Material tracking

Material tracking updates the progress of a work order. You use material tracking to record which components were issued from stock and consumed for a work order. Details include the inspection and quality assurance ratings of the issued components, the storage locations in the warehouse or workshop the items were issued from, the lot identification numbers or batch codes of the issued items, and any serial numbers on the issued components.

Create a material tracking

1. In the Material criteria block, enter your work order selection criteria then select Search.

   You can leave all fields blank to include all work orders with components to be tracked in the results. Enter or select the same value for a From nnn and To nnn range to filter for a single result.

   Apply filters to refine your search results if you have a significant number of components to track.

   Each work order included in the results references the released item, the individual components in the bill of materials, and the component sequence number.

2. In the Work order components grid, select the component line to track.

3. Enter the Actual quantity of the Component issued for the work order.

   You can issue more or fewer than the expected quantity.

Export

When you export the Work order components grid, only those lines displayed in the search or filtered results are included in the export. This includes all lines across multiple pages if you have a large data set.

There are 2 export options: Excel or CSV. The default file name is Work order components.

After exporting the data, you can rename the file and edit the Excel spreadsheet or CSV file if needed before uploading to your accounting solution.

Allocate stock and serial numbers

1. From the More actions icon for the component line, select Allocate stock.

2. The Detailed stock allocation window provides information about the stock and serial numbers that were allocated to the work order when it was created. Check the storage and inspection status details of the stock and the serial numbers that were issued for production are correct, or edit the details if any are different.

   You need to allocate and issue the component stock if the stock was not reserved in advance of production.

   In the Stock allocation grid, to allocate and issue the component stock from a single batch or lot, select the line that has the inspection and quality assurance status and the lot or storage location of the stock issued for the work order. Go to step 4.

   If you are allocating and issuing the stock from different lots or storage locations, go to the next step.

3. To allocate and issue the stock from different lots or batches, from different bins in the warehouse or workshop, or because some of the issued stock has different inspection and quality assurance ratings:

   1. In the Stock allocation grid, select the line for the specific lot and storage location to allocate and issue the first quantity of the component from.

   2. Edit the Quantity to allocate figure in the grid.

      The initial default quantity is the Required quantity of the component if stock is available in the selected lot or the available quantity in the lot.

   3. Repeat a and b until you have specified each quantity to allocate and issue with the appropriate storage and inspection status details.

      The Quantity to allocate defaults to the remaining balance or to the available stock each time you select a line. This ensures the sum of the Selected quantity and Remaining quantity always equals the Required quantity figure.

   Complete the details for the final remaining balance line in the grid.

4. Each line in the Stock allocation grid displays serial number entry instructions if the component is serial numbered.

   If the serial number entry instructions display Selected, the component serial numbers were allocated when the work order was created. Check the serial numbers in the Serial numbers grid are the same as those that were issued for production, or edit the details if any are different.

   If the serial number entry instructions display To select or Partially allocated, you need to add the serial numbers of the issued components.

   You can issue and track ad hoc serial numbers or a range of sequential serial numbers.

   1. From the Serial numbers grid, select Add line.
   2. Select the From serial number.

   3. Leave the Quantity as 1 to issue ad hoc serial numbers.

      Edit the Quantity of sequential serial numbers to include, to issue sequential serial numbers.

      The To serial number is updated automatically. You do not need to select it.

   4. Repeat a, b and c until you have issued the required quantity of component serial numbers.
5. To save the stock allocations, select Allocate.

Attributes and dimensions

You can add attributes and dimensions to the material tracking to manage business rules and to analyse and track component costs using analytical accounting data.

You can add and edit attributes and dimensions until the work order is closed.

• To add attributes and dimensions as default values for all existing and for all new component lines or for new component lines only: From the Work order components grid select Set default dimensions.
• To add attributes and dimensions to track individual component costs analytically: Select the Dimensions icon for the component line, or select the More actions icon for the component line then select Dimensions.

1. Select each individual attribute or dimension to use to aggregate financial information for analytical purposes.
2. Select OK.

Add a new component

You can add new components to a work order and allocate and track the quantity of the component issued from stock.

1. To add a new component to a work order, from the Work order components grid select Add component.

   The new component line defaults to the last line in the Work order components grid.
2. Enter or select the work order Number. The line is selected, by default.
3. Enter or select the Component code issued for the work order.
4. Enter the Actual quantity of the Component issued for the work order.

5. Allocate the stock and any serial numbers.

   Batches or lots you allocate to the new component are only registered when you select Save to issue the components and update the selected work orders.

