QAD JIT/Sequencing Solution

Today, manufacturing has truly become global. Manufacturers of all sizes have factories, suppliers, and customers around they world and they need new supply chain tools to help them manage these sprawling businesses.

Further, growing competition and truly relentless pressures to reduce costs have forced manufacturers to become more demand-driven. This has triggered a dramatic shift in the focus of supply chain planning processes away from production and inventory and towards a much more demand-driven approach.

These same competitive forces are driving suppliers to provide unique components in "lot sizes of one' to meet the specifications configured by the final customer. These products must be delivered 'just-in-time' (JIT) and in a pre-defined sequence to the assembly line, yet still achieve the necessary flexibility to meet the variation in customer demand.

The QAD JIT Sequencing Solution enables the scheduling and management of operations at plants that produce, package and/or ship configured parts and assemblies, in sequence, ensuring the right items are delivered to the customer's production lines at the right time and in the correct sequence. JIT/S provides the tools to effective manage scheduling and production of a Just-in-Time plant while leveraging the power of MFG/ PRO to provide coverage of enterprise functions for engineering, costing, procurement, planning, financials and EDI communications. Using JIT/S, plant operations can be synchronized with customer demand to shorten lead times, reduce inventory levels, minimize shortages, maximize customer satisfaction and increase profitability. 

Features & Benefits of JIT/S

Dynamic Processing of Sequenced Demand
JIT/S provides a mapping tool to setup and process any type of sequenced vehicle based demand without any additional or customized development. The sequenced demand files can range from a single broadcast message to an ILVS type of demand file containing sequenced orders for multiple days. The use of the advanced mapping techniques within the communication channel configuration streamline the effort required for implementation and on-going support. Furthermore the automated processes which audit and validate demand signals dramatically reduces the requirement for monitoring communication processes and support functions which can significantly reduce the IT expense.

Flexible Rules-Based Processes
JIT/S uses rules and rule groups to deal with the uniqueness of each implementation. A rule is a small unit of logic. JIT/S comes with an extensive set of standard rules, preconfigured and tested for most plant operations. Rules can all but eliminate the requirement for customized coding during the system configuration and implementation phases as well as on-going changes that occur during normal production. This means that rather than requiring application analysts and programmer to make system modifications skilled end-users on site can modify the processes themselves. These changes can be made in less time, with less effort without expensive IT resources.

Specialized Label and Document Printing
This solution provides a label configuration tool provides non-technical end users the ability to define label layouts through the use of tags and queries for all data fields on production, package and shipping labels. Leveraging the power of Crystal reports, JIT/S works from templates for generating documents such as Bill of Loadings and package slips. When it comes to uniquely formatted documents and labels, JIT/S provides the tools trained plant personnel can use to create and maintain them without having to bring in expensive specialists.

Factory Dashboard and KPIs
The Factory Dashboard module in JIT/S provide an end user the capabilities to define Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to your business process. KPI signaling devices can be configured and linked to the different threshold values to easily bring attention to critical situations. This information can be dispatched in real time to a host of notification devices such as Andon Boards, pagers and cellular phones. This automated process gives management the ability to monitor site-specific KPIs and take steps to head off circumstances before they reach critical levels.

Sequenced Production and Operations
JIT/S coordinates and controls production in a manner that allows multiple assemblies to be separately scheduled and produced, yet packaged and shipped as a single unit. This reduces the requirement for preassembled components to be maintained in stock and reduces overall inventory levels. JIT/S also manages the production of multiple items down a single production line so that production resources can be "level loaded." Touch screens provide specific order details for individual and sequenced orders on the production floor to efficiently communicate unique requirements to workers in real-time.

Picking and Inventory Replenishment
Those components required to meet each unique assembly configuration typically seen in sequenced assembly production can be pulled from inventory and sequentially staged at the assembly line. Components can reside in a separate storage area within the assembly plant or even kept in an external warehouse. Processes are real-time and sequenced according to production orders. This process allows the optimization of critical line side floor space while permitting close control of the components themselves.

Sequenced Packaging
Unique configurations for racks, sub-racks and pallets to validate and support customer shipments is a key function of JIT/S. Sequenced packaging of like items for multiple orders as well as unique items for individual orders are standard JIT/S processes. This flexibility allows a single version of JIT/S to be used in production sites where multiple types of shipping processes are used simultaneously.

Sequenced Shipping
Sequenced shipments are scheduled and managed to fulfill customer orders, regardless of how goods are sourced. JIT/S maintains and validates the customer sequence via broadcast signals, thereby shipping the assembled products in sequence as specified by the customer.

JIT/S System Integration
JIT/S integrates with ERP packages in whatever manner is most effective for ensuring data integrity in both systems. It can, in real time, use production information to "back flush" the components used with information from different points in the production flow.