Understand the manufacturing executions

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The following list contains terms that pertain to manufacturing execution and related registration tasks:

  • Manufacturing execution - A function that is used to register time, material consumption, costs on production jobs, projects, and indirect activities. Registration is done in a manufacturing execution registration client.

  • Job list - On the Job registration page, workers are shown the list of jobs that they must perform on a specific resource, such as a machine. A worker can register time and item consumption on each job or task in the job list.

  • Job bundling - If a worker starts more than one job at the same time on the Job registration page, it is called job bundling. The time that is spent on bundled jobs can be allocated to the individual jobs in various ways by using allocation keys. This approach makes it possible to start multiple jobs at a time in the Job registration (Job list) page. If you bundle jobs, you must define how the total registered time for all the jobs should be allocated to each job. You can define the allocation by selecting one of the following options in the Bundle type field on the Allocation keys page:

    • Estimation - Time is divided between the jobs based on the estimated time for the jobs.

    • Jobs - Time is divided according to total jobs bundled and how much time was spent finishing all the jobs.

    • Net time - Time is divided equally between the jobs that are in the bundle at any time.

    • Real time - Actual job time is allocated. The cost can be calculated based on the actual payroll cost.

  • Pilot/assistant registrations - A worker can register as an assistant to a resource and can create a small team where several people work on the same production jobs. Resources that workers are connected to as assistants are called pilots. Only the pilot resource must make registrations. All assistants automatically get the same registrations. For example, if a machine acts as the pilot, workers who have registered as assistants to that machine can make registrations on the Job registration page, and both the machine and the workers who are connected as assistants will receive the same registrations.

  • Indirect activity - An activity or task that isn't directly related to a production job or a project, such as a department meeting, a cleaning job, or a maintenance job on the shop floor. Workers can make registrations on indirect activities in the same way that they can register on production jobs and projects.

Manufacturing execution systems integration

Some manufacturing organizations that use Supply Chain Management, especially those with advanced manufacturing requirements, use a manufacturing execution system (MES) from other companies to control their manufacturing activities for machines, equipment, and personnel instead of what is natively available in Dynamics 365. Organizations might choose a MES solution from another company, for example, because it is tailored for their own vertical industry).

In the integrated solution, data exchange is fully automated and near real time, which keeps data current in both systems and eliminates the need for manual data entry. For example, when material consumption is registered in the MES system, the integration ensures that the same consumption is also registered in Dynamics 365, so up-to-date inventory records are available to other important processes such as planning, sales, and so on.

The solution makes it faster, easier, and cheaper for Supply Chain Management users to integrate with other MES systems. It offers:

  • Business events and interfaces that support key manufacturing execution processes
  • A centralized dashboard where the event processing history can be tracked and failing processes can be troubleshooted and resolved

Registration for manufacturing execution

Manufacturing execution is intended to be used primarily by manufacturing companies. Workers can register time and item consumption on production jobs by using the Job registration page. All registrations are approved and are later transferred to the relevant modules. Continuous approval and transfer of registrations lets managers easily track actual costs on production orders.

Production parameters in Manufacturing execution

Before you start to use Manufacturing execution for job registrations, you must set up various production parameters that define how and when registrations are posted during the production process. The settings of production parameters affect inventory management, production management, and cost calculation.

Before workers start to make registrations on production jobs, you should carefully consider all settings on the Production parameters page. To go to the page, select Production control > Setup > Manufacturing execution > Production order defaults.

If your company uses the multi-site functionality, you might want to set up different production parameters for each site. The parameters for integration with the Production module are set up on the following tabs on the Production parameters page:

  • General - General parameter settings for production jobs in Manufacturing execution.

  • Start - Parameters that are used when production operations are started.

  • Operations - Parameters that are applied to production operations and feedback about operations during the production process.

  • Report as finished - Parameters that are used when items are reported as finished on the last operation of a production order.

  • Quantity validation - Parameters that are used to validate startup and feedback quantities on production orders.

Types of production jobs

On the Operations tab, you can select which types of production jobs that require registration on the Job registration page.

Typically, workers make registrations on setup jobs and process jobs. However, if job scheduling is applied, you can select other job types that workers must make registrations on when production orders are processed. For example, you can require registrations on transport jobs.

Make sure that you select all relevant job types. Otherwise, jobs might not be available for registration on the Job registration page. Your selections should match the selections in the Job management column on the Setup tab of the Production control > Setup > Routes > Route groups page.

Screenshot of the finance and operations Route groups..

If Job management is selected on the route group, this job type is reported as finished on the production order when the job is reported as finished in Manufacturing execution. When all job types that Job management is selected for have been reported as finished on an operation, Manufacturing execution reports the operation as finished. Some job types can be manually reported through production journals.

BOM consumption and picking list journals

A consistent setup for bill of materials (BOM) consumption is important because it helps guarantee that inventory management is efficient. For example, if BOM consumption parameters aren't set up correctly in Manufacturing execution, materials might be deducted from inventory twice or not at all.

On the Production order defaults page, automatic BOM consumption is set up in three stages:

  1. At the start of a production. Set up this stage on the Start tab.

    Screenshot of the finance and operations BOM consumption Start tab..

  2. During the production process, when an operation is completed. Set up this stage on the Operations tab.

    Screenshot of the finance and operations BOM consumption Operations tab..

  3. When a production order is reported as finished. Set up this stage on the Report as finished tab.

    Screenshot of the finance and operations BOM consumption Report as finished tab..

