Bundle-Track 3.7
User’s Guide
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent any warranty on the part of Latitude Business Systems, Inc. The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement that accompanies this software, and may be used or copied only in accordance with this agreement.
Copyright © 2002 Latitude Business Systems, Inc.,
All Rights Reserved August, 2002
Table of Contents
Save,
Cancel, and Close Buttons in Setup Options areas
Overview of General Setup Sub-Areas
Pay Group
Controls – General tab
Pay Group
Controls – History Data Control tab
Premium
Rules Controls – General tab
Premium
Rules Controls – Overtime tab
Premium
Rules Controls – Shift Control tab
How
Bundle-Track Handles Overrides to Pay Rates
Pay Rates
Controls – General tab
Pay Rates
Controls – History Data Options tab
Pay Rates
Controls – Advanced tab
Overview of Product Setup area
How Custom
Lot Fields are Used
Custom Employee Fields (Network Version only)
Overview of the Operations area
Save,
Cancel, and Close Buttons in the Operations area
Multi-Operations (Network Version only)
Products
Controls – General tab
Products
Controls – Colors tab
Products
Controls – SKU Codes tab
Products
Controls – Routing tab
Elements of
the Routing Screen
Adding
Sections to the Routing
Removing
Sections from the Routing
Re-Sequencing
Sections within the Routing
Moving
Steps to Another Section or Another Stage
Introduction to Pay Conditions
Pay
Condition editor – General tab
Pay
Condition editor – Properties tab
Pay
Condition editor – Associated Rates tab
Pay
Condition editor – Standards tab
Employee
editor – Special Pay tab
Employee
editor – Custom Fields tab (Network Version only)
Makeup Set
Editor – Makeup Sets tab
Makeup Set
Editor – Properties tab
Makeup Sets
Editor – Member Pay Conditions tab
Cut Planning – the Cut Entry tab in Edit
Status
Leaving
Edit Status is Permanent
Ticket Printing – the Cut Entry tab in
Print-Ready Status
Print
Controls in Bundle Set View
Print
Controls in Spreadsheet View
Print
Controls in View Bundles Sequentially View
Leaving
Print-Ready Status is Permanent
Introduction to Production Entry – the
Production panel
Selecting a
Target Employee, Team, or Department
Accessing
the Production Panel
Production Entry – Bundle Tickets tab
Viewing and
Changing Unsized Rates throughout the Lot
Scanning a
"Variable" Rate Type (Network Version only)
Production Entry – Adjustments tab
Production Entry – Operations tab
Production Entry – Multi-Operations tab
(Network Version only)
Production Entry – Lot Ops tab (Network
Version only)
Send
WIP Data to Bundle-Track.com
Introduction
Thank you for reading.
This document details the setup and use of the Bundle-Track system as a shop-floor productivity tool. It documents both the Desktop and Network versions of Bundle-Track 3.7. Some features are available only in the Network version. These are pointed out as necessary.
For details about using Bundle-Track Global Monitor, refer to the Bundle-Track 3.7 Global Monitor Guide. For a more general overview of the Bundle-Track system, refer to the Bundle-Track 3.7 Introduction document.
Starting Bundle-Track 3.07
Install
If you have not yet installed Bundle-Track, run the Installation. (See the Bundle-Track 3.7 Installation Guide for details.)
Run Bundle-Track Links One Time
If you have not already done so, you must run Bundle-Track Links before you run the main Bundle-Track program for the first time. You need to do this only the first time. After you have done this once, you may start Bundle-Track without running Bundle-Track Links. To start Bundle-Track Links select Start Ž Programs Ž Bundle-Track Ž Bundle-Track Links. Once it opens, simply close it. This lets Bundle-Track configure the connection to its database.
Start Bundle-Track
Start Bundle-Track as follows:
1. Double click the Bundle-Track shortcut on your desktop, or select Start Ž Programs Ž Bundle-Track Ž Bundle-Track.
2. At the login prompt, enter your username and password. (Initially, the username is “sysdba” and the password is “masterkey”.)
3. Select the database you want to work with – either Production or Test.
4. Click OK to enter Bundle-Track.
Once Bundle-Track has connected itself to the database, it will display its main screen, giving you access to the main Tool Bar and Menu.
InterBase Server Manager Must be Running
If your Bundle-Track login fails repeatedly, it might mean that InterBase Server Manager is not running. (Bundle-Track requires its support.) Try starting it by selecting Start Ž Programs Ž InterBase Ž InterBase Server Manager. The Status portion of the panel indicates whether it is currently Running or Stopped. If it is Stopped, Start it. This may solve your problem. (You can set the Server Manager to start automatically when your computer is turned on: make sure the Startup Mode option at the top of the panel is set to Automatic.)
Changing Login Details
Users of the Desktop Version may not change the username, but may change the password. Instructions are found in the InterBase manual.
Users of the Network Version may use the Bundle-Track Roles application (not provided in the Desktop Version) to change the username and password and to create other user accounts. Refer to the “Bundle-Track Roles User’s Guide” for details.
Interface Basics
Arrangement of Functions
Most of Bundle-Track’s functions are grouped into functional areas as follows:
|
Setup (p. 9) |
Engineering and human resources information that will be essential to processing data: information about the people working in your factory and how you pay them, and information about the Products you make and how you make them. |
|
Activities (p. 60) |
Tasks that users perform on a day-to-day basis: initiating production Lots, printing Bundle Tickets, updating Bundle information, performing system maintenance, and posting production data to the Bundle-Track.com webservice. |
|
Database Administration (p. 84) |
Remove History Data. Compress the database. |
|
Printer Setup (p. 85) |
Just that. |
|
Help |
Online Help. |
Moving through Forms
By Mouse
The mouse allows you to click from field to field to enter the information you wish in any order you wish.
