Description

Job control environments are based on make-to-order production instead of make-to-stock production.  The goal of a make-to-order environment is to purchase and produce only for what has been ordered, thus avoiding excess finished goods inventory.  The Job Control (JC) module helps you achieve this goal by allowing you to track all manufacturing and purchasing activities that occur for a specific customer order.  Each sales order (or sales order line) is associated with a job number.  Throughout MAC-PAC, the job number is used to track all activity required to fill the customer order.  Online inquiries let you see the current status of the manufacturing orders, purchase orders, inventory balances, and customer shipments related to a job.

Job shop manufacturers need to perform four basic functions for each job:

·      Job Setup

·      Job Planning

·      Job Tracking

·      Job Costing

MAC-PAC supports all of these functions, although they are not all performed within the Job Control module.  For example, planning for job-controlled parts is performed by the Requirements Planning module, which also plans for parts that are not tracked by job.  A field on the Part Master File determines which parts are job controlled.  The following paragraphs provide a brief description of how MAC-PAC performs each of the four job functions.  For more information, refer to the Key Concepts section of this manual or to the user manual for the appropriate module.

Job Setup

Setting up a job involves assigning each job a number and defining which sales orders are covered by the job.  These activities are performed within the Job Control module.  You can assign a single job number to an entire sales order, to several sales orders for the same bill-to customer, or to specific sales order lines.  Once the job is set up, the job number follows activity against the customer order or customer line item in the Requirements Planning, Purchasing, Inventory Control, and Order Processing modules. 

During job setup you can also assign jobs to groups.  All jobs within a job group share inventory that belongs to the group.  Creating purchase orders for job groups (rather than individual jobs) allows you to take advantage of economies of scale, without losing the ability to track job status.

Job Planning

In a job shop environment, you need the ability to develop an inventory replenishment plan for all parts used to complete a job.  The Requirements Planning module performs this task for you as part of the requirements planning generation process.  In planning for job-controlled parts, existing inventory, demand, and supply are considered separately for each job or job group.

Inventory in all locations that has been allocated to the job is totaled, the quantity needed to complete the job is determined from the job's open orders, existing inventory is netted against demand (taking into account existing purchase orders for the job and any inventory in common stock), and purchase requisitions and planned manufacturing orders are created as necessary.  The purchase requisitions and manufacturing orders are assigned the job number, allowing the project manager to follow the job through all aspects of production.

Job Tracking

MAC-PAC places the job number on each purchase requisition and planned manufacturing order that it creates for a job.  When a requisition is covered by a purchase order within the Purchasing module, the job number or job group is assigned to the order.  As the purchased items are received, they are placed into inventory for the job (or job group).

The job number stays associated with a manufacturing order as its status is changed from planned to firm to open within the Inventory Control module.  Component requirements for the manufacturing order will also carry the job number.

Throughout the manufacturing process, inventory issued to or received from the manufacturing order is identified by job.  When components are issued, only inventory allocated for the job or its related job group will be used.  Shortages can be satisfied by transferring inventory from common stock, other jobs, or other job groups before the components are issued.

Job Control inquiries and the Job Activity Report allow you to see the current status of all activity for a job.

Job Costing

Jobs are costed through the Job Costing module.  This module calculates planned costs and accumulates actual performance information for labor, overhead, miscellaneous costs, and additional job charges.  It also calculates what percentage of the job is done and uses that information to project final costs.