Hi, I wanted to know if it was possible to track what software versions have been uploaded to the medical device assets we track, by serial number.
Welcome @Bobbert!
Not too much context here, we don’t have any idea what you have, what you’re trying
to accomplish, or how Epicor fits into the picture.
If you’re asking how serial-tracked medical devices (that you manufacture using Epicor as your ERP system) can have a record updated with what version of software they’re using, there are several ways that can be accomplished, but each way has different process requirements and may or may not give you the reporting capabilities you’re looking for.
If you can give us more context (what version you’re using, how comfortable you are with customization, how much data you’re looking to capture, who needs to have access to that data), we can probably help you further.
Apologies Ernie, first time user. Version is 10.2.400.19
We don’t manufacture, we distribute but we have an engineering department who can calibrate, configure and, indeed, update software versions of the medical devices we supply. So I wanted to know if this latter config could be tracked via our version of Epicor.
You said you are tracking them as assets so in the asset entry is where you are using the serial number. If so, one option could be to utilize the model field in the asset entry screen for recording the software version
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Long ago, in the IBM world, devices were organized as machines and features. Software version would be a ‘feature’. You could probably replicate this behavior in Epicor.
We had an inventory system on our old mainframe (yes, it’s THAT many years ago) where we had all the machines and features in the database, linked by the Serial Number of the machine. So if you pulled that serial number, you got the machine and list of features on it. We only did away with that system when our business moved away from in-house inventory.
For a medical device, in the manufacturing world it’s pretty common to up-rev a device, then place a label over the original label which shows the current revision of the device.
Workflow:
Receive RMA unit as rev A
Upgrade unit and update the label
Ship out as rev B
There should be a stripped down device history record for the RMA job showing what was done.
If your serialization allows it, you may be able to use the same S/N on the new shipment. It’s all about the traceability of the serial number.
Bottom line, if you have a unit that is at a certain revision level, you should be able to go to the BOM to find the appropriate firmware revisions. If they don’t match the BOM then revision control has been lost.
I guess I’m making the assumption that you are manufacturing them. But reading the OP, maybe they are assets or you are renting/leasing units to customers.
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We do have serial numbers, but that basically ties what we need to track to the manufacturing jobs associated with the final assembly. One option you could do (in step with @markb_wi’s post) is create a non quantity bearing part called SoftwareRev and update the description of that part in the job of what the actual revision is). That way you could track the history of a single serial number to see what revisions were loaded, and when.