Finishing Inventory Using the Input Production Form

Used in either the main application or on the WMS scanner, this method is mainly used by individuals whose main job function is to input production values and for companies that perform incremental finishing, i.e. finishing in multiple batches or pallets. The Input Production process allows users to incrementally finish materials on active Production Jobs and print Job Labels, if necessary, for the material being finished. Users also have the ability to select a Shift when entering production with this method, which then allows for generating Shift Efficiency reports, as described in the Labor Reporting Best Practice page. Note that while this production method does allow users to enter values for Catch Weight Parts, any required QC testing must have already been completed. The Entering Production and Stability QC Test Results Best Practice page contains more information.

Configuration

Jobs must be entered. For more information, refer to the Entering Production Jobs Best Practice page.
Inventory must be available for issuing.
The WIP Materials, Material Expense, and Job Materials Std accounts must all be setup correctly in the Accounting > Options > Costing tab.
Shop Areas, Work Centers, Crews, Operations, Workers, and Shifts should all be configured if being used when entering production.
If any Parts on the Job require QC testing, the tests must be completed prior to attempting to enter production. For information on how to do this, refer to the Entering Production and Stability QC Test Results Best Practice page.
If using the WMS scanner to input production, the WMS application must be installed and scanners must be configured. For information on how to complete this, refer to the WMS Installation page.

Process

Using Input Production in the main application

Navigate to Production > Input Production.
Select the proper Facility, enter the Job Number.
Select a Work Crew and Shift, if desired, which opens the option for more reporting after production is entered.
Ensure the "Part Number" field is populated and correct; If not populated, select the Part Number.
Enter the quantity being completed in the "Completing" field. Note that the "Input Production" form contains the "Gross Weight" and "Tare Weight" fields. These fields are only enabled when the "Measurement Type" (dmunit.un_type) of the part being input is a weight type. The values added to these fields will be used to calculate the "Completing" field. Note that options exist in the system to set the Default Finish Quantity. These include the “Default Finish Quantity” field on the General 2 tab of the Item Master record, the “Default Finish Quantity” field on facility part cross references, and the “Default Finish Quantity” field on the Production > Options > Finishing tab. Reference the General 2 tab link above for additional information.
If using Containers, select the appropriate Container in the "Container Number" search field. Additional information on finishing to Containers is available via the Utilizing Containers help page.
Enter in the correct Location Type and Location for material (i.e. where the material is being finished to). See the Default Location and Location Type preferences section on the Finishing Inventory Best Practice page for more information on how these fields are populated.
Enter a lot number or have it pre-populated using the Lot # Expression in Inventory > Options.
Ensure the "Print Job Labels After Finish" flag is checked if labels are being printed with each finish and if this is the completion of the Job, check off the "Close Job" flag.
1. Note: In situations where the amount of inventory issued is greater then what was used when finishing, users may wish to de-issue the excess before closing the Job. For steps on how to de-issue inventory, refer to the De-Issuing inventory from Jobs section of the Closing a Production Job Best Practice page.
Click "Finish" to input the production as detailed. If the Part being finished is marked as Catch Weight in the Item Master, the user will be prompted to enter Catch Weight values on the ensuing form. After the values are entered, production will be finished as normal.
1. Notes:
  1. Min and Max weight values are enforced by a security setting when editing catch weights. If the user's security is set to 'Yes', this allows the user to enter catch weight values outside of an item's min and max weight. When the user inputs values greater than the maximum or lesser than the minimum, a system prompt will appear. Answering 'Yes' to these prompts will continue with the value that was entered; answering 'No' to these prompts will return the user to the catch weight form and will not progress. If the user's security is set to 'No', the system will not allow the user to save on the screen at all.
  2. If the Job had QC requirements, the user would be prompted to enter results before completing the finishing process. For more information, refer to the Entering Production and Stability QC Test Results Best Practice page.

