User eNotes - August 2020

Presidents Comments

This issue of eNotes is devoted to three ground-breaking capabilities that are being added to ALERE BOMs in Version 16. By “ground-breaking” I mean technology that has never been seen before and cannot be purchased at any price!

The features do not come packaged in flashy new screens. They won’t leap out at you as insanely obvious. Instead, they are an extension of ALERE’s ability to handle multiple types of BOMs, something we pioneered years ago and remain the only software company with this capacity.

I should not have to tell you that bills of material are the backbone of most manufacturing companies. They drive material planning. Inadequate bills have been known to bankrupt companies. They are to manufacturing what chart of accounts is to accounting.

This will be your first introduction to Advanced BOM Structures. Each of the three, Variable Phantoms, Adjustable Raw Materials, and 2-Dimensional Formula, are explained briefly and contain an example of their use. The information is also available on the TIW web site under Concepts > Manufacturing .

Variable Phantom

The strength of a Variable Phantom is that it allows a multiplier to be entered which applies to all the components that make up the bill. This differs from a modular BOM in which each answer requires a matching part number. A Variable Phantom requires the use of only one part number, further simplifying BOM structures.

An example would be a remote control flying drone that could have anywhere from two to eight powered arms. The drone arm would be a Variable Phantom, and the number of arms would be specified during the configuration process.

Adjustable Raw Material

This provides the ultimate in BOM flexibility by permitting any child component to have its quantity changed when the BOM is configured. This can be important when a material item that is used in fixed quantities for most BOMs has a few cases when the quantity needs to be selected.

An example would be a commemorative pen set that contains two pen holders and six pens while a counter-top pen assortment is composed of a display box and a selectable number of pens. Since the number of pens is fixed in the pen set but selectable in the counter-top assortment, a traditional BOM structure cannot be used for both items. An Adjustable Raw Material BOM would support using one BOM structure.

2-Dimensional Formula within a BOM

Each location in a company can be assigned attributes which determine what role that location will play within ALERE. These characteristics are profoundly different between your company and other companies. Defining locations by these attributes tells the software how to handle those locations and helps to filter the browser lists that are called when using certain functions throughout ALERE.

For example, pillar candles may be manufactured with a wick and differing amounts of paraffin wax. The length of the wick is based on the height of the candle. The amount of wax is dependent on the height and diameter of the candles. A 2-Dimensional Formula BOM could be used to facilitate the entry of both the candle height and diameter.

Technical Seminars - Your Source of Training

Due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, TIW is currently only offering custom training at this time.

Custom training offers a client driven, focused training approach which addresses the specific needs of your organization. At the same time it doubles as process consulting time, which can help to improve your organizational efficiency.

The one on one training may also be used to provide employees with recurrent training, which will assist them in making the most of both ALERE’s core and newest features. Alternatively, training may be scheduled as a comprehensive overview to familiarize new additions to your staff with the capabilities of ALERE.

Session require a two hours minimum commitment and may run for a maximum of four hours per day.

Schedule your company’s session by calling Chris at 610-258-5161 x105.

TIW’s online training resources are available 24/7 on demand through our website

TIW Technology, Inc. | Phone: 610.258.5161 | Fax: 610.258.6217

Email: sales@tiwcorp.com | Site: www.tiwcorp.com