By Tab Key
Pressing the Tab key will move you through the fields and buttons on the form in a programmed “tab order.”
By Enter Key
Pressing the Enter key will activate the highlighted Form Tool. This will usually be SAVE unless you have used the Tab key to highlight another button.
Code and Description Fields
Almost every record in Bundle-Track has a Code field and a Description field. Almost all of them have the same characteristics:
|
Code |
Required. Up to 15 characters. |
|
Description |
Optional. Up to 30 characters. |
We won’t bother you with these again, unless there is a notable exception.
Setup
To ready Bundle-Track to serve your factory, you must provide the system with engineering and human resources information that will be essential to processing data: information about the people working in your factory and how you pay them, and information about the Products you make and how you make them. You will input and maintain this information in Bundle-Track’s Setup area.
Setup Sub-Area Overview
The Setup area is divided into sub-areas which you access by clicking through the Setup Menu, or by clicking on one of the Setup buttons:
Figure 1. Setup Buttons
Setup Areas
|
· General Setup (p. 10) · Product Setup (p. 29) · System Tables (p. 32)
|
System settings that allow you to configure Bundle-Track to model your factory’s functional details, like Pay Rates, Products and Routings, and Engineering Units. |
|
(p. 34) |
Lists and groupings of the various assembly tasks performed by your Employees and associated Rate information. |
|
(p. 38) |
Lists and groupings of the various Products assembled in your factory. |
|
(p. 48) |
Employees, Pay Conditions, and Schedules. |
Save, Cancel, and Close Buttons in Setup Options areas
The General Setup, Product Setup, and System Setup areas are all Setup Options areas. In all three of these, you will note that the same Save, Cancel, and Close buttons are visible in the right-hand side of the area, no matter what data is currently featured on the panel. It is important to note that these buttons take action on the entire area as a whole, not only on the currently visible data.
Save Button
The Save button writes the current settings to the database.
Note that the General Setup area’s tree view may not immediately reflect changes to Codes. This does not mean that Save did not work. If you change the Code of a Shift, for example, and Save this change, you will not see the change in the tree view until you close and re-open the Shift folder in the tree view, or until you close and re-open the General Setup area.
Cancel button
The Cancel button reverts all changes made since your last Save, not only those currently visible.
Because there are so many details you can change within a Setup area, we recommend that you make a habit of saving your changes in each sub-area before moving on to the next. In this way, you will keep the amount of unsecured changes small and protect yourself against canceling more changes than you intended.
Close button
The Close button closes the area.
If there are any unsaved changed in effect when you click Close, you will be prompted to save or cancel them before the area will close.
Options: General Setup
When you are ready to begin your set-up of Bundle-Track, the first place to go is Options: General Setup to tell Bundle-Track about your plant.
To access this area, either menu-select SetupŽOptionsŽGeneral Setup,
or click 
and select General Setup.
Overview of General Setup Sub-Areas
The General Setup form presents a tree view on the left, and a work area on the right. The form works much like your computer’s Windows Explorer application – you can open and close folders in the tree view on the left, and the right window shows the contents of the item currently selected in the tree view on the left.
The tree view offers access to the following sub-areas:
· Currency Settings (page 11)
· Plant Description (page 11)
· Departments (page 11)
· Teams (page 13) (Network Version only)
· Shifts (page 14)
· Pay Groups (page 15) (Only one Pay Group in Desktop Version)
· Premium Rules (page 16)
· Unit Settings (page 19) (Only one Unit Setting in Desktop Version)
· Rate Types (page 20) (Only one Rate Type in Desktop Version)
· Pay Rates (page 21)
· Operation Base Rates (page 25)
· Ticket-Scanning Settings (page 25)
When you click on any of these items in the tree view (the left side of the form), the corresponding work area is displayed on the right.
Currency Settings
In this area, you will tell Bundle-Track which Currency is used in your plant.
Selecting a Currency
1. Click on Currency Settings in the tree view to access the Currency Settings area.
2. In the work area (on the right), click on the Country dropdown to display the available Countries and click on the selection that is appropriate for your factory. (If your country is not listed, you may add it to the System Tables. See page 34.)
3. Click on the Currency dropdown to display the available currencies and click on the selection that is appropriate for your factory. (If your currency is not listed, you may add it to the System Tables. See page 34.)
Plant Description
When you click on Plant Description, you’ll reveal the Plant Description fields. These details are optional.
Departments
Having Departments lets you organize your Employees and their activities into cost centers. This lets you generate measurements and reports by Department on payroll amounts, productivity, excess labor costs, etc., and to answer questions like, “How much Machine Down time was there for each Department” or “Which Department had the highest overtime expenses.”
How Departments are Used
· Employees are assigned to Home Departments (under the Setup sub-area called “Personnel & Pay”).
· Every Event record specifies a charged Department (and Latitude Business Systems can use this information to build custom Pay-rules to calculate departmental incentives.).
· Some Reports may be ranged by Department.
Department Controls
When you highlight the Departments folder, you reveal a table that lists the currently defined Departments. You can then add, edit, or remove Departments.
