Job Creation Process Optimization

Epicor ERP 10
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1

Hello, I would like to state that I am new to Epicor and am not sure what is within the realm of possibility. I also do not personally have access to modify modules/reports, but can put in tickets to my IT Manager. We also have the option to bring in a consultant if needed.

I would like to optimize the current job creation process, which currently takes approximately 5 minutes per job created. As our company increases the volume of orders received (and thus jobs that need to be created) to thousands per product line, this will quickly become an overwhelming process. Creating 1000 jobs would take over 10.5 days of straight manual Epicor work. This is frankly ridiculous, and I truly feel there is potential for optimization to be done here.

The current process for job creation:

  1. A serial number needs to be created using Serial Number Maintenance
  2. Go to Return Material Authorization module, enter RMA number, and verify part number, quantity, and reason sections are filled in.
  3. Within RMA module, click Serial Numbers. Enter Serial number at the bottom, press select, then move serial number from Available to Selected Serial Numbers. Change the Warehouse type.
  4. Then Open Job Manager, enter part number, unlink supply links, create job, enter job number.
  5. Then go to Job Entry module, paste new job number, change a bunch of codes, delete revision number, then save. Click Actions, get job Details, Enter Job template, highlight assembly, select no to “resequencing the assembly sequence numbers as you get the details” popup box.
  6. Open Purchase Order module, verify all details match. Go back to Job Entry and schedule the job.
  7. Open RMA Disposition Entry module, Click binoculars, enter the RMA number, highlight the associated RMA line and release and click ok. Add job number, select Dispose to “Job”, and click on Serial Numbers (yet again)
  8. Re-add serial number and move over from Available to the Selected Serial Numbers box (yet again).
  9. Open Serial Number Assignment, enter job number, click on serial number, move over (yet again), and click save.

Creating a job requires 7 modules and multiple reverifications of serial numbers.

In my idealized world, I could create a template for each part number. Then use that template, enter the associated unique serial number and appropriate order/completion dates, verify all information is correct, and then send the job out. Templates should be retaining most of the information necessary to create jobs. It should be around a 30 sec process.

Is there any opportunity for optimization here? Is there a different approach to job creation that I could use? Thanks!

2

Welcome!

Just to get a better understanding of your process, can you let us know why you need to do an RMA? Are you doing repair work?

3

Correct, we are doing repair work.

4

@TNeelavannan Welcome. This should be doable in a ubaq or function. We do not do repair work and @knash would be more of an expert than me, but I have a dashboard that you can paste into from excel the data for a set of jobs and then a custom action that creates all of the jobs.

5

Thanks for your response! How did you go about creating that dashboard module in Epicor? Do you basically do an upload of your excel file into that dashboard module in Epicor and then run the module? Do you know how that would work with the RMA data? Sounds exactly like what I need. Sorry for a lot of questions!

6

I traced out the steps in Epicor and then made a process that did them just as an operator would, but from code.

If you do not have a programmer on staff or a consultant there are several consultants here that could do this. I can recommend some I use in St. Pete.

7

We did this for Case Entry. Don’t know if that is the same here. Yes, you can trace out all of the steps Epicor does.

Have a form where folks fill in information for all of the processes. (serial number/comments/etc.)
Create a function to process the requests that build off of each other. (create case/sales order/job/rma)

take a 15 minute process down to a few fields to be entered and a lot of EpiMagic :magic_wand: , you become the hero :superhero: of the moment.

Then everyone expects the same results for every project. :slight_smile:

4 Likes
8

Perfect, sounds exactly like what I need. I will speak to my IT Manager and discuss this option with him. I needed to make sure that it was at least theoretically possible to create an automatic function like that. Thanks!