[All versions] Printing WIP tags

When I implemented Vantage for the first time back on version 4.0 or so we made relatively small quantities of relatively costly parts / assemblies (machined castings, bar stock, and welded assemblies with about a dozen or so components / subassemblies). We printed a separate job traveler page for each operation sequence but it did not 'travel' with the parts. Each operator recorded his shift's production on a grid on the traveler and totaled both cum good and cum scrap. These were filed in job folders in the production office when each sequence completed and the whole job folder archived when jobs closed. This made an excellent source for investigating quality or any other issues at any time in the future.

We used a 3 part move order for each container with date / jobnum / partnum / fromOP/ toOP / employee / etc. for each container when it moved. 1st copy was kept and attached to front of the 'from' operation's job traveler. 2nd copy was attached to the (back of) the job traveler of the operation receiving the parts. Hard copy remained on container until empty. This way, 2nd OP always knew how many parts it needed to account for. When parts went to stock as either finished goods or subassembly WIP parts their (hard copy) move order completely identified when and on what job the parts were made. The whole procedure was very accurate and worked very well.

The next company was on version 6.1 and made relatively large volumes of lower cost parts for automotive. Parts typically went through about 6 to 10 process steps and they often processed only partial job quantities through many of the sequences. They did not really use the job traveler for much of anything but printed a move order type tag for each movement of a skid of parts.

These tags showed the complete routing of the part, one line per OP step, and the job number and job order quantity but not much else. Reporting in Vantage was very innaccurate. We revised the container tags (3rd party Progress programmer) to include for each operation sequence some additional information from Vantage. 1 - the cumulative quantity of both good and scrap reported from labor entry or data collection for each OP (at the time the tag was printed). 2 - the cumulative quantity on all move tags printed for each OP (required use of a UD field). 3 - The tag number defined as follows: JobNum - OP - TagNum (example: "JobNum-20-3" would be the third move order printed moving parts from operation sequence 20). Also had the choice to print a "status" tag (really a report) at anytime for any job number.

Standard WIP tags in Vantage never seemed to have any flexibility. As I recall, in data collection or labor entry you could only print a WIP tag for the amount you were reporting as having just produced. Also, if you had 4 containers it made you divide the production quantity equally by 4 and printed 4 WIP tags. Also not very useful if it was a large container and only moved after 2 or 3 labor reporting entries.

Greg


----- Original Message -----
From: Todd Caughey
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 1:26 PM
Subject: RE: [Vantage] Re: [All versions] Printing WIP tags





Thanks. The PWLOCHIS table looks very interesting. I was not aware of it. I can see all sorts of potential for tracking plant floor flow and timing between operations without using the labor tables.
-Todd C.

________________________________
From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of bpbuechler
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 12:45 PM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] Re: [All versions] Printing WIP tags

Todd;

For us...we print fresh tags each time we Report Quantity. Our business logic is once the next operation fully consumes the WIP from the previous operation and is marked complete...the WIP TAG is no longer valid as the product is now moved along the produciton routing. We do keep a job jacket with the first load retaining all the WIP TAGs but that was only for a short time as quantities may get changed from Labor Edit (mistakes).

Vantage follows the same logic as it keeps track of all WIP transactions in the PARTWIP table. Once it is comsumed or the job is marked complete;PARTWIP is moved to PWLOCHIS. Thus giving you a tracking tool for all WIP Transactions for a particular job by WIP and Raw Materials.

Thanks
Patty Buechler

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com<mailto:vantage%40yahoogroups.com>, Todd Caughey <caugheyt@...> wrote:
>
> Philosophical sort of question....for those printing WIP inventory tags to identify WIP....
>
> ...do you print a new tag for every movement from every operation OR
> ...do you print one universal tag (as many as anticipate needing) for traveling with the WIP ?
>
> We see benefits to each method as well as costs....especially cost for making new tags after each operation. Then if there is a tag it is guaranteed the qty was recorded and is what is shown on the tag. But with the traveling tag we could also see the prior and next operations so like our modified traveler could see the whole of operations - as well as saving a bunch in printing costs.
>
> So... "traveling" WIP tags or "fresh" WIP tags?
>
> Thanks,
> Todd Caughey
> Harvey Vogel Mfg. Co.
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Philosophical sort of question....for those printing WIP inventory tags to identify WIP....

...do you print a new tag for every movement from every operation OR
...do you print one universal tag (as many as anticipate needing) for traveling with the WIP ?

We see benefits to each method as well as costs....especially cost for making new tags after each operation. Then if there is a tag it is guaranteed the qty was recorded and is what is shown on the tag. But with the traveling tag we could also see the prior and next operations so like our modified traveler could see the whole of operations - as well as saving a bunch in printing costs.

So... "traveling" WIP tags or "fresh" WIP tags?

Thanks,
Todd Caughey
Harvey Vogel Mfg. Co.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Those are good thoughts..we are just starting to experiment with WIP
tags here.



Rob Bucek

Manufacturing Engineer

PH: 715-284-5376 ext 311

FAX: 715-284-4084

<http://www.dsmfg.com/>

(Click the logo to view our site)



________________________________

From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of Todd Caughey
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 3:34 PM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] [All versions] Printing WIP tags





Philosophical sort of question....for those printing WIP inventory tags
to identify WIP....

...do you print a new tag for every movement from every operation OR
...do you print one universal tag (as many as anticipate needing) for
traveling with the WIP ?

We see benefits to each method as well as costs....especially cost for
making new tags after each operation. Then if there is a tag it is
guaranteed the qty was recorded and is what is shown on the tag. But
with the traveling tag we could also see the prior and next operations
so like our modified traveler could see the whole of operations - as
well as saving a bunch in printing costs.

