Ping John Larkin: Component data entry in MRP systems

The database is fixed-field, one fixed-length record per part. There are three text fields that describe a part: CLASS, SUBCLASS, DESCRIPTION. The CLASS field relates 1:1 to the first 3 digits of the stock number, the xxx of part xxx-yyyy; there's a master list of CLASSes.

We have a document that explains, for each CLASS type, exactly what should be in the SUBCLASS and DESCRIPTION fields, and how to form a part number. That took a *lot* of work and debate.

Here's a part screen, for a dual schottky diode:

ftp://jjlarkin.lmi.net/MAX.jpg

If you hit the D key, it opens the data folder for that part. There we throw datasheets, notes files, pictures, measurements, warnings, web links, anything we know about the part.

The idea is that there's sufficient part number ordering and search tools to narrow down a requirement to a reasonable number of search results, then all the datasheets and such are at hand to give the gory details.

Navigation is all single keystrokes, no mousing, but everything is crosslinked in a sort of cool way. If you do a search, you can browse the results, highlight a part, and exit to the home page with that part up. And then stroll around nearby parts, or reenter the search results and select a different part. Or see where the part is used. This has made engineering much easier.

This also manages parts lists. If you're browsing a parts list and highlight a part, that becomes the top-level selected part. This is fun to drive. It will also tell me how much it costs to build an assembly, or break down product structures and price all the subassemblies.

I'd like to try to sell it some day.

I wrote the basic skeleton of the program in PowerBasic one weekend, then we hired a contract programmer to flesh it out. Seems to work pretty well, and it's brutally fast. The Brat managed the programmer (I would have _murdered_ the programmer) and pounded on him until it was what we wanted and, apparently, bug-free. It took us a week to re-order the stockroom and re-label everything, about 4800 parts,

John

"John Larkin" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Looks like you might have to change the name...

Cheers

Thanks John, that's the kind of information I was looking for.

"Top mark" is an interesting field... do you use that primarily to insure the right part was loaded onto a board? Or more to keep track of performance differences (if any) between different manufacturers' versions of "identical" parst?

I like your "data folder" idea... we had a field for a path to the PDF of the data sheet, but your more general approach is more useful, I'm thinking.

We're roughly 3 years into configuring Epicor Vista to work (being driven largely by IT, production, and logistics though -- engineering hasn't really been involved). It's purportedly getting close to usable...

---Joel

Let'em sue me.

John

Mostly for manufacturing/QC inspection, but handy for other stuff maybe. The new resistor codes are infuriating!

One of my big customers, in an annual report, notes something like "and we have almost recovered from the Oracle software installation."

John

What does that Epicor thing cost?

Looks serious.

John

For the particular version and modules we're using (Epicor Vista,) I believe it ended up in the lower 5-digits. The IT guys also decided to purchase a separate machine to run Microsoft SQL Server as the backend, as they'd been having problems with the "cheap" database (Vantage) that we started with... so add another ~$5k there for the the hardware (Dell 1U rackmount PC) and license from Microsoft.

Where Epicor (and SAP and ORACLE and many other "big business" software packages) seem to really make their money is on consulting to modify/create custom modules... it's something like $200/hr (!), which they justify based on claiming that it's a flat rate regardless of whether they need 1 person or 5 simultaneously working on your problem.

I suspect you weren't paying your programmer $200/hr though...

I tend to think it might be a little too serious for what we presently do (we're only twice as big as your place), but management figured that they had the money, so why not get something that can grow with the company for a long time? (...or something like that...)

---Joel

In the software field, there is always the need to track bugs and support requests. At Microsim, they had written BARTS (Bud And Request Trasking System) with a logo of Bart Simpson, entirely in Access. It was custom, and creaking along, but it worked. When the Orcad merger happened, they transistioned over to a new commercial system. I don't remember the name, but it worked okay, and included the sales guys database with the support requests, but the bug tracking went into a separate database. When Cadence bought us, we first moved the Cadence guys in the division to the Orcad database, and then later, moved everyone over to a new database that included the whole company. It was a major CF at every transition!

Charlie