We are getting closer to releasing Component Exchange. It will be the best service of its kind. It will help you sell excess inventory and find additional low cost sources and hard-to find components.
I want thank everyone who submitted a list of components to sell. If you haven't yet, its not too late, we are still accepting lists for the BETA release. If you have excess inventory to sell, please email me your lists as soon as possible.
This issue of ManEx Minute is hopefully the first of many when we get to present the suggestions and writings of others. Paul Laskow from Advanced Business Advisors prepared the article for this week. It addresses an issue I have been asked many times. I hope you find it very informative and helpful. If you would like to publish an article, please submit your idea for review.
As always, we look forward to your participation and feedback as you gain new insights and become a more effective provider of Electronic Manufacturing Services.
Sincerely,
David Sharp
ManEx, Inc.
Guest Article - Inventory Management
Customers using different part numbers to identify the same part
BY Paul Laskow
Often, different engineers within a company will use the same part for different designs, but rather than use an existing part number, they create a new and unique part number each time.
To keep MRP and purchasing clean and accurate, ManEx allows one customer part number for each customer under each internal part number.
What is the best way to keep inventory records clean and concise?
Business Case Solutions
Many systems require users to create a new internal part number to cross reference back to the customer part number. This increases the part number count and doesn't add significant functionality.
Others use the note field to include the cross reference information, but no database information is created and the data cannot be sorted or searched.
ManEx Case Solution
Although there is more than one way to address this problem in ManEx. This article describes my recommended solution:
"[With the part cross reference] you can see relevant information without having to go from tab to tab."
- Debbie, MA
"The part cross reference button on inventory control is incredibly valuable to us."
-Tom, OR
Please share your ideas and insights on a topic below. Use the questions to direct your response. You can submit your thoughts to mym@manex.com by clicking the topic title. Where appropriate and space permitting, we will post responses in a future newsletter so all may benefit.
1.1. ManEx Solution - 22 - Customer Part Number Cross Referencing
ManEx Case Solution
This solution was provided by Paul Laskow from Advanced Business Advisors.
Although there is more than one way to address this problem in ManEx. This article describes my recommended solution:
When users discover that the customer used a new customer part number for a specific manufacturer’s part number already tied to another customer part number for that customer, add the customer as a manufacturer.
Then, under the internal number in the inventory item master, quantity tab, add the customer and the other customer part number(s) that all point to the same manufacturer's number.
Do not update all customer's part numbers and BOMs, but selectively go into the selected customer part number and add the customer and other customer part numbers to the AVL under the quantity info tab.
This will add the alternate part number to the AVL for that manufacturer.
When BOMs are printed, the entire list of customer part numbers will be listed as part of the AVL and be visible for cross referencing on one document.
