|
BellHawk
tracks the status of each job in real-time and can also track labor
and machine time required for a job step. BellHawk supports the
splitting of jobs into multiple batches and also the forming of a
run-group where multiple jobs are processed at the same time.
|
Most job
and WIP tracking is performed using a PC equipped with a barcode
scanner. Material in and out transactions can also be performed on
using a wireless mobile computer equipped with an integral scanner.
The job
and WIP scanning is performed using a barcoded traveler that is
produced for each job/batch by BellHawk.
On each barcoded
traveler, there is a barcode for the job/batch and barcodes for
each job step. There are also indented barcodes for each material
that is consumed on the job step. These are scanned just prior to
scanning the barcode on the container or location bin for the material. |
 |
BellHawk
will check that materials scanned in are correct and also that they
have passed QC
inspection and warn the operator if there is a problem.
Bills of
material and routes are stored within BellHawk in a combined Bill of
Material Based Routing (BOMBR) tree structure. This is more
sophisticated that the more common separate bill of materials and
route approach used by many manufacturing systems. In this, the
materials, the labor and the machine time expected to be consumed are
specified for each route step operation. This enables the allowed
materials to be compared with those actually consumed on each job
step. It also enables BellHawk to generate a report of expected cost
versus actual cost to produce products. The BOMBR approach also allows
BellHawk to store recipes for mixing batches of product in one step
and then to store the packaging materials in another step.
The bills
of material and routes can be entered and stored in BellHawk or they
can be imported from an external system. If stored within BellHawk
they can be copied to become the bills and routes for jobs.
Alternately the bills and routes for jobs can be imported directly
from an external system. Jobs can be initiated within BellHawk or they
can be initiated from an external system.
Materials
can be scanned into a job step using a PC or mobile computer. This
causes the inventory to be relieved from the container or location
from which it was scanned. Alternately material can be recorded as
being moved to a floor stock location. Completion of the jobs step
then causes the floor stock to be decremented based on the quantity of
WIP out from the job step.
Any
materials left over from a job step can be recorded as returned to
inventory using a PC or a mobile computer. This includes butt rolls
and other such materials that can be barcoded and tracked for re-use.
WIP can be
recorded as directly transferred from job step to job step or it can
be placed in a barcoded container and scanned out from the job step.
In this case, it is treated as temporary inventory until it is scanned
into the next job step.
When
finished goods are scanned out of a BellHawk job, their containers
have tracking barcodes applied, typically at the carton or pallet
level. These barcodes are then used to track the materials until they
are shipped to customers or consumed on other jobs.
|
