A routing defines the step-by-step operations you perform to manufacture a product. Each routing can have any number of operations. For each operation you specify a department that determines the resources you may use for that operation.
A primary routing is the list of operations most frequently performed to build a product. You can define one primary routing and many alternate routings an item. When you define a new primary routing, you specify only the item (no alternate name) and you can assign a routing revision. For example, you can define a routing for an item that includes two operations-an assembly and a testing operation. You typically build your product with these operations, so you define this routing as the primary routing for the item.
The following table presents an example primary routing.
Primary Routing
| Item | Alternate Name | Operation Sequence | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | n/a | 10 | Assembly |
| n/a | n/a | 20 | Test A/B |
You can define an alternate routing to describe a different manufacturing process used to produce the same product. Unlike a new primary routing, specify the item and alternate name to define an alternate routing. You must define a primary routing before you can define alternate routings, and you can define any number of alternate routings for an item. For example, you have three test machines, one new machine capable of performing both tests A and B and two older machines that can only perform test A or test B. Ideally you would like to use the new machine that can perform both tests, but if it is unavailable, you use the other machines to complete the job.
The following table presents an example of a primary and alternate routing for Item A.
Primary and Alternate Routings
| Item | Alternate Name | Operation Sequence | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | n/a | 10 | Assembly |
| n/a | n/a | 20 | Test A/B |
| A | Split Test | 10 | Assembly |
| n/a | n/a | 20 | Test A |
| n/a | n/a | 30 | Test B |
Bills and routings can share alternate labels. If you create an alternate bill with the same label as an alternate routing, components are assigned to operations on the alternate routing. If there is no routing with the same alternate label, components are assigned to operations on the primary routing.
You can define an engineering routing as an alternate for a manufacturing routing. This would typically be used to prototype a variation from the primary routing that produces the same assembly.
Both engineering and manufacturing routings share the same resource, department, and standard operation information.
In a Flow Manufacturing environment, products are produced on a flow line to meet customer demand. Typically one flow line makes a mix of products.
Product Synchronization is the process of defining your product's process flow. This is done through the Flow routing where you are able to define processes, events and operations for your flow line. Although you can only define processes, events, and operations using Oracle Flow Manufacturing, you are defining them in windows owned by Oracle Bills of Material.
Paths that jobs take are not always known at creation. Depending on initial operations and their results, operation flexibility is frequently required. There can be numerous possibilities defined as part of a routing network, any one of them being selectable based on the outcome of the last operation, within the job performed. All possible operation paths that a route may flow through are first determined. This networked, predefined path definition provides for dynamic, flexible operation.
A flow route is defined as a comprehensive routing network. It enables you to model your shop floor, define possible re-work points, or it can be linear. Conceptually, a flow routing consists of a series of nodes and paths, which make up the entire routing network.
A WIP lot will begin with any one of the possible routes that a job can potentially take, which consists of a route having only the beginning and ending tasks. As the job progresses through the production cycle, you can populate the Build Class route with the operations that the WIP lot actually goes through, selectable from the Flow Route. Within each sector, the operations that a WIP lot can progress to will be mapped out in the lot-based type routing. All operations that the WIP lot can potentially progress to are listed as operations for the lot-based routing. Lot-based routings are extensions of standard routings, and have network entities defined for their operations.
To define a routing operation you first specify an operation sequence number to indicate the order to perform operations. Components in your bill of material can reference an operation sequence. Next, you can choose either a standard operation, or you can enter a new operation.
Routings define the step-by-step descriptions, or operations, for manufacturing an assembly. Each operation on a routing defines a specific portion of the manufacturing process for the assembly. You can use operations to identify the location, the quantity, and the state of completion of the assemblies you are currently manufacturing.
For each component item on the bill of material associated with a routing, you can specify the operation sequence where you require the item. You can then only issue material where and when it is needed. See: Creating a Bill of Material.
A standard operation is a commonly used operation that you define as a template to default operation information when you define routings. When you define a new operation on a routing, you can specify a standard operation whose information Bills of Material copies into the operation you are currently defining. You can then change any of the copied information for the new operation. See: Creating a Standard Operation.
A setup standard operation is the same as a standard operation except that it defines an operation used for setting up machine type resources only. Use the setup standard operation to specify the operation used during changeovers. See: Defining Resource Setup Information.
You can specify at what point in the routing you backflush component material. Moves automatically backflush the appropriate components at the time they are needed. You can postpone the backflush of material at time-critical operations until a later operation. See: Issuing and Returning Specific Components.
You can set the minimum quantity that you move from an operation when you define a routing. The Move Transactions window in Oracle Work in Process issues a warning when you move a quantity less than this minimum.
You can attach files, which may include instructions, to routing operations. See: Attaching Files to Bills and Routing Operations.
When you define routings for model and option class items, you can indicate the operations that appear in a configuration item's routing only if you choose an option that references that operation. Bills of Material automatically creates a configuration item's routing including all operations that are not option-dependent and any option-dependent operations referenced by a chosen option. See: Configure to Order Environments.
You can associate multiple resources with an operation on a routing. For each resource, you can determine if you want to include that resource in scheduling and lead time calculations. You can also collect costs for a resource on a routing if you specified the resource as a costed resource. See: Defining a Resource. If a resource is unavailable, you can define alternate resources. An alternate resource can be a single resource or a set of resources.
Resource parents and resource sets are used to group similar resources. Routings can then be defined with their general resource requirements, while WIP lots are tracked with the usage of the specific resources. While a resource can belong to several resource sets, a resource can only belong to one parent resource. When a WIP lot is at an operation with a parent resource or resource set attached to it, you are prompted to enter a valid resource used in processing the WIP lot.
