Routing is used to control the flow of work inside a work order. A route consists of a series of steps which are needed to complete the operation. Each phase takes place at a cell. Routes and cells are specified in the Factory setup section. When a work order is opened the default route specified for that item is created and the required date at each phase is calculated based on the throughput time of the work order and the cumulative percentate of time specied on the route step. The result is a series of estimated start and finish dates, one for each step. The route can then edited by adding and deleting steps, changing the cells at which work takes place and changing the required dates for each step.
Each manufactured item has an associated route. Typically many products will share the same route template. Even if the multstep routing extension in use (or not licensed) the system is set up with one cell and one route, each with the default name of the company id set when the system was initially created.
The route that a manufactured item uses is specified on the item’s item card manufacturing tab. When a new work order is created, then the work order will either be queued or under work at the cell of the first step of the route. The work cells screen is designed to be open at each cell in a factory and is used to control the flow of work orders through that cell, the consumption of items including the recording of work and machine time.
The work cells screen displays open work orders from the point of view of a single cell.
As the work order is executed an operator at a cell can view which work orders are queued to his cell, start and complete work at that cell and enter item usage at the cell. From the work order it is possible to follow the progress of the work order from cell to cell and compare actual cell completion dates with planned dates.
It is possible to print a traveller with or without bar codes for the operator to control the flow of work orders through the cell.
There is a pop-up information screen which shows the queue at each cell. This is opened by clicking the link at any place where a cell is displayed on screen.
Licensing
The following extensions affect the work cell screen:
| Multstep routing | Allows a route to consist of more than one step/cell |
|---|---|
| Barcodes in production | Allows barcodes commands to action processes on a cell |
| Serial numbers and lot tracking | Allows traceability information to be entered on the route screen |
Selecting a work order
First ensure that routes are setup correctly on work orders. If it is necessary to edit a route, do this from the production work order screen. The route editing screen shows a list of the steps that make up the route for this work order. The estimated start and completion dates are prefilled by the system when the work order is opened based on the start date of the work order and the number of days work specified (Ready on day) for the route in the Item card manufacturing subtab. These dates can be edited here. Both the estimated and actual start date and finish dates can be modified.
When a cell is opened from the main menu, there is a popup box to select the work order to be viewed:
By default the list will show work orders that are under work at this cell or queued at this cell, but other options are available as described below. It is also possible to filter by work order number.
This popup screen can also be opened by the button "Open other work order" on the underlying work cell screen or by using barcode commands, for instance from the traveller with barcodes.
| On this route | The work order’s route has this cell listed, but the work order is currently at some other cell than this or the previous. |
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| At previous phase | The work order is under work at the preceding cell on the route. | The start date of the previous step is not blank but the finish date is blank. |
| Queue at cell | The work order is queued at this cell | The finish date of the previous step(s) is not blank. The start date of this step is blank. |
| Under work | The work order is under work at this cell. | The start date of this step is not blank but the finish date is blank. |
| On hold | The work order is at this cell and the operator has checked the On hold box. | As for under work, but in addition the on hold check box has been set. |
On the route, it is possible to specify "No queuing" in this case when a step is complete, it will appear immediately under work at the following cell. The finish date of the previous cell will also be the start date of the current cell.
Using the work cell screen
The two main functions on the work cell screen are:
- Progressing the work order using start, pause or stop
- Recording work or machine time using timers
These actions can be controlled either by the buttons on the screen, or by bar code readers if the optional "barcodes in production extension" is licensed.
When work on a cell is started for a certain step, the current date is entered to the Start date field on the work order screen routing tab (note, not on this screen). Completing the step will set the Finish date on the route tab. So if the work order is incorrectly progressed then it can easily be fixed by going to work order screen routing tab and editing or deleting the dates manually.
Timers are started by selecting an operator or machine (these are created in Admin - System settings) and pressing Start work time. Timers can be stopped individually or by pressing Stop or timers or pausing or completing the step.
The top empty cell is for scanning barcodes to control the actions on this screen. It will only be displayed if the "Barcodes in production" module is licensed. See the separate chapter on how this barcodes are used.
Each work order has a priority number. The default value is 50. The queue at a work order is shown sorted by priority so that an operator may choose the highest priority first. If the priority is less than 10 then the way that items are allocated to the work order is different. See the scheduling chapter for more information.
Sub tabs of the work order on the work cell screen
The tabs of the work order displayed here have the same information as on the work order screen. See the documentation for the work order screen for more details.
| Details | General information and work instructions. |
| Materials | For entering material usage. |
| Work hours | For manually entering or adjusting work and machine times. |
| S/C - Other | For entering subcontract item or other cost item usage. |
| Customer | Customer information (when the dedicated work order feature is in use) |
| Traceability | Shows data entered for serial numbers or lot tracking. |
Backflushing items
Backflushing is the automatic consumption of items as a work order is progressed on a route. Backflushing is not used by default but can be set on the product's item card - manufacturing - properties sub tab.
Backflushing either happens at the start of the step or on step completion depending on setting on the item card. Note also that individual items can be excluded from backflush.
If you start a timer on a work order that has work time being backflushed then the backflush setting will be switched off for this work order. It is not logical to have work time both backflushed and entered manually.
Closing a work order on the last step - backflush and scrap.
When the last step is completed, the work order will remain open unless the option of "Close work order on last step" is set to on the Item card’s manufacturing tab. The work order will need to be closed from the work order screen.
If this feature is in use, then the work order will be closed automatically and the product quantity will be transferred to inventory. If both features of backflush and close work order on the last step are in use then the system will prompt for the amount of product that has been completed and the amount of product that has been scrapped. Thus the correct amount of product will be taken to inventory and the consumed items used will be the sum of completed product and scrap product.
Product will not be sent to inventory until the work order is closed or completed product is marked on the work order. I.e. it is not possible to move product to stock from the work cell screen unless the work order is being closed automatically.