We’re looking to start using Epicor to it’s fuller potential. Without going into too much detail, we’re an automotive supplier and looking to track individual containers of manufactured parts potentially using the MES Data Collection module.
As an example, so I have a job for 600 pieces, each container holds only 30 pieces.
How would I set up a type of lot tracking to track that container in the case of a problematic batch of parts?
I looked at lot tracking, and it seemed to me that when reporting quantity through the MES (to produce an internal inventory label) the parts would be added to an on-hand inventory, but they would all be assigned the same lot number (the default job number.)
Is there a good way to do something similar? In my mind, I imagined adding a button to the report quantity screen to generate a new lot, but I’m not familiar with Epicor’s developmental options. (I’ve read OF BPM, DMT, but that’s the extent of it. I’m relatively familiar with SQL, however.)
Or maybe a UDF to be added onto the label when a labor entry is reported, and a report to query that UDF by the Job number? (I don’t know if that would give us traceability through the all of the processes the parts go through, though.)
The job will likely require a consultant, but I’d like to discuss the best options for what the company is trying to achieve.
Thanks guys!
Edit: I looked at and messed with serial tracking to auto generate and assign them to the job, but it seemed to be a little cumbersome for the production associate to have to manually select only 30 pieces of 600 serials to move over for a label.
Can you be a little more specific on the “track individual containers” process? MES is used to collect time and quantity on job operations, but it sounds like you’re more looking for inventory tracking.
Lot tracking is where you want to focus. Serial tracking is a 1 to 1 relationship, each part gets a unique serial number. Lot tracking is 1 to many - 1 lot number for a cluster of parts.
Do you really need to be as granular as you are thinking? Each bin of parts has a unique lot number? I used to work in the automotive field and the lot tracking was done on a date basis which was sufficient. For example, if parts were discovered with bad welds, all parts produced that day had to be reinspected. The parts were identified easily as the lot number had a date component.
Unfortunatly , Epicor does not support packages of parts, it just manage parts. Since the start we found this to be missing from this application since we do send packages of parts each of them having a volume and weight associated with each package.
When we go under production, we produce labels with the job# being the lot#, and each package having a number. So when we scan the package into inventory, we have a knowledge of that pack number being in stock. Not yet implemented but soon, is the shipping process where we would scan the package so we can keep track of the pack# leaving for the customer.
All this had to be customized, we added UD fields to keep track of all the information regarding the packages, (units/pkg, weight, volume ) Reports changed to reflect the packages sent/sold totals etc…
and a special scan app that generates the necessary data collection regarding the packages produced.
More than half of our customizations are due to this “missing feature”. I do not think we are unique in this way no? I can only hope Epicor would offer it in a future version ! we are on 10.0.700…
So to better answer you, sorry, I would stick to the same lot# for all the 600. and use package numbers on your labels (and barcode) as sublot so when you scan, you could catch the pack number and write a “transaction” in a UD field or UDtable to capture in and outs of your packages.
In our special app, we used a UD table where when the labels are produced, a record is created. When put into inventory, that record has a status of ScanInv. then when shipped would probably have another status of ScanShip.
Anyway that is my 2 cents…
EDIT: Wow we are going into 10.2 within a few months so can’t wait to test this Package control feature !!!
When we pre receive a shipping container we issue the stock to inventory and create our new lot number for each master roll. how or where can we Easly correlate the suppliers MFG lot number into the system for tracing back if a quality issues arrises?