You can define alternate resources for each resource. You can define an alternate resource or set of alternate resources to describe a different manufacturing step used to produce the same product. For example, you have a routing for an item TEST. The routing includes an operation with operation sequence number 70. The operation includes two operation resources, R1 (resource sequence 10) and R2 (resource sequence 20). The Substitute Group Number 10 groups the substitute resources R3, R4, and R5. These three resources are further classified into Replacement Group 10 and 20. Replacement Group 10 includes the resource R3 and Replacement Group 20 contains the resources R4 and R5. If the resources R1 or R2 are not available, you can replace them with either Replacement Group 10 or 20, so either R3 or R4 and R5 can replace R1 or R2. The following table describes how this example is set up in the Operation Resources and Operation Alternate Resources windows.
Primary and Alternate Resources for Item TEST, Sequence 70
| Resource | Resource Seq | Substitute Group Number | Replacement Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | 10 | 10 | n/a |
| R2 | 20 | 10 | n/a |
| R3 | 10 or 20 (default) | 10 (default) | 10 |
| R4 | 10 or 20 (default) | 10 (default) | 20 |
| R5 | 10 or 20 (default) | 10 (default) | 20 |
You can specify resource usage as a fixed rate per job for activities such as setup and teardown, and variable rates for resources whose usage depends on the number of units processed. For lot based resources you choose the Lot basis type and your usage rate is fixed, and for item based resources you choose the Item basis type to indicate that your usage rate is variable.
For example, you might define an operation where you schedule lot based and item based resources, as presented in the following table:
Scheduling by Item or Lot
| Operation Sequence | Resource Sequence | Activity | Resource | Usage | UOM | Basis | Resource Unit Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1 | Queue | Time | 1 | HR | Lot | $0 |
| n/a | 2 | Run | Labor 01 | .2 | HR | Item | $10 |
Oracle Cost Management divides lot based resource usages by lot size to determine item costs. For example, you might define a lot based resource that represents time spent setting up a machine, and a resource that represents the time to tear down the machine for the next job or schedule. You could schedule and collect costs for both the setup and tear down resources.
You can specify usage rates either as resource units per item unit, or the inverse - item units per resource unit. For example, you could specify usage rate for a machine hour resource in either units per hour, or hours per unit. For each routing operation, you can specify multiple resources and usage rates.
For each resource, you can specify whether to schedule it, and whether it overlaps the prior or next operation. If you specify that a resource overlaps the prior operation, Oracle Work in Process schedules the resource so that the last resource on the prior operation ends at the same time as this resource. Conversely, if you specify a resource that overlaps the next operation, Work in Process schedules the resource so that the first resource on the next operation begins at the same time as this resource.
Resources can be defined as simultaneous or alternates with other resources, independent of an assembly's routing. Two or more resources can be scheduled to be working concurrently within the same job operation. For example, a drilling machine and machinist must be scheduled at the same time. Each operation contains a scheduled sequence of resources. You can define the sequence in which resources are consumed. The information in the Schedule Seq field is only used when constraint based scheduling is enabled in Oracle Production Scheduling, though. See: Creating a Routing and Defining Simultaneous and Alternate Resources, Oracle Production Scheduling User's Guide. You can create a different resource or group of resources that can be used to substitute the primary resource or group of resources within a job operation. For example, if unskilled labor is unavailable to perform a task, it can be substituted with skilled labor. The scheduling system will schedule the skilled labor if the unskilled labor is fully committed. This is referred to as alternative scheduling.
Work in Process schedules assuming that the department uses up to the number of assigned units of the resource simultaneously - up to the number that exist in the department.
If you specify that a resource is available 24 hours (such as time in a drying area), Work in Process schedules it around the clock regardless of shifts. See: To assign a resource to a routing operation.
You can associate multiple resources with an operation on a routing, and for each resource you can determine how the resource is charged. You can automatically charge resources in Work in Process based on move transactions and purchase order receipts (for outside processing). You can also manually charge resources. See: Overview of Resource Management.
You can collect and group resource charges by activity for cost reporting. See: Manufacturing Standard Cost Transactions in Oracle Cost Management User's Guide.
For each resource on a shift, you can override the number of resource units available (such as number of machines) and specify additions or reductions to the amount of time the resource is available on that shift. These capacity modifications are assigned to simulation sets that you can use later when you generate a capacity plan or schedule discrete jobs or repetitive schedules to simulate capacity changes. See: Overview of Capacity Planning, Oracle Capacity User's Guide.
The usage rate or amount is the amount of the resource consumed at the operation, either the quantity per item or per lot. If you assign more than one resource unit to work at an operation, Work in Process considers the number of units when scheduling a resource at an operation. (Assign the usage rate for the resource as the total quantity per item or lot, regardless of the number of resource units you specify.) For example, if you define a machine resource to require 10 hours per item and you assign 2 resource units to the resource, Work in Process automatically schedules 2 machines for 5 hours.
When you define a routing, you specify the resources you use to build the items, and each resource has costs associated with it. By defining the routing with specific resources, you establish standard resource costs for any item that uses the routing. See: Setting Up Standard Costing for Manufacturing in Oracle Cost Management User's Guide.
You can define outside processing resources and then assign these resources to operations on a routing. Work in Process considers any operation that has an outside processing resource as an outside operation. See: Outside Processing.
You can define competencies for a resource to perform a particular operation. Labor Skill Validation ensures that job operations are performed by competent operators who have the required qualifications, competencies and certifications. This prevents potential errors and issues that arise from incompetent operators performing job operations.
Other Sources
Creating a Network Routing, Oracle Shop Floor Management User's Guide
Setup Steps (Defining Parameters), Oracle Shop Floor Management User's Guide