So... "traveling" WIP tags or "fresh" WIP tags?

Thanks,
Todd Caughey
Harvey Vogel Mfg. Co.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
To expand the thoughts a bit....

Now:
Pre-printed WIP bin-cards of cardstock paper where operators write in operation and qty. We print sheets of 2.5" X 4" labels with the job/customer/part info (derivative report from Job Traveler) and send to floor for sticking on things, like the top of the WIP bin-cards. Card travels with the material from oper to oper.

Plan A (Traveling WIP sheet): Like the bin-card labels print 10 or so and send to floor. Same info and card for writing on but add oper list as a sub-report in one corner. Print in office on 8.5" x 11" plain paper and send to floor with traveler packet. Saves paper/printing expense but lacks "real-time" info as well as assured consistency with the system.

Plan B (Fresh Tags): When movement is made (to next oper or WIP storage) mover person prints a WIP tag. Either whole sheet on laser printers in the plant or sticky label on Zebra printers in the plant. Guarantees what's in the bin or tray and the last oper completed. Higher costs for labels/paper and mostly printers (10 or so new ones).

If there is a Plan C out there for identifying WIP on the floor I would love to hear thoughts on that as well as if sites are doing one of the approaches above.

Thanks,
-Todd C.



________________________________
From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Rob Bucek
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 8:32 AM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Vantage] [All versions] Printing WIP tags




Those are good thoughts..we are just starting to experiment with WIP
tags here.

Rob Bucek

Manufacturing Engineer

PH: 715-284-5376 ext 311

FAX: 715-284-4084

<http://www.dsmfg.com/>

(Click the logo to view our site)

________________________________

From: vantage@yahoogroups.com<mailto:vantage%40yahoogroups.com> [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com<mailto:vantage%40yahoogroups.com>] On Behalf
Of Todd Caughey
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 3:34 PM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com<mailto:vantage%40yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [Vantage] [All versions] Printing WIP tags

Philosophical sort of question....for those printing WIP inventory tags
to identify WIP....

...do you print a new tag for every movement from every operation OR
...do you print one universal tag (as many as anticipate needing) for
traveling with the WIP ?

We see benefits to each method as well as costs....especially cost for
making new tags after each operation. Then if there is a tag it is
guaranteed the qty was recorded and is what is shown on the tag. But
with the traveling tag we could also see the prior and next operations
so like our modified traveler could see the whole of operations - as
well as saving a bunch in printing costs.

So... "traveling" WIP tags or "fresh" WIP tags?

Thanks,
Todd Caughey
Harvey Vogel Mfg. Co.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Todd;

For us...we print fresh tags each time we Report Quantity. Our business logic is once the next operation fully consumes the WIP from the previous operation and is marked complete...the WIP TAG is no longer valid as the product is now moved along the produciton routing. We do keep a job jacket with the first load retaining all the WIP TAGs but that was only for a short time as quantities may get changed from Labor Edit (mistakes).

Vantage follows the same logic as it keeps track of all WIP transactions in the PARTWIP table. Once it is comsumed or the job is marked complete;PARTWIP is moved to PWLOCHIS. Thus giving you a tracking tool for all WIP Transactions for a particular job by WIP and Raw Materials.

Thanks
Patty Buechler


--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, Todd Caughey <caugheyt@...> wrote:
>
> Philosophical sort of question....for those printing WIP inventory tags to identify WIP....
>
> ...do you print a new tag for every movement from every operation OR
> ...do you print one universal tag (as many as anticipate needing) for traveling with the WIP ?
>
> We see benefits to each method as well as costs....especially cost for making new tags after each operation. Then if there is a tag it is guaranteed the qty was recorded and is what is shown on the tag. But with the traveling tag we could also see the prior and next operations so like our modified traveler could see the whole of operations - as well as saving a bunch in printing costs.
>
> So... "traveling" WIP tags or "fresh" WIP tags?
>
> Thanks,
> Todd Caughey
> Harvey Vogel Mfg. Co.
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
Thanks. The PWLOCHIS table looks very interesting. I was not aware of it. I can see all sorts of potential for tracking plant floor flow and timing between operations without using the labor tables.
-Todd C.


________________________________
From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of bpbuechler
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 12:45 PM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] Re: [All versions] Printing WIP tags




Todd;

For us...we print fresh tags each time we Report Quantity. Our business logic is once the next operation fully consumes the WIP from the previous operation and is marked complete...the WIP TAG is no longer valid as the product is now moved along the produciton routing. We do keep a job jacket with the first load retaining all the WIP TAGs but that was only for a short time as quantities may get changed from Labor Edit (mistakes).

Vantage follows the same logic as it keeps track of all WIP transactions in the PARTWIP table. Once it is comsumed or the job is marked complete;PARTWIP is moved to PWLOCHIS. Thus giving you a tracking tool for all WIP Transactions for a particular job by WIP and Raw Materials.

Thanks
Patty Buechler

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com<mailto:vantage%40yahoogroups.com>, Todd Caughey <caugheyt@...> wrote:
>
> Philosophical sort of question....for those printing WIP inventory tags to identify WIP....
>
> ...do you print a new tag for every movement from every operation OR
> ...do you print one universal tag (as many as anticipate needing) for traveling with the WIP ?
>
> We see benefits to each method as well as costs....especially cost for making new tags after each operation. Then if there is a tag it is guaranteed the qty was recorded and is what is shown on the tag. But with the traveling tag we could also see the prior and next operations so like our modified traveler could see the whole of operations - as well as saving a bunch in printing costs.
>
> So... "traveling" WIP tags or "fresh" WIP tags?
>
> Thanks,
> Todd Caughey
> Harvey Vogel Mfg. Co.
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]