This chapter explains the role that standard processes play within bills of manufacturing and how they are properly set up and used.
What is a standard process?
A standard process is a labor process that is commonly performed within a work center or it is an outside service that is commonly performed by a subcontractor. A standard process can apply to multiple routing sequences across multiple bills of manufacturing.
Each routing sequence is assigned to a standard process
Each routing sequence on the Routing tab in the Bills of Manufacturing screen is assigned to a standard process, which serves these purposes:
•It ties routing sequences back to a common originating process that facilitates mass updating when changes are made to cycle times, process details, or subcontract prices.
•Standard processes serve as templates that enable new routing sequences to be rapidly generated with complete details that can be modified as needed for particular items.
•Standard processes provide a consistency of style and details across all your routings that flow through to job travelers out on the shop floor.
Not every company needs to use standard processes
Not every company needs to use standard processes. Companies fall into two basic profiles:
•If your company makes items where each item has its own unique processes, there is no need for standard processes other than setting up one default process per work center. Companies with standard products often fit this profile.
•If your company makes items where common or similar processes are applied to many items, using standard processes can be highly beneficial, as explained below. Custom manufacturers and job shops often fit this profile.
Many work center activities can be defined with standard processes
Many work center activities can be defined as a set of standard processes. A machine, for example, is capable of performing various processes that can be applied to many different items. The same principle applies to assembly type work centers where common tasks can be applied to many different items. Standard processes are entered on the Processes tab in the Work Centers screen.
Many subcontractor activities can be defined with standard processes
Subcontractor processes such as painting, plating, and heat-treating often apply to multiple items and can be defined as standard processes within the Processes tab in the Subcontractors screen.
The Routing Generator enables rapid selection from standard processes
The Routing Generator accessed from the ‘+’ button within the Routing tab in the Bills of Manufacturing screen enables rapid selection of standard processes from each work center or subcontractor used in the item’s routing. So instead of painstakingly creating each routing process from scratch, standard processes are selected and then modified as needed to suit the item being made.
Use Process Categories to facilitate routing generation
You can create process categories and assign standard processes to them within the Process Categories screen. This enables you to filter standard processes by process category when using the Routing Generator.
Process categories provide a flexible alternative to process selection by work center. With user-defined process categories you can group sets of related processes. A set of related processes could be relevant to certain types of products or to a particular product line or individual product. An individual process can be assigned to multiple process categories, providing additional selection flexibility.
Alternate Processes
Some routing sequences have alternate processes. For example, you may normally perform a process in house, such as painting, but you also have the alternative of sending items out for painting. You can create a process category using the BOM parent’s item ID as the category ID. During the course of a job, you can use the Replace Sequence option to replace the standard process with the alternate process. In the Replace Sequence selection screen, use the Process Category to quickly find the alternate process for this item.
Each standard process can be extensively documented
Standard processes enable you to extensively document production details, all of which eventually flow through to the job traveler for the benefit of workers out on the shop floor. Within work center processes you can define setup time, cycle time, job traveler notes, and you can break the process into discrete tasks. Within subcontractor processes you can maintain the supplier price, lead days, traveler notes, and PO notes that eventually flow through to the PO that gets generated in the Job Subcontracting screen.
Use standard processes to reflect machine cycle time variations
With some machines you can define a set of standard processes that reflect all the possible cycle times that vary according to material size or other characteristics.
Standard processes provide mass maintenance capabilities
Using standard processes enables you to compare and maintain identical or similar processes across multiple items. In the Processes tab within the Work Centers or Subcontractors screen, you can click the Process Where Used button to view all the items where a process is used. You can use the Process Replace screen to replace a process with another process across all items that use the process.
Standard processes provide consistency to your routings
Using standard processes helps impose a consistency to your process descriptions, task breakdowns, and job traveler notes.
Developing standard processes takes time now, but saves in the long run
Before you rush into creating item routings, spend as much time as possible developing a library of standard processes because it will save you a great deal of time in the long run with routing generation and maintenance. Not only will you save time, but you will have consistent and thoroughly detailed job travelers and subcontract POs that enhance efficiency out on the shop floor and with your subcontract suppliers.
Set up a default process against each work center and subcontractor
Whether you choose to use standard processes or not, at a minimum you must set up set up one default process within each work center and subcontractor. The default process serves as a placeholder and can have minimal detail. All new routing sequences will be assigned to the default process.
