Create operations and operation relations

  • 11 minutes

To create a route that's based on a series of sequential operations, the operations must be available. An operation is a task or process that's connected with the production of an item. It includes the necessary details for an efficient production schedule.

You can set up operations in sequence to establish an appropriate order and context for the total production process of an item. If you're also working with routes, you need to define operations for each production route that you set up.

Production control > Setup > Routes > Operations

Screenshot of the Standard view list of operations.

Operations are a series of discrete tasks that you need to perform in sequence to produce an item. Make sure that you set up operations for each route that you create.

Because multiple operations that are linked in sequence constitute an operation network, and because multiple operation networks constitute a production route, all data specified for the operation automatically pertains to the route.

Before setting up operations, you should know the following information:

  • Which task or activity you must complete

  • The order of processes and the operation priority

  • How many and which resources you need to perform the operation and what those resources must do

You should create capabilities and create resources and resource groups before you set up the operations because operations are closely related to the existence of resources.

Operation relations

Operation relations simplify and streamline the task of creating and maintaining operation base data. You can use them to control which operation is tailored to a specific route or item.

The main characteristics of operation relations include:

  • Each relation contains the information that production orders use when they're created or updated. This information includes the resource requirement, route, consumption calculation, cost categories, measurement, times, and overlap quantity that applies to the order.

    • If the information that applies to the operation is general and applies to all items, you only need to create one relation for the operation.

    • If an item or a route has specific parameters for an operation that deviates from the standard parameters for that route, the system considers individual relations (by using table/group relations). When you create the production order, the system copies information from the specific relation in question to the production route.

  • The use of the operation relation is limited in the way that attaches to items and routes. Each relation is attached to an item, an item group, or all items. Simultaneously, each relation is attached to a route or all routes. Essentially, one operation might include different information on times, cost categories, properties, and so on. That is specified in separate relations. Therefore, you can use the same operation in several routes by creating a relation for each route.

To set up and edit operation values that are associated with items and routes, select the Item relation/Route relation button of the Operations page. The fields in the Consumption calculation field group on the Setup tab are:

  • Formula - Specify how the system should calculate run time for the operation.

  • Factor - If it's specified that you can use a user formula, this field can contain an operation-based value. Typically, the field contains the number of capacity units of the current resource to use for producing a component of the finished item.

  • Costing resource - You can use this field to default cost categories from the costing resource to the operation relation cost categories. The system can base estimation for a route on a specific costing resource.

The following example explains how the system calculates run time based on resource capacity:

You use a machine with 1,000 rotations each hour to perform the operation, where two pieces of the finished item are finished each rotation, and then the production of finished items each hour is 2,000 pieces. You specify 1,000 for the resource's capacity each hour and then set the formula factor for the operation in the route to 0.5 (P). The result is the following calculation:

Process quantity per hour = 1,000 (K) / 0.5 (P) = 2,000 pieces

The fields in the Route field group on the General tab of the Operation relation page are:

  • Setup category - Set up resources. You can specify a cost price for the setup category to use when you're making a cost estimate for a production order. You can manage cost categories on the Cost categories page. The cost calculation is:

    Setup time * Hours/time * Load * Qty. of resources * Cost price

    The system calculates the sales price for the setup time through the cost group from the cost category (setup category). Each cost group can have one or more profit settings and corresponding profit percentages.

    When making a cost estimate for the production, you can specify which profit setting and which profit percentage that you want to use when calculating the sales price. You can manage the cost group on the Cost groups page.

  • Run time category - Indicates the run time category that the system uses when the operation is run. You can manage cost categories on the Cost categories page. The cost is calculated as:

    Quantity * Accumulated * (Run time / Process qty.) * Hours/time * Load * Qty. of resources * Cost price

    The system calculates the sales price for the operator time through the cost group from the Cost groups page.

  • Quantity category - Use this field to specify the cost price that the system uses when you're making a cost estimate for the production order. The cost is calculated as:

    Accumulated * Quantity * Cost price

    The system calculates the sales price for the quantity category through the cost group. The system automatically fills in the Production route page with the quantity category that you give on the Operations page when specifying an operation. However, you can change the quantity category for the current operation in the production route.

  • Queue time before - The queue time before the operation can start. The queue time must be positive. You can set up the field in the route group, where you determine whether the queue time is scheduled and which calendar to use. For example, you can use the queue time with vendor work.

  • Setup time - The setup time, which must be a positive value, is the fixed time that it takes to prepare a resource. The system schedules the setup time according to the calendar for the operations resource, and the setup time is independent of the production quantity. With scheduling, the system also registers a capacity load for the time on the operations resource. The system automatically fills in the setup time with the specified setup time for the selected operation route.

  • Run time - The time required to produce the process quantity. If a factor isn't specified for the operation relation or the resource, run time is expressed in hours with two decimals. If a value is specified in the Hours/time field for the operation relation, that value overrides the Hours/time value for the resource. Process quantity must be a positive value. For a description of conversion to other time intervals, refer to the description of the Hours/time field. The operation's Route groups page determines how the system schedules time. The system calculates time as follows:

    Run time * (Load) * (1 + Accumulated) * Quantity / Process qty

    If you selected Capacity in the Formula field for the production route, the Run time value is always set to 1, and the Process qty. value is calculated based on the factor, with the number of capacity units that you specified under Capacity for the current resource.

  • Process quantity - The quantity that the system can produce in the specified run time.

  • Transit time - The transport time for transporting items between two operation resources or from the last operation to inventory. How the system uses transit time depends on how the operation's route group is set up. The transport time must be a positive value.

  • Queue times after - The queue time following the time that the items must wait after the operation is finished and before the next operation can start. The value in the Queue time field must be positive. The system schedules the field according to the setup for the route group in the Working time calendar and it can use the Gregorian calendar or the current working time calendar. For example, you can use the field to refer to the drying of items before the next operation can start.

  • Hours/time - The conversion factor for those times that are specified for the operation for conversion to hours with two decimals. Conversion uses the following formula:

    Hours equal operating hours * Hours/time

    The following example describes the conversion of hours to hours with two decimals.

    The operation time is 0.50 (a half hour) and the Hours/time value is 10000. The time is calculated as: 0.50 \* 10,000 = 5,000 hours. If the operation time is in minutes, then the Hours/time value is set to 0.0167. For example, for an operation time of 30 minutes, that time becomes 0.50 hours when you apply the conversion factor. Time calculation: 30.00 * 0.0167 = 0.50 hours.

  • Transfer batch - The quantity that the system can move between sequential operation resources.

Resource requirements define what requirements that resources must fulfill to be allocated to the current operation.

You can define an operation's requirements for a resource on the Resource requirements tab, which is described in a previous unit.

The system considers resources that match the requirements of an operation for a particular date as applicable resources. The resource must satisfy all resource requirements for the operation to be applicable.