If you access the Department editor for an individual Department – whether by clicking the Add or Edit buttons under the Department table, or by expanding the Department folder and clicking on an individual Department – you will see the full set of Department fields:
|
Shift |
Required. Select from the dropdown. When an Employee is assigned to this Department, the Shift specified here will be assigned to that Employee by default. You will be able to override this assignment on the Employee Editor’s General tab (page 53). |
|
Pay Group (Network version only |
Required. Select from the dropdown. When an Employee is assigned to this Department, the Pay Group specified here will be assigned to that Employee by default. You will be able to override this assignment on the Employee Editor’s General tab (page 53). |
Adding Departments
1. Highlight the Departments folder in the General Setup tree-view.
2. Click the Add button.
3. In the form, enter a unique Code for the new Department.
4. Optionally, enter a Description for the new Department.
5. Select a Shift.
6. Select a Pay Group. (Network Version only.)
Editing Departments
1. Access the Department record you wish to edit:
a. Highlight the Departments folder in the General Setup tree-view.
b. Highlight the Department record you wish to edit.
c. Click the Edit button.
-Or-
d. If there is a + next to the Departments folder, expand the folder by clicking the +.
e. Highlight the Department record you wish to edit.
2. Edit the information in the form.
Removing Departments
1. Highlight the Departments folder in the General Setup tree-view.
2. Highlight the Department record you wish to remove.
3. Click the Remove button. Bundle-Track will ask whether you really wish to remove the record.
4. Click Yes to remove the record.
Note: You cannot remove Departments that currently have Employees assigned to them, or that have been charged in any Event in the current Pay Period. To remove a Department that has been in use, you must first reassign any related Employees to other Departments, and ensure that no Events throughout the entire Pay Period are charged to the Department.
Identifying Department Dependencies
You can get a list of all Employees who are currently assigned
to a Department (and, optionally, those who transferred into it during the
Pay Period) by clicking the Ellipsis button (
) next to
the Description field on a Department’s details page.
Teams (Network Version only)
You’ll notice that each Department record in the tree view can be expanded further to reveal a Team folder for each Department.
You may define Teams within each Department. A Team is a group or team of Employees within a Department.
How Teams are used
· Employees are assigned to Teams (under the Setup sub-area called “Personnel & Pay”).
· Pay-rules may be defined to calculate Team incentives.
· You can compensate Teams based on the output of the group.
Team Controls
Highlighting the Teams folder reveals an editor for creating and maintaining Teams. This editor works just like the Department editor.
When you select an individual Team, you will see all of its fields:
|
Shift |
Required. Select from the dropdown. The Team inherits its Department’s default Shift, but you can override the Department default. When an Employee is assigned to this Team, the Shift specified here will be assigned to that Employee by default (overriding the Department’s default Shift). You will be able to override this assignment on the Employee Editor’s General tab (page 53). |
|
Pay Group |
Required. Select from the dropdown. The Team inherits its Department’s default Pay Group, but you can override the Department default. When an Employee is assigned to this Team, the Pay Group specified here will be assigned to that Employee by default (overriding the Department’s default Pay Group). You will be able to override this assignment on the Employee Editor’s Special Pay tab (page 54). |
Adding Teams
1. Expand the tree-view for a Department to reveal its Teams folder.
2. Highlight the Teams folder to see the editor.
3. Click the Add button.
4. In the form, enter the Code for the new Team record.
5. Optionally, enter a Description.
Identifying Team Dependencies
You can get a list of all Employees who are currently assigned to a Team (and, optionally, those who charged to it during the Pay Period) by clicking the Ellipsis button next to the Description field on a Team’s details page.
Shifts
You define Shifts and Shift Premiums here.
How Shifts are Used
· Employees are assigned to Shifts (under the Setup sub-area called “Personnel & Pay”).
· Every Event record specifies the charged Shift.
· Pay-rules may be defined to calculate Shift Premiums.
Shift Controls
If you access the editor for an individual Shift, you will see the full set of Shift fields.
Premium Method
If you don’t want this Shift to pay Shift Premiums, leave the text field in this area blank. Otherwise, select from the radio buttons and set a value in the text field accordingly:
|
Percentage |
The Shift Premium Rate will be calculated as the specified percentage of the Overtime Basis (as defined on the Overtime tab). Format note: specify 10% as “10”, not “0.1”. |
|
<Currency> per hour |
(The label changes according to your Currency Settings.) The Shift Premium Rate will be simply the currency amount specified in the text field, per hour. |
Apply Shift Premium to Overtime
If this box is not checked, the Shift Premium has no effect on the Overtime Premium.
If this box is checked, the Shift Premium is added to the Overtime Basis before the Overtime Premium is calculated.
See Premium Rules Controls – Overtime tab, page 17, for more about the Overtime Basis.
Pay Groups
This is where you tell Bundle-Track some simple things about your fiscal year. Bundle-Track uses this information to organize data into Pay Periods for reporting and data storage purposes.
Note to users of Desktop Version: you can have only one Pay Group.
Pay Group Controls – General tab
|
Number of Days per Period |
Enter the number of days in a Pay Period. If you process weekly, enter 7. If bi-weekly, then 14. Bundle-Track automatically advances the Current Period Close Date by this many days when you close a Period. |
|
Current Period Close Date |
Enter a date (MM/DD/YY) or use the calendar button to specify the date on which the current Pay Period will close. Bundle-Track automatically advances the Current Period Close Date when you close a Period. |
|
Current Period Number |
Enter the number of the current Pay Period. This number will automatically increment at the close of each Pay Period. After you close the last Period of the fiscal year, you must manually reset this number. |
Pay Group Controls – History Data Control tab
|
Keep Ticket Detail for __ Periods |
Bundle-Track stores the detail of every Bundle Ticket for a limited time. The maximum is 4 periods. You may specify a shorter time. Ticket Detail beyond the specified limit is purged when the database is compressed, but summary Ticket information is retained. |
|
Compress Data Automatically |
To keep the database healthy, the database should be compressed regularly. If you check this box, Bundle-Track will automatically compress data for this Pay Group when you close a Pay Period for this Pay Group. If you leave this unchecked for any Pay Group, you should compress the database manually at least once a month (see Compress Database, page 84). Occasionally, there is a practical reason to suppress automatic compression, but generally, we recommend that you leave this option checked. |
Pay Group Controls – Members
The table on this tab lists all Departments, Teams, and Employees assigned directly to this Pay Group. It is read-only (cannot be edited).
