JD Edwards Manufacturing

JD Edward's Product Data Management (PDM) module provides the tools to control access to and manage all product definition data. Core master files which contain this information include: item masters, bills of materials, work centers, and routings.

At an item master-file level, the system provides for: user-defined classification coding based on attributes and/or accounting needs, lot and serial number inventory control, item dimensions, supplier information along with country of origin, and Engineering revision control.

PDM also manages item configuration. Product structures are defined through the use of bills of materials (BOMs), and the system allows for any number of types of BOMs within a given facility to define the relationships between parent items and their components.

Work centers are used to specify where items are to be worked on within the production process. Work centers can be individual machines or groups of machines, persons or groups of persons, suppliers (in the case of outside processing), or logical entities such as "Testing".

Routings define the operational steps required to manufacture an item, and define the labor content of an item. They are normally structured based upon the flow of an item being produced through the manufacturing process.

Pieces of PDM which reside beyond the core areas are: product costing including standard, current, and actual costs calculations; and maintenance, Engineering Change Management including change requests, approval workflow, and product history.

As an alternative to Product Data Management master-file setup for defining product structures, the Configurator module provides the means for managing products that are configurable or complex make-to-order.

The Configurator provides for rules-based scripting of quotes and sales orders so that pre-defined options and constraints can be used to ensure that product definitions are accurate.

Forecasts are projections of demands for future customer orders, used mainly for planning purposes. Forecasts are needed any time that the overall procurement or manufacturing lead time of an item is longer than the expected customer order entry / fill / ship cycle time.

JD Edwards has the capability of creating up to 12 weekly or monthly forecast models of past actual sales in either quantities or amounts. The various models are then statistically compared to one another using either percent of accuracy or mean absolute deviation, and in the end the system provides what it calculates to be its "best fit" forecast.

Forecast summarization allows for the management of forecasting at customer or item group levels, or a combination of the two (i.e. lawnmowers in the Midwest).

Resource and capacity planning is the function of estimating and managing demands or loads against a company's manufacturing resources. Resource planning typically occurs at the business planning level whereas capacity planning takes over managing short to medium range needs.

Material Requirements Planning (MRP) is an application which calculates requirements for materials and keeps their priorities current.

In determining requirements, MRP calculates what materials are needed in order to meet a company's demands, and then calculates the time periods when the material must be available. Based on item lead times, MRP determines when material orders (work orders or purchase orders) need to start.

The Demand Flow® module offers a way to synchronize production with the pace of customer demand.

In a traditional master scheduling / material requirements planning (MPS/MRP) environment, sales order demand must be picked up by the material planning program - often generically be referred-to as MRP, then interpreted by someone in a material planning position, and then finally turned into a factory order. Typically this process has at least a one-day lag time in it because MRP runs overnight.

Using Demand Flow®, customer orders can directly signal production to build - in real time, or it can be used as part of an overall demand-driven supply strategy which optimizes inventory levels based on when customers need product.

The Shop Floor Management module is used to create a seamless flow of demands vs. machines and materials in order to optimize production. Built-in features and functions handle discrete, process, repetitive and Lean production models in any combination, with work authorizations provided to Production in the form of manufacturing work orders, rate-based (repetitive) schedules, Kanban signals, and/or Ordeless production based on other demands.

Shortage management tools can be used to ensure that work gets performed uninterrupted, scheduling tools allow for proper sequencing and dispatching of work, and progress reporting keeps tabs on where production is at on a given order. Management tools such as dashboards, consoles, and alerts keep close watch on what's happening overall on the factory floor.

In the end, Manfacturing Accounting reports materials consumption and labor activities to Management and the general ledger.

One-of-a-kind and/or project-based manufacturing planning and execution can be handled within the Engineer To Order module. Each project life cycle phase can be managed, including: quoting, planning, scheduling, tracking, delivery, and close-out.

Within JD Edwards Manufacturing, the Quality Management module provides tools to ensure that the inventory that leaves your facility complies with customer or your own specifications.

Integration is also provided to Sales Order Processing, Procurement, Service Management, and other areas for complete control of products and their quality criteria.

This is brief review of the components and processes associated with the JDE Manufacturing suite. For more information, a public course taught by JDEtips is recommended.