Question on EPDM off-line loads - deletes and adds

Hi group,

We have two assembly lines, and we run the same products on either line,
using primary or alternate routings. We don't want to maintain all the
routing records twice, once for each line. We have the facilities in synch
(ie, 70401 and 70601, 70402 and 70602, etc), so all the supporting stuff is
in place. The production process is identical on either line, same number
of work centers, same rates, etc.

What I want to do is allow Engineering to maintain only one set of
routings, the primary routings, and then every night, in batch mode, delete
all the alternate routings and re-add them through off-line load processing
(with only the facility number changed). I would greatly prefer he use
canned MAPICS code/processes rather than write his own, to assure that
everything is in synch for MAPICS (EPDM can be pretty complex in some
areas.)

It seems simple, but my programmer has been struggling with this for some
time. According to him, the jobs terminate at various points for various
reasons, never the same. He is of the opinion that the EPDM off-line load
programs are not adequate for this process, and wants to write his own
process, but I am hesitant to allow that. MAPICS' off-line load processing
should be adequate.

Has anyone else out there done something like this? As in, using EPDM
off-line load after the initial load of data?

Dale Gindlesperger
IT Manager/Special Projects Leader
Fleetwood Folding Trailers, Inc.
258 Beacon Street
Somerset, PA 15501