Premium Rules
Premium Rules define how Overtime and Shift Premiums are to be calculated.
Each Employee is indirectly assigned a Premium Rule: each Employee is actually assigned a Home Pay Condition, and that Pay Condition belongs to a Pay Condition Group, which is assigned to a Premium Rule. All work the Employee does is subject to the rules defined in the Premium Rule record assigned to the Pay Condition Group under which the Employee’s Home Pay Condition belongs.
Premium Rules Controls – General tab
This tab holds only the Code and Description fields.
Premium Rules Controls – Overtime tab
This tab houses the controls for telling Bundle-Track how to calculate Overtime Premiums for Events whose Pay Conditions are assigned to this Pay Condition Group.
Overtime Basis x Overtime Factor = Overtime Premium
Here’s how Bundle-Track calculates Overtime Premiums. An hourly Rate called an Overtime Basis is computed according to the rules you specify. That Basis is then multiplied by the Factor you specify, and the result is an Overtime Premium.
Overtime Premiums are paid on top of regular pay for the same time period. So, to pay the conventional “time and a half”, you set an Overtime Factor of 0.5 to generate an Overtime Premium that represents the “and a half” part. For “double time”, set a Premium Factor of 1.0.
What “Overtime Eligible” means
If hours are called Overtime Eligible, it means that, for the purposes of comparing hours worked against the overtime threshold, those hours count, no matter whether they are actually worked hours or not.
Suppose it is your policy to pay overtime for any time over 40 hours in a week. That’s a 40-hour Weekly Threshold. If someone works 45 hours, 5 of those hours count as Overtime Hours. Suppose instead of working on Monday, they take a paid Vacation day (8 hours), and they put in 37 hours later in the week. If you call those Vacation hours Overtime Eligible, then the worker has 45 Overtime Eligible hours to compare against the 40-hour threshold, and that makes 5 Overtime Hours. If you do not consider Vacation hours Overtime Eligible, then the worker has only 37 Overtime Eligible hours in the week, and despite the longer hours on the non-Vacation days, the worker gets no Overtime.
Typically, Extended or Unexcused absences are considered not Overtime Eligible.
Specifying the Overtime Rule
Use the Overtime Rule dropdown to specify how Bundle-Track will differentiate between Regular Hours and Overtime Hours under this Premium Policy:
|
(No overtime rule) |
Bundle-Track will always set Overtime hours to zero and will not calculate Overtime Premiums. (When this is selected, the Threshold and Factor fields on this form will be hidden, and the setting of the other radio buttons will have no meaning.) |
|
Single - Based on Daily Hours |
Any hours beyond the threshold in a given day are Overtime Eligible. |
|
Single - Based on Period Hours |
Any hours beyond the threshold in a Pay Period are Overtime Eligible. Hours worked in an individual day do not matter. |
|
Double - Daily Hours and Sunday |
Two overtime rules are in effect: any hours worked on a Sunday are Overtime Eligible, regardless of any other hour count; and any non-Sunday hours beyond the threshold in a given day are Overtime Eligible. |
|
Double - Period Hours and Sunday |
Two overtime rules are in effect: any hours worked on a Sunday are Overtime Eligible, regardless of any other hour count; and any non-Sunday hours beyond the threshold in the Pay Period are Overtime Eligible. |
|
Overtime hours are imported |
This option is supported only if you have the Bundle-Track Import Utility software (not standard). Bundle-Track itself will not identify Overtime Hours. Instead, some other system will determine the number of Overtime hours. Bundle-Track will then import the Overtime Hours information and calculate Overtime Premiums accordingly. Further details are provided with the Import Utility software. |
Setting the Threshold and Factor with Single Threshold Rules
If you select a Single Threshold Overtime Rule, you will see a Threshold field and a Factor field.
In the Threshold field, you must specify the number of hours in the Day/Period (depending on the selected Overtime Rule) that must be logged before subsequent hours are Overtime Eligible.
In the Factor Field, you must specify the amount of the Overtime Premium in terms of a multiple of the Overtime Basis.
Setting the Threshold and Factor with Double Threshold Rules
If you select a Double Threshold Overtime Rule, you will see two sets of Threshold and Factor fields. The first set will work just as described above for Single Threshold Rules. The second set will apply only to hours worked on a Sunday.
The second Threshold field, you will note, reads “Sunday” and is not editable.
In the second Factor Field, you must specify the amount of the Sunday-specific Overtime Premium in terms of a multiple of the Overtime Basis.
