Non-Qty Bearing - Help us make a decision?

Kinetic ERP
1

Ok.. here is the issue…
FACTS:

  1. Non-quantity bearing parts (NQB), by definition, will NEVER have a quantity.
  2. In Jobs we highlight items IN RED if there is not enough inventory on-hand of any material.
  3. you MIGHT have some being purchased, but even when you receive the PO, it will not go to inventory because it is NQB.
  4. MRP will never tell you to purchase NQB because it is NQB.
  5. Since the NQB part does not have any on-hand, the ICON shows as red, and will always show as red, no matter what you do.

We have a choice:

  1. Force it to BLACK since it is NQB
  2. Leave it as RED forever.
  3. Other?

What are your thoughts?

2

We use NQB for our VMI parts, I get complaints from our planners all the time because it looks like that part is not in stock when looking at the statuses on job tracker

I vote force it Black. maybe make a new icon for it too. So its easy to see that its a NQB

3

Instead of a color, can you just change the icon (shape) itself?

Instead of a hexagon, make it a square or something?

4

Other, Black but new icon to show it’s NQB part.

5

+1 for black and new icon

6

User configurable!

I promise I’m not trolling… If I was writing this I’d want the color/shape not hardcoded anywhere anyway, but read from config data that can be updated with zero disruption. Make that a place we can see and we’ll write our own interface if Epicor declines or defers the task.

7

Well, people use NQB for all kinds of reasons.. laziness, convenience, impracticality, we can always make it or run to the store… etc etc

But just forcing it black, is definitely the wrong choice.

There always needs to be a clear indicator.

Even if it is extra work, something that says “Hey this is NQB, so know that!”.

So I’m pretty much in the camp of, change the icon, and possibly the color too.

8

Full on '80s neon aqua.

Car Driving GIF by Dean Moroney

9

For at least one of my customers I’m changing this icon on the fly using a BPM - they wanted to see the status on assemblies, based upon the state of linked operations and materials. In exploring and making that BPM I did find at least one icon in the Epicor resource directory that I couldn’t see being used at all in code.

10

so far, the one consistant answer I like is the NEW ICON that is BLACK (Or maybe another color to highliight it)…
what I DONT like is the fact that it currently shows up as RED because it is “Not in stock”.. but there is no way to force it to be in stock since it is NQB… this “new icon” idea would really highlight that it is special.

11

I would like the new icon to be an outline instead of a solid image if it has to be hardcoded. I feel like that would make it stand out better.

12

yeah, I had the same thought. Similar to phantom material parts.

I thought about suggesting a black outlined hexagon… its just whether that would be easily distinguished vs the blue hexagon for phantoms.

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13

Agreed. “Red” should mean “Warning that you can (and should) fix”. If we start putting warnings on things that can’t or don’t need to be fixed, then they become useless (I’m looking at you california :eyes: ) Users already ignore enough warning messages, I don’t want to train them to ign ore them too.

The WORST is if the warning shows up and can’t be resolved.

Ideally, it would be nice to indicate that it’s a different type of material, because someone still might want to review things that won’t show up in the MRP processes.

Basically I’m repeating what everyone else is saying, because they are all correct.

14

So, you are saying that this warning doesn’t stop you from buying coffee in California? Hahaha (yes, every coffee house and grocery store has to warn consumers that coffee has poison in it.)

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15

It’s why I’ll never move to California. Everything there causes cancer. It’s just not worth the risk.

16

the ink that they use to print the warning labels needs a warning label because it causes cancer too. Also, every grocery store and restaurant has a sign on the front door saying that something inside has cancer causing materials… why? Coffee and Beer and Tea all are poisen according to CA… warning overload is a thing!

17

OK… anyone interested in resolving this, we have created a new idea Log In - Epicor Identity for you to vote on. We need to run this through Epicor Ideas and as an Enhancement due to the fact that this is a change in the way that current customers use the software.

18

Thanks for bringing this idea to our attention!

19

I say change the icon to NB rather than some shape an colour that is imperceptible and there is no simple way to show the key of all icons and colours. If there is I have never seen it.

20

It is in the manuals/help files.