Update work orders

Before you generate your material tracking note the following:

• Your stock allocations are only registered when you generate the material tracking if you edited the stock allocations or allocated component stock because it was not reserved when the work order was created, or you added a new component.
• The work order component line is set to Completed status when you generate the material tracking if the component is issued and tracked in full.
• If the Status of the work order is In progress or Completed, you can enter additional material trackings for all components including unplanned components.
• Generating the material tracking updates the provisional costs of production to the work order immediately.

To issue the components and update the selected work orders, Generate the material tracking.

The Work order components grid is refreshed using the filters you originally entered in the Material criteria block. Unplanned components default to the top of the grid, set to Included status. You can now add new material tracking details.

Limitations

Material tracking only updates work orders and issues the components from stock when you generate the material tracking. If you entered stock allocations that were used for a different stock allocation transaction between entering your allocations and generating your material tracking, the material issue will fail.

Working with material tracking

Refer to the list of questions in this section for guidance on how to use your Sage Distribution and Manufacturing Operations solution to carry out day-to-day production tasks.

• Can I issue components for a work order in preparation for the start of production?
• When should I track material issues?
• Can I overissue components?
• Can I issue fewer than the suggested number of components?
• If stock has been reserved in advance of production can I change the allocated batches or lots, or serial numbers?
• How do I enter component scrap quantities?
• Can I issue components if the work order status is Completed?
• Can I track component issues without entering issued quantities manually?
• Can I backflush all components for a work order?
• A component was not available so a different component was used in production. Can I add the unplanned component so the costs are tracked for the work order?
• What should I do if the finished items have been disassembled and the components returned to stores?

Can I issue components for a work order in preparation for the start of production?

Yes. However, as tracking a component for a work order sets the status of the work order to In progress you should consider whether the tracking could affect your production planning.

When should I track material issues?

You can track material issues at any point in the production process.

• You can manually track actual quantities of each component as they're consumed by the production process. You might do this at the end of each working day.

• You can backflush and consume all components in proportion to the actual quantity of the finished item being tracked, either as the finished items are received into stock or when the work order is closed.

  You can backflush component quantities automatically on the Production tracking page.

Can I overissue components?

Yes. If additional stock is required to finish a work order, you can over-issue the component. Equally, you can issue fewer or partially issue the component if production requires less than the standard number of components.

Can I issue fewer than the suggested number of components?

Yes. If production requires less than the standard number of components, you can issue fewer or partially issue the component. Equally, you can over-issue the component if additional stock is required to finish a work order.

If stock has been reserved in advance of production can I change the allocated batches or lots, or serial numbers?

Yes. You need to issue component stock from the actual lots or batches, the actual bins in the warehouse or workshop, and with the appropriate inspection and quality control status, and serial numbers even if these are different from the original stock allocations. It's imperative your material tracking records match your actual stock issues for a work order. To change the allocated lots or serial numbers, select the More actions icon for the component line then select Allocate stock. In the Detailed stock allocation window, edit the stock allocations.

How do I enter component scrap quantities?

The bill of materials controls scrap quantities as a percentage of the fixed quantity. You track the component issue as a quantity of the fixed unit.

Can I issue components if the work order status is Completed?

Yes. Work orders are set to Completed status automatically when the components, operations and released items are tracked in full. You can continue to issue components for the work order when the status is Completed. Changes to the work order are only blocked when the work order status is Closed.

Can I track component issues without entering issued quantities manually?

Yes. On the Production tracking page you can backflush and consume all components in proportion to the actual quantity of the finished item.

The number of components to backflush is based on the component quantities defined in the bill of materials.

Can I backflush all components for a work order?

Yes. On the Production tracking page you can track component quantities automatically.

Backflushing is an administrative method of issuing stock when production is complete based on the record of finished goods. It's typically used when you don't measure consumed stock, for example, with chemical fluids supplied from a continuous pipe feed.

You specify the quantity of the item that's been completed. Using the bill of materials, the expected quantities of all components that make up the item are calculated. Stock levels are reduced accordingly. Costs are displayed for the work order in the Planned versus actual block.

A component was not available so a different component was used in production. Can I add the unplanned component so the costs are tracked for the work order?

Yes. You can add a new component and track the quantity of the component issued for the work order.

The unplanned component is added to the list of work order components when you generate the material tracking to update the work order. The status of the new component is set to Completed. As the new component is considered to be consumed and tracked in full, you need to add another new component if you consume more stock of it for the work order.

What should I do if the finished items have been disassembled and the components returned to stores?

Close the work order then adjust your stock. You can do this by entering a stock adjustment to decrease stock of the finished item and increase stock of the component items.