Custom manufacturing enables you to rapidly customize existing products or create custom products from scratch. This provides MRP with the specifications needed for job and PO generation within a coordinated master schedule. Custom manufacturing is performed with the following sequence of events.
Custom Manufacturing Screenshot Series
Generate a one-off BOM within a quote
“One-off” items and BOMs are used for custom manufacturing. The one-off item is generated within a quote, using the One-Off Item Generator. A one-off item can be created by copying a “model” BOM, in which the one-off BOM inherits all the BOM specifications of the model item, or the one-off item can be created from scratch.
One-off items are used for custom manufacturing because the one-off BOM is unique for each customer order. Each one-off BOM has its own details, costing, and price. One-off items are originated in quotes because a quote is “pre-MRP” in the sense that it is not subject to MRP generation until the quote is converted into a sales order.
Customize the one-off BOM
After the one-off BOM has been generated, it is customized as needed for the particular customer order.
If the one-off BOM originated from a model BOM, the model specifications are modified by adding or deleting components and routing sequences as needed.
If the one-off BOM is being created from scratch, the routing generator is used to rapidly create the routing, which are the labor and subcontract processes to be performed, and speed entry can be used to rapidly generate a list of components. BOM components can also be imported from a CAD program.
Establish the one-off item’s Job Days allocation
After the one-off BOM details are finalized, the Job Days Inquiry can be run to calculate the estimated Job Days allocation, which is the number of shop days allocated by MRP for making the item.
Run a cost rollup and establish the price
The next step is to run a cost rollup to establish an estimated cost. A margin can then be applied to the estimated cost to arrive at a selling price. The selling price is added to the quote. If needed, the quote can be Emailed to the customer for order confirmation.
Convert the quote to a sales order
After the price has been established and the order is confirmed by the customer, the quote is converted into a live sales order. When the quote is converted, the line item required date is forward scheduled from the current date to reflect the one-off item’s lead days and job days allocations. This establishes a realistic required date in the master schedule and serves as a target shipping date.
Use MRP to generate a CTO Job
The next step is to run MRP, which will generate a CTO (custom to order) job directly from the sales order line. MRP will also generate jobs for any subassemblies that may be needed and POs for raw materials and components.
Customize job details as needed for special job types
There are certain types of jobs such as repair jobs, disassembly jobs, or remanufacturing jobs where components and job outputs need to be added during the course of the job as actual requirements are discovered out on the shop floor. Any new demand for materials or components will be immediately reacted to in the next MRP run.
Use shop control to complete the job
Shop control is used to complete the custom job by its required date. The job is released to production in the Job Control Panel when all needed material is available. The job is then prioritized within work centers in the Shop Control Panel for optimum scheduling to meet the job required date.
