Subassemblies and how to process?

Kinetic ERP
1

we are just starting to use subassemblies, and we REALLY like how we can lay them out on a parent part. We often times are building custom 1 off emergency vehicles, and subassemblies make job flow and quoting work much better.

The jobs are laid out where the Parent part is all the work being done on a vehicle once the physical chassis arrives. But before that happens, we can produce things like a graphics package, and a custom drawer unit (much of the time 1 off custom), so i make those into subassemblies on that job with the intent that they can be built ahead of time. I realize I can make those graphics packages and drawers a physical part and run them as their own jobs, BUT working it on a single job works so much better.

The problem lies in keeping track of subassemblies while waiting for the vehicle to arrive. I need a wip holding area of some sort. I tried move wip, move material, job to job transactions, job receipt to inventory, and none of those do it. I cannot figure out how to “Tell” epicor i move the subassembly to some wip bin somewhere, so I can ultimately find it later.

To complicate things, I really want to have these subassemblies as Phantom BOMs, otherwise I just keep adding more and more parts that are 1 off to the system.

in the simplest way, as it works now, It seems like we can complete all the operations on a sub assembly, and then just take it to the car. No receiving, no issuing, no movement transactions, Is that right? Or should I be using some app somewhere that I have not found?

Second, are those completed (or incomplete) sub-assemblies in a WIP bin somewhere? and if so, How did they get there? (in epicor). I can’t part track, because they are Phantom… or is the only thing really in wip is a the parent part?

anyone else use subassemblies and need them to hold for the parent?

Thanks!

2

Patrick,

For inventory quantity and costing purposes, Subassemblies don’t really “exist” outside of the job where they are, so you can’t manipulate them with inventory transfers and such.

You have the AMM module, so the first option to explore would probably be the Output Warehouse/Out Bin on the Resource Group (or Resource) of the final operation at that Subassembly level. Epicor will “put” the subassembly into that bin, and at the “next” operation (defined using the Related Operation at the subassembly level), Epicor will “take” it out of the bin. At all times the quantities and costs are in WIP, there is no stock transaction taking place.

3

is there anywhere I can go “see” where that part went in wip? what is the table called that I can look at in BAQ? i tried part wip, but the job in question is not there, I am guessing because it is phantom?

4

Look at the Resource Group of the last operation on the subassembly, and see what the Output Warehouse/Out Bin values are. If they are DIFFERENT than the Input Warehouse/Input Bin values, AND you have the “Auto Move” checkbox enabled, then you should be able to see the completed number of parts in the Material Queue to be moved to that bin.

Keep in mind this is being set at the Resource Group (or Resource), so any operation utilizing this Resource Group (or Resource) will now have this setting. It gets complicated pretty quickly.

5

It is using “Graphics Employee” and “Graphics shop”. Both are marked as “location” (which actually feels like that is wrong). Employee is A in and A out, Shop is a in and graphics out. the auto move is off on both… so how do i move that sub?

6

All of your Resource Groups/Resources MUST have the “Location” checkbox selected in order for production labor to be entered. There are some scenarios where that checkbox is not required, but in your shop (I’ve been there) it should always be selected. I wouldn’t worry about the “Graphics Employee” settings to start with, leave the in/out bins as they are and work with the “Graphics Shop” first.

There’s a pretty good discussion about how this works with some examples in the AMM Education Couse guide (which I know you have), starting at the bottom of page 29 (and going on through page 33… not too easy to summarize here).

Depending on that Auto Move checkbox selection and the In/Out warehouse/bin selections, the move can happen either automatically OR there can be a Move Request generated. ALWAYS best to test out in your PILOT environment first!