centers which exist at your
manufacturing facility before you try this . but at first screen, notice at
end of field line there is a plus sign, which means you can put cursor on
that line then F4 to get list of work centers which are valid to put there .
you might scroll thru, jot down what facilities are identified (that will
help you other places like in CST300C) . you can select one at the list,
then press enter, and it has populated the line for you. Leave the time
frame at M until you know what special ones your company is using. Press
enter. The flashing is work assigned to that week, which is in excess of
what is the capacity of that work center. The appearance of screen varies
with how your PC connection is configured. With F5 you can get a list of
the work which makes up that data. Reference # is shop order #. Jot down
some of those, or do a screen print. (Those #s will help you later if you
use SFC300 for example.) Date is when the work was due to be completed.
Hours is a decimal representation of how much time is left to finish the
job. Item is the part to be made . you might want to do some screen prints,
scroll do some more, or EDIT copy-paste to PC reference. (Those item #s
will help you later if you use INV300 for example.)
* CST = get to main menu for costing
* CST300C = Costed Engineering Analysis . before using this program,
it helps to know some of your company's item #s, how your facilities are
labeled, whether you are using non-standard cost sets, but let's just stop
at the first prompt screen . notice at the end of each field to fill out,
all but last one, there is a little "+" symbol. That means that field has
prompt support. You can put the cursor on that field line then do F4 to get
a list of valid entries. Warning, when the list is large, like we have
100,000 item#s, the time to build the valid list is time consuming, compared
to a small list, like we have 10 cost sets. (Also see CAP300C for a way to
find some info to help you get started here)
* INV = get to main menu for Inventory
* INV355C = inventory transaction effect inquiry . you can scroll thru
list to see what types of inventory transactions exist . some come with BPCS
405CD, then companies add to the collection . you can select one to get at
some geeky info about how it functions . once on the geeky screen, you can
scroll thru the different transactions, with eyes focused on a part of the
screen, such as bottom, to see which go into general ledger, and which do
not . warning, there may be transactions there, which your company does not
actually use. I suggest at the min list of transaction codes, you get
yourself a reference copy, such as EDIT COPY then paste someplace in PC
land. COPY APPEND means first screen you did COPY, then COPY APPEND copies
second screen at bottom of first screen's COPY.
* INV350C = item alpha lookup . with this you can key in description
of an item to find out what your company has called it, as its item #
(CAP300C can help you with this)
* INV300C = Inventory Inquiry . this is a complex program with many
perspectives . it helps to know some item #s which exist in your company
inventory, before you explore this (CAP300C can help you with this)
* JIT = get to main menu for Just in Time
* JIT300 = view performance of making some item . before using this,
it helps to know some items you make, and how their routings are structured.
See CAP300 for a way to find some item #s.
* MRP = main menu for Material Requirement Planning
* MRP300 = MRP inquiry . you have to know facilities your company
uses, and item#s . this complex . I use it for pegging . which means "where
used" in requirements. We are making some item . I can use this to find out
why . forecast, or for what customer
* ORD = get to main menu for Customer Orders
* ORD300C = Customer Order inquiry . this is a complex program, with
many dimensions . it helps to start with knowing either a customer identity
(from ACR310C) or a customer part #, or a customer order #
* ORD355C = Customer Returns inquiry . it works just like ORD300C
except it is looking at repair orders
* ORD310C = Ship to Alpha lookup
* PUR = Get to main menu for Purchasing
* PUR310C = Vendor Alpha Lookup . or just scroll thru names . F11
toggles between detailed info by vendor, or simple list . jot down some
vendor numbers, or maybe do a screen print when in detailed mode
* PUR300C = Purchase Order inquiry . there's lots of perspectives you
can look at, but it helps to start by knowing a vendor identity (from
PUR310C), or a vendor part #, or a purchase order #
* SAL = Get to main menu for Sales History
* SAL300C = Sales History inquiry ... this program works a bit
different than many others ... the standard is F3 to get completely out of a
program ... in this one, F12 gets you to the main selection screen (customer
item etc.) then F3 from there to exit ... this is a huge program, with tons
of options to look at sales history from many perspectives . you have to
know something about the business to start with
* SFC = get to main menu for Shop Floor Control of Factory Orders
* SFC350C = Material/Capacity Inquiry . if you know some part # your
company manufactures, and in what kinds of quantities . here you can see if
you have everything needed in house to make it, and what bottlenecks to
expect

This is not a complete list of vanilla inquiries, just some examples you can
start with.
Our company has a heck of a lot more add-on inquiries than the vanilla
collection.

Al Mac (WOW) = Alister William Macintyre
via WOW WAY.com ISP
2012 April I had a serious PC melt down, from which I am still recovering
-----Original Message-----
From: bpcs-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bpcs-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Fellingham, Ryan
Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 2:00 AM
To: BPCS ERP System
Subject: Re: [BPCS-L] End user guide

Thanks for the feedback-much appreciated

I will be an end user-the full needs I am not certain of yet-just wanted to
get an overview of the system from end user point of view and query
generator of table names etc to be able to create reports and queries.

I have a lot to learn as am completely new to this system and have been
working on SAP which is quite different, but will go through everything
you've given me and see if I can get some education :)

thanks

-----Original Message-----