Setting the Basis for On-Standard Events
If you have selected “(No overtime rule)” from the Overtime Rule dropdown, you can ignore all other controls on this tab. Otherwise, select one of the three options under “Basis: On-Standard Events” to specify how the amount of the Overtime Basis will be determined for on-standard Events:
|
Daily On-Standard Average |
Considers only incentive-based earnings within the Day. Divides the Employee’s total incentive-based earnings for the day by total worked hours in the day to get the average incentive-based Rate for the day. |
|
Period On-Standard Average |
Considers only incentive-based earnings within the Period. Divides the Employee’s total incentive-based earnings for the Period by total worked hours in the Period to get the average incentive-based Rate for the Period. |
|
Period Total Earnings |
Divides the Employee’s total earnings for the Period (including on-standard Ticket totals, adjustments, make-up, and any off-standard or hourly pay) by total worked hours in the Period (both straight time and overtime) to get the average Rate for the Period. |
Setting the Basis for Off-Standard Events
If you have selected “(No overtime rule)” from the Overtime Rule dropdown, you can ignore all other controls on this tab. Otherwise, select one of the three options under “Basis: Off-Standard Events” to specify how the amount of the Overtime Basis will be determined for off-standard Events:
|
Event Condition Pay Rate |
A Premium is calculated for each Event. The Basis is simply the pay Rate prescribed by the Pay Condition charged in the worked Event. |
|
Home Condition Pay Rate |
The Basis is simply the pay Rate prescribed by the Employee’s Home Pay Condition, regardless of the Pay Condition charged in any worked Event. |
|
Period Total Earnings |
Divides total earnings (both on-standard and off-standard) for the Period by total worked hours in the Period to get the average Rate for the Period. |
Premium Rules Controls – Shift Control tab
You must select one of these two options:
|
Always Pay Home Shift Premium |
No matter what Shift is charged, pay the Shift Premium defined for the Employee’s Home Shift for all hours worked. |
|
Always Pay Charged Shift Premium |
For each Event, pay the Shift Premium defined for the Event’s charged Shift. |
Unit Settings
Here you define the engineering units for the operations used in your factory. Whether you assign production value in terms of dollars per unit, per dozen, or per some other standard quantity, or in standard minutes per units or standard hours per hundred, Bundle-Track can process and report information accordingly.
Note to users of Desktop Version: you can have only one Unit Setting.
|
Money-Based Rates |
In this area, you
define the units for Money-Based Rates. The numerator will always be your
factory currency (as specified in Currency Settings). You must specify a
“Per” Unit for the denominator by selecting it from the dropdown. |
|
Time-Based Rates |
In this area, you define the units for Time-Based Rates. For the numerator, you must select a standard time unit. For the denominator, you must select a “Per” Unit. |
Note: You cannot remove a Unit Settings record while there are Rate Types defined under it. To remove a Unit Settings record, you must first remove all Rate Types under it.
Rate Types
You’ll notice that each Unit Settings record in the tree view can be expanded further to reveal a Rate Type folder for each Unit Setting. You may define Rate Types for each Unit Setting.
Note to users of Desktop Version: you can have only one Unit Setting and only one Rate Type – called Piece Ticket – which you cannot view or edit. The details of that Rate Type are pre-set to serve a typical Piecework environment.
How Rate Types are Used
Each Operation is assigned a Rate Type. Each Rate Type carries attributes that determine whether a Ticket is printed for each Operation, with or without a bar-code, how the operation is valued, and whether confirmation is required at scan time.
Printing and Scanning options
Note to users of Desktop Version: These options are pre-set for you.
|
Print Ticket |
If this is checked, all Operations associated with this Rate Type will generate Tickets. A Rate Type that leaves this option unchecked might be useful for Operations that that contribute to overall unit cost but are not involved in payroll calculations. Desktop Version: this is checked. |
|
Print Bar Code |
If this is checked, all Operations associated with this Rate Type will generate Tickets with bar-codes on them. Desktop Version: this is checked. |
|
Stop at Scan |
If this is checked, when an Operation associated with this Rate Type is scanned, a confirmation panel will pop up and prompt the user for the production quantity. This is useful where production volume makes it impractical to pull a Ticket for each Bundle. Instead, operators can count the units processed and report this quantity in summary on one Ticket. Desktop Version: this is not checked. |
Rates Multiplied By options
Note to users of Desktop Version: This option is pre-set for you.
|
Count in Bundle |
If this is selected, when an Operation associated with this Rate Type is scanned, the production quantity will default to the number of units in the Bundle. Desktop Version: this is selected. |
|
One (Flat Rate) |
If this is selected, when an Operation associated with this Rate Type is scanned, the production quantity will default to one (1). |
|
Other |
If this is selected, when an Operation associated with this Rate Type is scanned, the production quantity will default to the value specified in the text box next to this option. |
Pay Rates
This is where you define a library of standard Pay Rates. As you later define pay rules, you will specify the Rates that should be used by selecting from the Pay Rates you define here.
How Bundle-Track Handles Overrides to Pay Rates
It is important that you understand that Bundle-Track allows overrides to a Pay Rate’s natural value, and that you understand how the proper Rate is selected.
When Bundle-Track is directed to use a given Pay Rate, it follows a procedure to locate the proper value for that Rate under the given circumstances. The details at issue are the Pay Condition involved, and the Employee involved.
1. Bundle-Track first checks the Employee’s Special Pay settings (page 54). If the Employee has a special Rate assignment there for the Pay Rate at issue, then Bundle-Track accepts the Employee’s special Rate and stops searching.
2. If the Employee has no special Rate for the Pay Rate at issue, Bundle-Track checks the Pay Condition for an override. If it finds one there, Bundle-Track accepts the Pay Condition’s override Rate and stops searching.
3. Finally, if there is neither an Employee special Rate, nor an override in the Pay Condition, Bundle-Track uses the Pay Rate’s natural value – the one defined here in the General Settings area.
Pay Rates Controls – General tab
The Rate field lets you specify a global default value for this Pay Rate.
