Can Outside Processing be tracked in Mapics?

Environment: Mapics DB/Y2K (Mod 4) with IM, PDM and PC&C

Hi Mapics ML:

How do you track your Outside Processing in Mapics?

Under our system, we issue an IS (Miscellaneous Issue)
Inventory Transaction to move the Inventory Item from the
main Warehouse to a Manufacturing Order (using a special
numbering sequence for MOs of this nature).  The MO is
used to track the actual costs for Outside Processing.

When the Inventory Item comes back from Outside
Processing, it's inspected and the Manufacturing Order is
closed resulting in a RM (Production Receipt) Inventory
Transaction to move the Inventory Item back to the main
Warehouse.

All of these transactions occur within the main Warehouse
so I don't believe that there's a way within Mapics to
track the Inventory Items that are out at Outside
Processing.

Our Production Clerk has to run a Query/400 report that
summarizes the open MOs related to Outside Processing to
get real time information about the status of this
activity.

I thought about setting up a dedicated Warehouse for
Outside Processing:

Under this plan, an IW (Interwarehouse Issue) Inventory
Transaction would move the Inventory Item out of the main
Warehouse.  A RW (Interwarehouse Receipt) would receive
the Inventory Item into the new Warehouse.

The IS (Miscellaneous Issue) Inventory Transaction to move
the Inventory Item to a Manufacturing Order would be
recorded out of the new Warehouse.

When the Inventory Item comes back from Outside
Processing, its inspected and the Manufacturing Order is
closed resulting in a RM (Production Receipt) Inventory
Transaction to move the Inventory Item back to the new
Warehouse.

Another IW would move the Inventory Item out of the new
Warehouse and
a RM would record the receipt of the Inventory Item into
the main Warehouse.

When I look at this plan, it seems to require to many
"Inventory Transactions" which results in a labor
intensive bookkeeping process.

What do you do in your shop to track Outside Processing?
Are there simpler ways to handle Outside Processing and
are youe able to have Mapics track this activity?

I look forward to your comments on this matter.

Regards,
Al Gershen
Grants Pass, OR
aldg1@charter.net