Sage 100

Calling all manufacturing Guru's: While we have solid experience with most of the modules in MAS (Sage 100), we are not as strong with the manufacturing modules. I'm looking for some help with W/O and MRP. Specifically, we have a prospect currently using MAS 200. They assemble to order but each assembly uses manufactured parts. Keeping up with the assembly orders is not currently a problem but keeping up with Work Orders to manufacture components is. They try to issue component work orders to maintain a 45 day stock based upon projected demand but are often short. While component or sub-component work orders aren't necessarily tied to specific sales orders, the customer needs to be able to stay on top of things from a sales order view point and from a work order view point. Two examples would be 1) What sales order promise dates are we in jeopardy of missing based upon schedule dates of work orders for components and sub-components needed for assembly. 2) Which sales orders and upstream work orders are dependent on a particular work order and what promise dates are involved. Before we head out and re-build a new mouse trap, I want to make sure we don't overlook one someone else already built. Thanks in advance for your help.

How much are the using MRP?

They aren't at the moment. They do all their MRP demand determination manually. They have a guy who does this every morning based upon orders received the previous day. When components are needed, they issue a work order for the needed amount plus an estimated buffer stock equal to 45 days of projected demand.

The standard MRP report gives you shortages on raw materials and gives you the document (Order) linked to that shortage. Each line of requirement tells you WHERE it's required and WHEN. They should probably start with looking at that report (which can be overwhelming - I usually end up doing custom MRP reports) and working from there.

Will handle sub-components as well? They can have two levels on the BOM's for each component used on a sub-assembly.

Shawn, this screams for MRP. It ensures multi-level BOM demand and supply analysis.

But, Deb, isn't the thing you have to NOT include WO when doing MRP to get it to explode the bills on the Sales Orders?

But then they wouldn't know what they have in play already, nor whether they need to purchase/make to maintain the 45 days of inventory. In addition, the Sales staff can use the MRP Inquiry to both see current on hand status, demand and supply. At least that's where I'm heading, what do you think Beth?

OK, I can't remember - if you include WO it only excludes the SO associated with the WO, so that would actually be OK - I was thinking it excluded ALL SO. Cause I have a headache the size of Montana and I'm not thinking straight.... And does the WOEPS have anything that affects MRP?

Not really. If you add the MRP stuff from them it helps the report be a bit clearer.

Ladies (@BethBowers and @DebThomas) I'm learning alot just watching you two go back and forth. The customer says they have tried implementing the module a couple of times without luck. One limitation they mentioned relates to having 3 machines that do the same work. Together, the 3 machines provide 30 hours of available work time per day. They said that was an issue. I don't know enough about the module to understand the limitation. I have some studying to do.

Ladies, I meant to add, thank you for your insight. It is helping me to get a better understanding of how to set up and configure.

Shawn, no sense in you carrying the water alone when these ladies make it look easy. Do yourself a favor by picking up the phone and call them. After all, it isn't the 20 questions that you ask that come back and haunt it, it is the one that you didn't think about. They both are pros and I am sure they would be willing to help the rookie!

Shawn, the key data is found in the MP_04 file generated and maintained via MRP Generation. You can develop lots of very nice reports or Excel/Access data inquiries showing SO dependency between a Parent Item and multi-level sub-assemblies. You're looking to create relationships based on the Top Level Item and or Sales Order number. Contact me if you'd like some assistance.

@ShawnSlavin I'd add the following advice for setting up MRP: All items must be assigned a primary vendor - if the part is made by your customer, then they are the primary vendor. All items need a standard lead time - best calculated from a quick crystal report of last purchase order date vs. last receipt date. Clean up all stragglers in SO, PO and WO - if the order's no longer active, close/delete it. You can use the reorder point (qty tab, then the icon on the right) for items to create the 45 day buffer needed, and then you don't need to think about again. Do they have multiple warehouses? Make sure you have them setup correctly in MRP. For work order - run the purge to history option off the main menu (first check the WO setup options for the number of days to retain closed WOs). This will move the old closed WO to WO History and speed up MRP generation. You didn't mention Bill of Materials - are they using that module too?

Absolutely using BOM

Okay in that case add the following: Run the bill of materials validation report and fix every error on it. Make sure any item with an ""each"" is set to an ""ea"" - I know it may not seem like an issue but I've always set EACH to EA and have avoided other issues with integer u/m.