Using Input Production in WMS

On the scanner, navigate to the Input Production form.
Scan or type the Job Number that material is being finished on.
If utilized and/or desired for Labor reporting, select the Work Crew and Shift that is performing the finish.
Confirm the correct Part Number populated, or select the correct Part Number from the pick list.
Enter in a Lot number or leave as-is if it was populated correctly.
Enter in the quantity being finished in the "Finishing" field.
1. Notes:
  1. Options exist in the system to set the Default Finish Quantity. These include the “Default Finish Quantity” field on the General 2 tab of the Item Master record, the “Default Finish Quantity” field on facility part cross references, and the “Default Finish Quantity” field in the Production > Options > Finishing tab. Reference the General 2 tab link above for additional information.
  2. The "Input Production" form contains the "Gross Weight" and "Tare Weight" fields. These fields are only enabled when the "Measurement Type" (dmunit.un_type) of the part being input is a weight type. The values added to these fields will be used to calculate the "Completing" field.
  3. The "Include Tare Weight In Catch Weight In Input Production" flag is available via the Production > Options > Finishing tab. If this flag is unchecked, and a user enters a catch weight in the WMS Input Production transaction, the tare weight will be subtracted from the catch weight before saving. If the flag is checked, the catch weight will be saved exactly as the user entered it.
If using Containers, select the appropriate Container in the "Container Number" search field.
Select a Location Type and Location if not automatically populated or a different option is desired.
Check off the available flags as desired.
Use the "More" button to enter additional items as required, such as Expiration Date, Attributes, Serial Number, and Density. Click "Save" once all items have been entered to save the changes and return to the item detail form.
When prompted and if using Catch Weight parts, enter the Catch Weight value. The default catch weight displayed when receiving Purchase Orders in the WMS application will be the Unit Weight specified on the Item Master record unless the "Default Catch Weight to Zero" flag has been set in Inventory > Options.
Click "Finish" to save the line/lot/quantity information. If the Job contains multiple lines, the scanner will display the next line after the "Finish" button has been clicked for the first line on the Job. The "Input Production Clear" flag on the Production > Options > Finishing tab determines how the Input Production form will be cleared/reset after finishing quantities. As per version 16.07.004, WMS clear will function somewhat differently to the main application for the flag above:
1. When set to "None" - Will follow the above functionality in Production > Options > Finishing tab.
2. When set to "Part" - Will clear the part number as well as any related fields.
3. When set to "Job" - Will clear all information on the form.

Note: If the Job had QC requirements, the user would be prompted to enter results before completing the finishing process. For more information, refer to the Entering Production and Stability QC Test Results Best Practice page.

Finishing material with single scans

A GS1-128 barcode can be used to support a single scan finishing process, particularly when the lot number will be pre-populated. The process and system logic is outlined below.

When a GS1-128 is scanned in, it saves the currently entered user lot and the newly scanned user lot. If the new user lot was not included in the barcode, or it was included but it is blank, a lot of "System" will be stored in its place.
Before replacing the current user lot with the new user lot, the system checks to make sure one of two conditions are true before proceeding:
- The current user lot is blank.
- The new user lot is not "System".
The result of this is that if the scanned in user lot evaluates to anything but "System", the current one will be overwritten. However, if the current user lot is blank it will take whatever the new user lot evaluates to (even "System").

Finishing Serialized Parts with single scans

Whenever a GS1-128 barcode with a serial number and a unit serialized part is scanned on the Input Production form, the Finish Quantity is always set to 1 (even if another quantity was specified on the barcode) and the Serial Numbers prompting form is suppressed in favor of using the serial number from the barcode.

Specifically, When performing a GS1-128 scan on the Input production form, the Finishing quantity is set to 1 right before finish is attempted, if the following two conditions are met:

The part scanned is unit serialized.
The part scanned has a serial number specified on the scan.

Before the Serial Number prompting screen appears, it first checks to see if there is a serial number already specified for the part (which can only happen via scanning) and if the finishing quantity is 1. If both of these are true then it skips the serial number prompting form and instead assigns the scanned in serial number. This option is helpful for single scan scenarios where the inventory being produced is serialized, and the serial numbers are on pre-printed labels. This process supports the idea of associating these serial numbers with the lots that are being finished in an efficient way. For more information on building barcodes, refer to the Creating Barcodes for Warehouse Transactions page.

Un-Finishing Inventory

Users have the option to Un-Finish a product on this report via the Un-Finish button. See the Un-Finishing Inventory page for more information.

FAQ & Diagnostic Tips

Can I enter negative numbers for metered MRO lines within WMS?

Yes, in situations where maintenance workers will need to enter negative numbers for a meter reading task, such as when recording a negative temperature, the WMS application allows negative numbers to be entered in the completed/metered field on the scanner. Additional information regarding MRO and metered tasks is available via Production > MRO.

When finishing inventory I am receiving this message: "This item cannot be placed into a location with other items in it."

This message is driven by the "Restrict Locations To Same Item" flag on the Property tab of the Item Master record.

TIP: Beginning in version 16.07.001, users have the option to exclude specific User Lots or System Lots from use or shipment to specific Bill-To Customers, Ship-To Customers, or Billing Groups. The feature was added for situations where a company's customers reject a system or user lot for their own subjective reasons (not something measured by the company QC or customer-specific QC) and do not want to have the same items sold/shipped to them again. When using the Input Production or Close/Relive transaction to finish material, the system checks to see if there are any exclusions for the lots relived during this process to ensure they are not used when applicable. Additional information is available via the Excluding lots for production use and shipment for specific customers help section.

TIP: Version 17.02.004 adds a new field, "Relieve by Catch Weight" to the Edit BOM line form. If checked, and finishing items that are marked as catch weight and backflushed, the system will back flush all BOM items with this flag checked based on the weight of the catch weight finished (as specified on the Edit Catch Weight form) rather than the quantity specified on the BOM.