If you are going to define this Pay Rate’s value directly under each Pay Condition, or make it a calculated rate that is different for each Employee, you may leave this value blank.
Pay Rate Dependencies
By clicking the
Ellipsis button (), you call
up a Cross Reference panel that lists all Pay Conditions referencing the Pay
Rate and identifies the context in which each reference is made:
· A check in the Hourly column indicates that the Rate is specified as the Pay Condition’s Hourly Rate (see Pay Condition editor – Associated Rates tab, page 50).
· A check in the Base Rate column indicates that the Rate is specified as the Pay Condition’s Base Rate (see Pay Condition editor – Standards tab, page 50).
· If either Rate has an override specified at the Pay Condition level, the overriding value will be shown in red.
Pay Rates Controls – History Data Options tab
A Pay Rate can have Employee-specific values that change over time, calculated based on Employee-specific historical data. Bundle-Track will calculate such a rate for each Employee whose Special Pay settings call for an Employee-specific version of the Pay Rate. (You must enable Employee-specific Pay Rates for these Employees individually, as described in Employee editor – Special Pay tab on page 54.)
Calculate using history data
Mark this box if you do want Bundle-Track to calculate the Rate’s Employee-specific values automatically, based on historical data. If you leave this unmarked, Bundle-Track ignores the rest of the controls on this tab.
Calculate automatically after Period close
Mark this box if you want Bundle-Track to update the Rate’s Employee-specific values when you close a Pay Period.
If the Rate is to be based on a date range that does not renew with each pay Period – such as a quarterly average – you should leave this unmarked and instead invoke the calculation manually when appropriate. (See Updating Employee Averages, page 80.)
Data Range options
You may select only one of these two options.
|
Rolling date range |
If this is checked, you must specify a number of Pay Periods in the text box on that line. Bundle-Track will base its calculations on data spanning that number of Periods. |
|
Fixed Date Range |
If this is checked, you must specify a range of dates (MM/DD/YY) in the text boxes on that line. Bundle-Track will base its calculations on data spanning those dates. |
Performance Measure options
You may select only one of these two options.
|
On-Std Earned Rate |
With this selected, the Pay Rate will be valued at the average of the Employee’s on-standard earnings. |
|
Total Earnings (less overtime premiums, bonuses) |
With this selected, the Pay Rate will be valued at the Average of the Employee’s total earnings, including on- and off-standard earnings and adjustments, but excluding Overtime Premiums, Shift Premiums, and bonuses. |
Pay Rates Controls – Advanced tab
Hours worked per Period
If the History tab’s Data Range option is set to Fixed Date Range, this field is ignored.
Otherwise, set the Hours Worked Per Period value to the minimum number of worked hours you require for a Period to be worth including in the calculation of the Employee’s Rolling Date Range average. Periods with fewer hours will be disqualified and skipped over.
For example, if the Hours Worked Per Period field is set to 32 hours, then Bundle-Track bases its average only on Periods in which the Employee worked at least 32 hours. If the Rolling Date Range specifies that the average will be based on 6 Periods of data, and two recent Periods found the Employee working fewer than 32 hours, then Bundle-Track will skip over those two disqualified Periods and look to the 7th and 8th historical Periods to come up with a total of 6 qualified Periods.
Hours worked per calculation
This field determines whether the selected date range contains enough hours to be considered a valid data sample.
No matter whether the History tab’s Data Range option is set to Fixed Date Range or to Rolling Date Range, if the number of hours the Employee worked in the selected date range is fewer than the number of hours specified in this field, the data sample will be deemed invalid and the Pay Rate will not be updated.
Set the minimum number of worked hours you require in a data sample before a Rate may be recalculated.
Pre-Defined Pay Rates
To help you get started, this software ships with some Pay Rates pre-defined. You may rename and modify them as you wish.
|
PLNMIN |
Plant Minimum. This is meant to represent the minimum hourly wage permissible by your factory’s policy. The rate is a global constant. You may modify or delete this Pay Rate. |
|
HOMRAT |
Hourly Home Rate. HOMRAT represents the usual rate of pay on an Employee’s usual job. HOMRAT is a variable (not a global constant). You must set each Employee’s HOMRAT value individually. (See Employee editor – Special Pay tab on page 54.) |
|
EMPAVE |
Employee Average. EMPAVE represents the average rate of pay earned by an employee. As you can see on EMPAVE’s History Data Options tab, the rate is calculated automatically using history data. (See Employee editor – Special Pay tab on page 54.) However, when you first run Bundle-Track, there is no history data to calculate from, so you must either avoid using EMPAVE until you have enough data to get a historical average, or specify an initial value for each Employee’s EMPAVE value individually. In either case, you must activate EMPAVE for each employee individually by going to the Employee’s Special Pay tab and placing a check in the fourth column of the EMPAVE record. |
|
CNDRAT |
Pay Condition Hourly Rate. This is merely a sample Pay Rate being used in certain sample Pay Conditions to demonstrate a Pay Conditions’s ability to pay any hourly rate you choose. As currently defined, CNDRAT is not a global constant but rather a variable with actual values defined where it is used in each Pay Condition individually. (See Pay Condition editor – Associated Rates tab on page 50.) |
|
PAYCNDBASRAT |
Pay Condition Base Rate. This is merely a sample Pay Rate being used in certain sample Pay Conditions to demonstrate a Pay Conditions’s ability to pay any base rate you choose. As currently defined, PAYCNDBASRAT is not a global constant but rather a variable with actual values defined where it is used in each Pay Condition individually. (See Pay Condition editor – Standards tab on page 50.) |
Operation Base Rates
Operation Base Rates assigned to Operations enable conversions between time values and money values.
