Xdata
White Papers


"Xdata solutions’ Rules-Based Product Configurator is designed with both ease of order entry, accuracy in product selection and timeliness of manufacture. From the beginning we felt Customer Order-Entry must be an easy-to-use system. It is designed for clerical level data-entry that is inherently coupled with intricate Engineering considerations (rules)."
- see White Paper #3 below:
 

1.  Distributed Manufacturing
By Charles L. Gaby, CPIM


2. Understanding Manufacturing Cost
Accounting
    


3. Custom Made Furniture
By Charles L. Gaby, CPIM

 

4. Understanding Rules-based Configuration
 


5. Paperless Office Automation - eDistribute
 

 
 



Xdata solutions, inc.
GXD Rules-Based Product Configurator
(Upholstered Furniture Industry Version)



Engineering Control of Customer
Order Entry Environment

Family/Segment/Options/Product Database links.
Established Rules govern clerical Order Entry.
Allows Cross Bounds Rules.
Dependencies/Exclusions may cross Segments/Options.
Copy capability.
Base Price, Quantity, and Description overrides.
Control of Overrides.


Standard Items NOT REQUIRED
Allows use of custom or standard Items.


Optional CAD Interface
Provides view of drawing where required.


Ease and Convenience of Clerical Use
Customer Order Entry Line selectable.
Client overrides.
Client prompts for choices.
Displays only those (rules) allowed
Automatic validation.
Multiple options selectable at once.


Item History Traceability
Configured Item uniquely linked to Order/Line.
Costed instantly upon selection.
Dovetailed to Inventory and Invoicing.
History recall.
Copy Capability.


Creates a Standard Item/Bill of Material/Routing
Uniquely traceable to Order/Line.
Allows inclusion of common structure/Items.
Allows "take always".
Allows substitutes.
Allows lead time offsets.
Allows Production Departments lead time Offset.


Truck Route Scheduling
MFG Receipt to "LIFO" loading.
Facilitates production coordination.
Provides "first stop" delivery loading.
Allows receipt to truck.
Reduces floor space requirements of Finished Goods.


Customizable External Program Interface
Custom Application Program Interface selectable by configured Item.
Client specific database interface provided.


Upholstery/Apparel Industry…fabric master
Fabric Grade / Color selectable




Xdata solutions, inc. has been marketing their ERP solutions since 1994 and has a client base on both coasts and throughout the United States.

For more information contact
 Xdata solutions, inc.

 


 

Custom Made Furniture:
Focus on Upholstered Furniture Industry.

By Charles L. Gaby, CPIM                                               About the Author

Problem: Un-complicating Order Processing while increasing accuracy, control, scheduling and delivery thru-put for Make to Order Upholstered Home Furnishings .

Among the most chal-
lenging “To-Order”
manufacturing environ-
ments  is upholstered
furniture 
…especially in
the Home Furnishings
Industry. Upholstered fur-
niture is an easy product
to visualize because we
all have some combination
of upholstered chairs, sofas,
love seats, with matching pillows and perhaps an ottoman or two. Picture for a minute how you would manufacture these pieces to customer selected specifications, including milling the raw hard-
wood to make the Frames …and picture a two week end-item de-
                                                             livery time.
There may be more
                                                             than a one-and-a-half billion com-                                                             binations to manage
when plan-                                                             the frames, fabrics, components
                                                             and accessory choices across
                                                             product lines.





















Rules Based Product Configurator with Manufacturing Control


The normal concerns of departmental production scheduling and reporting of a multi-level non-stock build-to-order product are just the beginning. The Upholstered Furniture Industry adds the complexity of a multitude of fabric offerings: grades of fabric, combinations, various colors for the body, back, welt, or seat cushions plus sleeper/non-sleeper considerations. Toss in accessory features and options, such as button choices, matching pillows, footings, pattern centerline considerations and mutually exclusive offerings.
Only with a high-tech solution can we cut into the lead-time and “build accuracy” factors required …remember the two week total lead time.

At this point of the order-process we knew what the customer wanted and when they wanted it. First we needed to price and cost the product. Next we needed to coordinate the shop schedule with the delivery requirements, plan and control the labor and material, plus of course, schedule the delivery truck routes.

The “old way” would include engineering and costing “hard” bills-of-material for each piece before the order was entered. Custom parts would have to be created. This in itself was an unmanageable task …a compromise at best. Next, a product routing would need to have been established to cost the end-item and document the labor and processing instructions. By this time we would have probably invested more than a week, leaving less than one week for production, and on a weekly basis we were “reckoning” with the problems associated with a “new” product.

Of course, we hadn’t yet considered material availability nor shop capacity.. with one week to deliver the product… it was time to call the customer, apologize, and to hope they would accept a reschedule …we often lost the order …and sometimes the customer!

If this is the way we were still doing things we would have had to extend lead times*, and rethought the future of our business.(*note that as lead time increases, requirements are compounded causing more planning and more problems …another subject for “Focus”.)

Sad to say, the above is true for most short lead-time “To-Order” manufacturers that do not use a Rules-Based Product Configurator.

                         Click Here to see the Solution  

Anyway you look at it, it’s a Win/Win/Win for your company, your employees, and your customers.

Interested?
    - for more information contact:  sales@xdata.com