Go to Production control > Setup > Manufacturing execution > Production order defaults and select the Report as finished tab. For each stage, the Automatic BOM consumption field lets you select one of three methods for picking items for a production order:

  • Flushing principle - This option is used in combination with an option that is defined for the BOM in the Production module. If Flushing principle is selected in the Automatic BOM consumption field on the Start tab, all materials that are set to Start in the BOM are deducted from inventory when the operation is started. The Available at location option is used for products that are enabled for advanced warehouse processes. If you select this flushing principle, material is flushed when warehouse work for raw material picking is completed. Material is also flushed when a BOM line that uses this flushing principle is released to warehouse and the material is available at the production input location. If the Flushing principle field is set on the Start tab, you must select the same principle on either the Operations tab or the Report as finished tab. This requirement helps guarantee that materials are deducted from inventory on BOMs that use the Finish as a flushing principle on the production order. If the same flushing principle isn't selected on either the Operations tab or the Report as finished tab, materials might be deducted from inventory twice.

  • Always - If you select this option for a stage, materials are always deducted from inventory at that stage. For example, materials for the production are deducted when the production order is started. This setting requires that Never is selected on the Operations and Report as finished tabs. This requirement helps prevent items from being deducted from inventory twice.

  • Never - If you select this option for a stage, no BOM consumption occurs at that stage. For example, if you select Never on all three tabs (Start, Operations, and Report as finished), materials must be manually deducted from inventory.

Consider your setup of the production parameters, and make sure that the parameters that are selected on the various tabs of the Production parameters page don't contradict each other.

Registrations in manufacturing execution

Workers can make various types of registrations in manufacturing execution for work that is performed on production jobs. Depending on the system setup, workers might also be able to make registrations on project activities and nonproductive tasks, such as breaks, absences, and indirect activities. The following are the registration types:

  • Clock-in/clock-out (available with time and attendance) - Workers clock in when they arrive at work and clock out when they leave to go home.

  • Register on production jobs - Workers can make registrations, such as starting a job and reporting feedback for a job, on the production jobs that appear in their job list. Workers can start several jobs at the same time, which is referred to as job bundling.

  • Register on inventory - Workers can make registrations on materials that are used on the shop floor but that aren't directly related to production jobs. Examples include grease, lubricants, or other materials that are used to keep machinery running. Registration is performed in an inventory journal.

  • Register on projects (available with time and attendance) - Workers can make registrations, such as starting and finishing work on the projects or project activities that appear in their job list.

  • Register project fees and project items (available with time and attendance) - Workers can register fees (expenses) that are associated with a project in a project fee journal, such as mileage and bridge toll. Workers can also register item consumption on projects. This task is done in a Project item journal.

  • Register as assistant to another worker - If two or more workers will work together on a production job or a project, a worker can register as an assistant to a machine or to another worker, who will then act as the pilot. The pilot can select another worker as the pilot, as required.

  • Register absence (available with time and attendance) - Workers can register time on various absence codes that are set up. Absence can be indicated if a worker arrives late, requires absence during the work day, or leaves earlier than expected according to the standard work time profile.

  • Register breaks (available with time and attendance) - During the work day, workers can register that they are leaving their workstation to take a break. Several break types can be set up. When a worker returns and signs in again, the system registers that the worker is back, and the break registration stops.

  • Register indirect activities (available with time and attendance) - Indirect activities are nonproductive activities that workers might engage in during a workday, such as a department meeting, a team meeting, or a maintenance job that is performed on the shop floor. Workers can make registrations on the indirect activities that are set up.

  • Register overtime (available with time and attendance) - Workers who have been asked to work longer hours can select whether the extra hours should be registered as flextime or overtime.

You can schedule production at the operation level and the job level. Scheduling at the operation level is the less detailed method and provides a general estimate of the production process over time. Operations scheduling does not explode the operations for the production route into jobs.

If you want to include more detail in the scheduling, such as information about current capacity, you can run job scheduling after operations scheduling. You can also run a job scheduling only. Job scheduling is typically used to schedule individual jobs on the shop floor for an immediate or short-term time frame.

The main components of operations scheduling are the scheduling direction, the capacity of resources, and materials optimization. By using operations scheduling, you can:

  • Control the planning method by scheduling forward or backward from a given date.

  • Optimize the use of resources by scheduling productions based on the capacity of the resources. This approach also helps identify when to use alternative resources.

  • Optimize the use of materials by scheduling productions based on the availability of the required materials.

  • Schedule and synchronize reference productions. The dates of the reference productions are adjusted when changes are made to the production order's schedule.

Before running operations scheduling, you must estimate the cost of a production order. If you have not run an estimate, it is run automatically before the operations scheduling process is initiated.

Job scheduling is a more detailed form of scheduling than operations scheduling. You can use job scheduling to schedule individual jobs or shop orders and to control the manufacturing environment. It breaks down each operation into individual tasks or jobs. These jobs are then assigned to the operations resources that will perform them.

Job scheduling also enables you to synchronize all jobs that are referenced by the selected job. You can specify a starting date and time or finishing date and time for the job, and then run scheduling. The time that you specify can be the starting time or the finishing time depending on the scheduling direction. This approach is useful, for example, when a job can be run only on one machine at a time, or to optimize the job that is run for each resource.

The job scheduling process includes the following tasks:

  • Split operations into jobs.

  • Schedule jobs that are based on the dates and times for the resources that are specified for the related operation.

  • Calculate starting times and ending times for each job. You can use finite capacity to make sure that there are no overlapping times.

  • Determine which resources in the resource group to run the job on. To make this determination, a resource group must be specified for an operation. Job scheduling selects the resources or resource groups based on the shortest lead time and considers any previous reservations on the resources.

  • Explode operations into jobs when you run job scheduling. The jobs are scheduled by date and time according to the order that is specified by the production route. The setup of the operation determines which jobs to explode during the scheduling process. The route group that is assigned to the operation controls whether jobs are generated. A job is generated only if it has a specific duration.

For example, a transport time job is generated if a transport time was specified for the selected operation.