In time-based pay systems, Operation Base Rates are used to convert earned time to earned pay. When using currency-based Rates to calculate pay, Operation Base Rates are used to convert earned money to earned time, enabling the system to calculate an Operation’s standard (100%) efficiency Rate and an Employee’s actual efficiency. (Exceptional operators will exceed 100% efficiency.)
Operation Base Rates Controls
Rate
Specify the currency per hour Rate in terms of the Currency selected in the Currency Settings area.
Operation Base Rate Dependencies
By clicking the Ellipsis button (), you call
up a Cross Reference panel that lists all Operations that reference the Operation
Base Rate.
Ticketing-Scanning Settings
Here you specify how you want to enter Cut Ticket quantities, how those quantities will be displayed on Bundle Tickets, and other information about the ticket paper and Bundle Ticket layout.
Cut Entry tab
These settings affect the entry of production quantities for a Cut.
Units
Though your Rates may be engineered in Dollars per UNIT, your production planning and data entry personnel may be used to operating in terms of Dollars per DOZEN or some other “Per” Unit.
The Units dropdown lets you specify the “Per” Unit that will apply to the quantities you specify when you are planning a Cut. (See Cut Planning – the Cut Entry tab in Edit Status, page 64.)
Example: If DOZEN were selected, then a Cut quantity entry of 1 would mean 12 units, and 3 would mean 36 units. If UNITS is selected, or any other item with a divisor of 1, then the Cut quantity is valued at face value: 12 = 12 and 36 = 36.
Enter Fractions As
Actual production quantities may not always neatly fit the “Per” Unit that you have specified in Cut Entry Quantities. For example, you may have set Cut Entry Quantities to DOZEN (12 units) and you may need to schedule the production of 15 units. Since 15 does not neatly fit the DOZEN unit, you must decide how to represent this quantity.
The Enter Fractions As radio buttons let you tell Bundle-Track how you want to input production quantities. Pick the one that is most convenient for your users.
|
No fractions |
When you are entering Cut quantities, you may enter integers only. Bundle-Track will not allow you to use the decimal point. You will be strictly constrained to the “Per” Units you have chosen in the Cut Entry Quantities dropdown. |
|
Decimals |
When you are entering production quantities, you may enter decimal fractions. You must calculate the proper fraction to represent the actual production quantity: Cut Quantity = Actual Production Quantity / “Per” Units value. For example, if Cut Entry Quantities is set to DOZEN (12 units) and you want actual production of 15 units, your Cut Quantity is 1.25 (which you get by dividing 15 units by 12). |
|
Remainders |
When you are entering production quantities, you must use the “whole and remainder” method. Bundle-Track will interpret the Cut Quantity value you enter as a two-part piece of data – whole “Per” Units to the left of the decimal point, and extra single units to the right. For example, if Cut Entry Quantities is set to GROSS, a Cut Quantity of 2.25 means “Two GROSS and 25 singles.” |
Examples of How Inputted Production Quantities will be Interpreted
|
Cut Entry Quantity Setting: |
Actual Input Value: |
Quantity Inferred in Decimal Mode: |
Quantity Inferred in Remainder Mode: |
|
DOZEN (12 per) |
1.5 |
1.5
x 12 = |
1
whole “per” unit and 5 extras = |
|
GROSS (144 per) |
2.25 |
2.25
x 144 = |
2
whole “per” units and 25 extras = |
Examples of How Production Quantities will be Reported
|
Cut Entry Quantity Setting: |
Actual Unit Quantity: |
Reported Value in Decimal Mode: |
Reported Value in Remainder Mode: |
|
DOZEN (12 per) |
18 |
18 / 12 = 1.5 |
18
/ 12 = 1.5; |
|
GROSS (144 per) |
324 |
324 / 144 =2.25 |
324
/ 144 =2.25; (2 whole units) |
Here, the Remainder mode bears explaining. Let’s look at the example with 324 units. The Remainder method begins by determining how many whole “per” units to report: it divides the Actual Unit Quantity by the Cut Entry Quantity’s “per” value (144) and gets 2.25. In that result, the portion left of the decimal point represents the number of whole GROSS groupings; in this case, there are 2 whole GROSS. The Remainder method must then determine how many singles fall outside the whole GROSS groupings: it first calculates how many units fit neatly into GROSS by multiplying the number of whole GROSS units by the GROSS “per” value (2 x 144 = 288), and then subtracts that result from the original number of units to determine how many units are left over when all others are grouped into whole GROSS units (324 – 288 = 36). The result is 2 whole GROSS and 36 left-overs – in Remainder-speak, 2.36.
Default Quantity
Each time you define a new Lot, Bundle-Track will suggest a default number of units per Bundle. Set that default number here.
Bundle Ticket tab
These settings affect the way information is presented on Bundle Tickets.
Units
The Units dropdown lets you specify the “Per” Unit that will be used when printing quantities on Bundle Tickets.
Order In Section
This option lets you determine how your Tickets will be ordered on the Bundle Ticket Traveler:
|
Ascending |
HEADER |
|
Descending |
HEADER 1 2 3 4 5 6 |
Show Fractions As
These radio buttons specify how Bundle-Track should represent quantities on Bundle Tickets.
|
No Fractions |
Round fractions to integers. |
|
Decimal: |
Show a true decimal fraction for the quantity. (With a Bundle Quantity unit of DOZEN, show 15 actual units as 1.25.) |
|
Remainder: |
Use the “whole and remainder” method. (With a Bundle Quantity unit of DOZEN, show 15 actual units as 1.3.) |
Scanning tab
These settings affect the scanning process.
