Tag: catch weight

AX2012 process manufacturing integrates to manufacturing execution

In previous versions it was not possible to collect data on shop floor for process manufactured products. Many customers use both process and discrete manufacturing capabilities in Dynamics AX in their environments regardless of whether they are generally dealing with process manufactured products or with assembled products. Therefore in AX2012 it was made possible to do data collection on products that were manufactured using formulae and batch orders. This post describes the context in which some decisions were made and also lists a number of enhancements to process manufacturing in AX2012 that make this possible.

Synchronous updates
Manufacturing execution in AX2012 is changed so that progress updates made on job registration are instantly updated in the production module. It is now possible to track the production progress within production module by viewing jobs and quantity form from production orders as soon as the progress entry is made. This is also extended to batch orders.

Job registration form
On the job registration form it is now possible to see operations or jobs depending on whether operation or job scheduling was run on batch orders. The setup required for this is described in the documentation here.
Since batch orders can produce multiple outputs, it is now possible to see these multiple outputs by shop floor worker on their terminal. This is made possible by allowing access to co-by products form from job registration form. It is possible to configure job registration form so the co-by products button appears here. Setup of action pane that is needed to set this up is described here.
It is now made possible to set up the action pane on job registration form so that linked quality orders to the batch order in progress can be seen from within the job registration form. This capability enables either shop floor worker or supervisor to easily access and see the status of quality orders for the batch order on which they are still recording progress. 
It is now made possible to set up the action pane on job registration form so that linked non-conformances to the batch order in progress can be seen from within the job registration form. This capability enables either shop floor worker or supervisor see the associated non-conformances

Production status list page
This page is intended as an overview for shop floor supervisor. In previous versions it was not possible to see batch order jobs on this page.

In process manufacturing AX2012 it is possible to do the following.

  1. View the batch order jobs, 
  2. View the formula connected to the batch order for which jobs are being displayed 
  3. View the non-conformances connected to the jobs being displayed
  4. View the consolidated orders form, this form will show consolidated orders, bulk or pack orders that are related to the batch order that is currently in focus on production jobs list page
  5. "Cancel finished report" button will cancel the quantity reported as finished against the batch order, just like in the case of production order

Report as finish
In AX2012 it is possible to report as finish multiple outputs through manufacturing execution. This is achieved by simply making it mandatory for the user to open up report as finish form while reporting quantity as finish. The report as finish form that opens up is standard form that is used for reporting against a batch order. So, all the capability of adding co-by products and reporting against already available multiple co-by products is possible just like through the production module.

Edit job lists form
This is a new form in AX2012 where it is possible to re-prioritize individual jobs. This allows greater flexibility on shop floor. None of the changes are synchronized with master planning and scheduling. Based on our research users wanted some capability to do this without the changes going through master planning and scheduling.  Shop floor supervisors often change the resources or get asked to prioritize certain jobs and there wasn’t a way to capture such changes without running master planning. Running MRP is huge overhead, not in control of a single supervisor since it impacts larger site/organization and usually decisions of such an immediate timeframe should not be run through master planning. Therefore, this capability was added in AX2012 in Manufacturing execution module. This job prioritization can be done for individual jobs or multiple jobs. Jobs can be moved from one position to another in the queue. Resources allocated for a job can be also manually changed here if the allocated resource is not available for a short period for whatever reason. This capability is now also available for jobs originating from batch orders.

Inventory Picking
While picking for a batch order from manufacturing execution module, AX2012 ensures that picking is done in FEFO order is this is setup for the item being picked

Catch weight and production module
A number of new fields have been added to many forms. All forms that are used to process products and those that are used to show progress of products through shop floor have new fields to handle products that have dual unit of measure defined.

Forms that have been modified

  1. Production journals
  2. Route jobs form
  3. Route form
  4. Materials form

Grid setup for catch weight products
CW started quantity, CW start quantity and CW requested quantity are three new fields that can now be setup on the grid in the job registration form.

Catch weight and manufacturing execution module
Catch weight fields are now available on several forms so that products with dual unit of measure defined can be processed using the manufacturing execution module.

Forms that have been modified are:

  1. Edit jobs list form
  2. Change feedback form
  3. Raw registrations form
  4. Posted registrations form
  5. Quantity reports form
  6. Approve form

Hopefully this post introduces you to the changes made to allow shop floor workers to record progress against products that are being manufactured using batch orders and formulae.

 

New capability on-hand batch list page in process manufacturing AX2012

I am writing this post to expose one of the new capabilities that for various reasons has not received the attention it deserves. This is the new on-hand inventory list page for batches. This is a really cool one stop shop for Karl, materials manager or for Sammy, John and other personas who need to know the details of inventory. Using this list page will do wonders for the productivity of these scenarios.

We have put together most of the capabilities tied to inventory batches on this one list page. In previous versions, this capability did not exist and users had to go through different places in the menus to perform different actions. This consumed extra time and clicks, was difficult to learn and operate.

Inventory on-hand batches list page

Below you will find a quick summary of what inventory batch related information is available and what actions can be performed from this list page.

In the grid

All inventory batches will display in this grid. You can use standard filter capabilities to narrow down the list to specific products, sites, warehouses as you desire.

On the ribbon

  • On Batch tracking button group, you can
    1. Trace the batch
    2. Change the batch attributes
    3. Change the vendor batch details
    4. Look up and change the shelf life information
  • On Inspect button group, you can
    1. Check the connected quality orders
    2. Check the connected non conformances
    3. See where and how the batch is blocked or create a blocking transaction
    4. Change the disposition status to block/unblock the batch
  • On View button group, you can
    1. Check the multi dimension on-hand if containers have been setup
    2. Check the consolidated on-hand if containerization has been setup
    3. Check the intercompany on-hand if the batch participates in intercompany transaction
    4. Check all inventory transactions related to a particular batch

In the fact boxes

There are five fact boxes

    1. In the first box, you can quickly see totals of on-hand inventory data that is not shown by default in the grid
    2. In the second box, you can quickly see totals of on-hand inventory data for a catch weight product
    3. In the third box, you can quickly see totals of physical inventory data that is not shown by default in the grid
    4. In the fourth box, you can quickly see totals of cost of the batch
    5. In the third box, you can quickly see totals of physical inventory data of the catch weight product

Availability of this data in fact boxes saves the user from opening up multiple forms to preview this information. The calculation results shown in the fact box are dynamic – so these are summarized or detailed depending on the inventory dimensions chosen on the list page.

In the preview pane

Here again main goal for us has been to save the user from opening multiple forms. So as user browses through inventory batch records, disposition history, shelf life information and vendor batch detail information is made easily available for preview in this pane.

If you have suggestions to further improve this capability, please email me.

Process manufacturing Dynamics AX2012 capabilities

A lot of poeple have asked me what can process manfuacturing do in Dynamics AX2012? This post will hopefully serve the purpose.

Process manufacturers deal with resource rich industries on buy side and with aggregators & retailers on sell side, both having larger bargaining power. The constant squeeze between two powerful groups’ reduces already thin margins and this is likely to exacerbate for US & Western European manufacturers in the coming years as manufacturers in the emerging markets stake their claim for even larger share of the pie.

Process manufacturers therefore continuously need to reduce costs, improve quality & maintain security standards to be able to keep their margins in the markets that are important to them.

Process Manufacturing for Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012 (formerly known as process industries or PI) gives process manufacturers a low cost solution that can model lean, discrete & process manufacturing in one box, is versatile & flexible to model new organizations, products or processes, supports most common multi-X scenarios and can be extended to support specific vertical requirements without the need of additional IT investments.

Process Manufacturing for Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012 enables manufacturers and distributors of natural, industrial or consumer packaged products to control costs, increase profitability, maintain stringent quality standards and manage compliance using a familiar user interface on an advanced technology platform with cost of ownership that is significantly lower than the competition.

Process manufacturing for Microsoft Dynamics® AX2012 is available in two different SKUs. Process Manufacturing logistics is targeted at customers who would like to automate their distribution processes for products that are usually manufactured in a batch or semi-continuous processing environment. Process Manufacturing production is targeted at customers who would like to automate their batch or semi-continuous manufacturing processes. Process manufacturing logistics SKU is a pre-requisite for process manufacturing production SKU.

Both SKUs contain enough functionality that can also address some needs of customers with discrete manufacturing environment. Key functionalities enabled by process manufacturing are:

  • Maintain complex formulae
  • Manage short life products
  • Manage commodity pricing
  • Manage product compliance
  • Setup & apply complex rebates
  • Advanced lot tracking & control
  • Enhance cost management of multiple outputs
  • Procure, store & sell products in dual units of measure
  • Manage production for assembly or disassembly for single or dual units of measure

SKU 1- Process manufacturing production

Process manufacturing production for Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012 enables manufacturers of processed goods to quickly define complex formulae, to accurately control production costs, to easily model discrete & process production scenarios and to switch between make or buy decisions with agility.

FORMULA MANAGEMENT

  • Easily model disassembly sequences or products with multiple outputs in different batch sizes or multiples
  • Effectively model batch processed products that are consumed into a discrete or lean assembly or model discrete or lean sub-assemblies consumed into multiple output products
  • Flexibly consume or produce products in dual units of measure with constant or varying consumption
  • Dynamically calculate ingredient consumption even for items consumed non-linearly in single or dual units of measure
  • Maintain with ease many formulae for producing same product by using different material combinations or for producing different products using same combinations
  • Setup, measure & improve production yields by having the flexibility to define yield for several different combinations and comparing it to the production results
  • Quickly scale some or all ingredients in the formulae based on available inputs to estimate outputs
  • Reduce inventory & purchasing costs by defining several alternate ingredients and consumption priority for each on the formula
  • Easily toggle security restrictions on formulae access by activating any of the four built-in security levels
  • Control packaging material costs by setting up configurable products as different packaged products and linking them to processed products

PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT

  • Reduce waste by using production policies to ensure right formula for production is automatically selected based on a given tank size and other factors
  • Link multiple packed productions to multiple bulk productions. Consolidate them to improve operational efficiency, minimize bulk storage and optimize packed product production
  • Quickly add, remove or alter number, type or amount of multiple outputs
  • Improve profitability for each of the multiple outputs in a production by accurate allocation of costs over them before, during or after production & revalue goods by comparing actual with estimated costs
  • Always produce to customer specifications by ensuring discretionary picking of ingredients based on certain attributes
  • Rapidly react to a change in production conditions based on results of automatically created quality orders
  • Consume ingredients and produce multiple outputs in dual units of measure and record nominal or actual values in such units all through the process
  • Achieve real time visibility on plant floor and at higher levels by re-sequencing jobs based on actual capacity on the floor and by recording production output on such jobs in dual units of measure and for multiple outputs

SKU2 – Process manufacturing logistics

Process manufacturing logistics for Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012 enables distributors of processed goods to forecast and plan supply & demand and to manage procurement & sales in dual units of measure natural or consumer packaged products with short or long shelf life while meeting strict quality standards, complying with regulatory requirements & providing visibility into profitability for the distributor.

DUAL UNITS OF MEASURE MANAGEMENT (CATCH WEIGHT)

  • Easily create & release products with dual units of measure to multiple legal entities
  • Seamlessly manage products with dual units of measure through forecasting, planning and production and be able to define & view such products on forecasts, planned orders, demand & supply views, and on production and consolidated orders
  • Manage flexibly single and dual unit of measure products on purchase requisitions, purchase agreements and release order lines together with stocked and non-stocked products
  • Manage flexibly single and dual unit of measure products on sales quotations, sales agreements, release order lines and delivery schedules together with stocked and non-stocked products
  • Improve product yield and operational efficiency by recording actual values in both units of measure at every stage of the process

LOT MANAGEMENT

  • Enhance backward traceability and reduce time required for recall by integrating information about vendor batches for purchased lots into manufactured lots of semi-finished or finished products
  • Improve profitability by differentiating product based on specific product characteristics per lot & only shipping lots that meet certain company or customer criteria
  • Reduce costs of rework by arresting the progress at any stage for any process, of a poor quality lot through various supply chain processes
  • Enhance lot control with the ability to record and recall as needed, characteristics of an inventory lot as procured, produced or as sold
  • Measure quality of each lot with or without dual units of measure for single or multiple production outputs at any stage of processing and attach such results to the inventory lot
  • Increase customer satisfaction and reduce cost of rework by meeting all demand of a particular customer from the same lot if so desired
  • Enhance operational efficiency and order promising by having the ability to instantly search all inventory and find lots with specific characteristics
  • Improve inventory visibility by having access to all the inventory lots and associated functions in one unified view

SHELF LIFE MANAGEMENT

  • Manage plan, procure and sales processes for fresh, frozen or long shelf life products based on expiry period or best before period
  • Improve warehousing efficiency by earmarking locations based on product shelf life and issuing goods only as per process or customer requirements
  • Reduce waste by using the ability to retest shelf life products reaching the end of their shelf life
  • Improve order promising & reduce stockouts by incorporating shelf life information into planning processes and planning views
  • Differentiate service and increase profitability by incorporating residual shelf life demanded by customer at ship-to location

WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT

  • Manage full or partial visibility dual units of measure based products through all inbound and outbound warehouse processes
  • Increase warehouse efficiency by using the ability to mix products in same shipment that are constrained by varying levels of additional requirements like ship from single lot, based on specific characteristics, shelf life and dual units of measure

REGULATORY COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT

  • Receive, store and send product safety data sheets for hazardous products as needed
  • Keep product safety data sheets current with the company and customers
  • Comply with local regulatory agencies by restricting or regulating the sale of certain products in certain regions
  • Record necessary compliance related product data for various regulatory agencies
  • Record usage data for all products and use available third party integrated service to calculate usage of regulated substances for yearly reporting
  • Manage quality and compliance by ensuring that certain products can only be supplied by approved vendors

REBATES MANAGEMENT

  • Improve profitability by managing different rebate & trade merchandising programs for different customer segments
  • Monitor and manage rebates processed either at invoicing or accumulated by user defined periods. Rebates can be setup by different currencies, units of measure or by differing qualifying levels and can be paid to customers by several different methods

COMMODITY PRICING MANAGEMENT

  • Effectively react to changing commodity costs so the prices of sellable goods always stay current with the market
  • Manage sellable product prices such that trade agreements are always up to date and new contracts reflect the price change

You can find more detail about how to use process manufacturing capabilities in the product on technet