Use the Worked Time Entry option to specify how worked time will be entered when scanning Tickets.
|
Decimal |
Time will be entered in terms of hours and decimal fractions of hours. E.g. 93 minutes would be entered as 1.55 hours. Calculate this as [worked minutes] / [60 minutes per hour] = hours. |
|
Hours, Minutes |
Time will be entered in HH:MM format. (93 minutes is entered as 1:33.) |
Customers
Customers are used in Bundle-Track to identify the Customer associated with a Lot.
If you do not intend to post your plant’s Work-In-Process data to Bundle-Track.com, then Customer information is optional and you may skip this area entirely, or define Customers for internal use.
However, if you want to post your WIP Data and enable Customers to monitor the production status of their Lots, then you will need to define Customers here. You must contact Latitude Business Systems and register those Customers with us. We will provide you with a special Customer Code for each Customer. This special Customer Code will identify each Customer in our system and ensure that when you post your WIP Data to Bundle-Track.com, only the right Customer will have access to the data. If you do not use our special Code in your Customer definition, your Customer will not be able to receive your data through Bundle-Track.com.
Contacting Latitude Business Systems
Phone: 617-556-4003
Fax: 617-556-4005
Email: support@bundle-track.com
Customer Controls
Code
If you are going to post your data on Bundle-Track.com, you must contact Latitude Business Systems to acquire the proper Customer Codes. Only Customer Codes provided by Latitude Business Systems will be recognized by Bundle-Track.com.
However, if you are defining Customers for internal use only, then you may define any Customer Code you like. These Customers will not have access to any WIP Data you post to Bundle-Track.com.
Description
You may assign any description you like to any Customer, whether registered with us or not. Unlike most Description fields, this one may not be left blank.
Options: Product Setup
When you are ready to define your factory’s Products, go
to the Options: Product Setup area, either by menu-selecting SetupŽOptionsŽProduct Setup,
or by clicking and selecting Product Setup.
Overview of Product Setup area
The Product Setup form presents a set of tabs, each housing a sub-area of Product Setup. Depending on the Products you assemble, you may use some, all, or none of these areas:
|
Ticket Sections |
For defining the Sections you may assign to multi-part Product assemblies |
|
Tracking Stages |
For giving names to phases of the assembly process so that Bundle-Track may report the progress of Products through the assembly process. |
|
Colors |
A library of colors. |
|
Size Sets |
A library of Sizes. |
|
Custom Lot Fields |
Fields for logging additional information to sort production Lots. |
|
Custom Employee Fields |
Support for custom functionality developed by Latitude Business Sytems, Inc. |
Ticket Sections
Ticket Sections allow you to split multi-part assemblies while keeping them related by a common Bundle Number.
For example, a jacket might have 3 sections that will be separated from each other at some time in the assembly process - one section for the front material, another for the back, and a third for the sleeves. Each of these sections would have its own Bundle Ticket Traveler with its own Tickets. These separate Travelers would have the same Bundle Number, indicating the related nature of the Bundles, but their Ticket Section Descriptions would be different. (The rest of the Bundle detail – Lot, Product, Size, Color, and quantity – would also be the same.)
How Ticket Sections are used
When defining a Routing, you group assembly Steps under Ticket Sections.
Here, you simply define the Ticket Sections that will later be used.
Ticket Sections Controls
In the table on the Ticket Sections tab, only the Description column is editable.
The Use Count column is read-only. It indicates the number of Product Routings that use a given Ticket Section.
Tracking Stages
Tracking Stages are another way of grouping assembly Steps. Tracking Stages are intended to be less specific than Steps, enabling you to monitor the flow of Products through your assembly system in terms of production phases or areas of your factory. Even though one Product’s production sequence may involve 5 assembly Steps, and another’s may involve 10, you can track the two Products through the same 4 Tracking Stages.
How Tracking Stages are Used
You define Tracking Stages here.
You assign Tracking Stages to Tracking Sequences in the Products setup area, and assign Tracking Sequences to Products.
When defining a Routing, you group assembly Steps under the Tracking Stages available in the Product’s Tracking Sequence.
Tracking Stages Controls
In the table on the Tracking Stages tab, only the Description column is editable.
The Use Count column, which indicates the number of Product Routings that use each Stage, is read-only.
Colors
The table on this tab lists the Colors available to all Products in the system.
Colors and Sizes are assigned to Products and each Color / Size combination can be assigned a unique SKU code.
When defining a Product, you are not limited to the Colors on this list, but defining them here makes them readily available.
Size Sets
A Size Set is a collection of Sizes. For example, one set may include Small, Medium, Large, X-Large; another may include Twin, Full, Queen, King.
You may store as many Size Sets in Bundle-Track as you wish, each with an unlimited number of Sizes.
How Size Sets are Used
You define Size Sets and their Sizes here.
When defining Products, you assign to each a Size Set.
When defining Bundles, you specify Sizes (from among those in the Product’s Size Set) and Colors, and each Color / Size combination can be assigned a SKU code.
Size Set Controls
There are two tables on this tab: Size Set Library and Sizes.
Under Size Set Library, the Size Set name is editable, the Sizes field lists the Sizes defined, and the Use Count reports the number of Products using the Size Set.
Under Sizes, the name of the Size is editable.
Custom Lot Fields
Bundle-Track allows you to define up to four extra text fields for use with Lots and Cuts. In the standard deployment of Bundle-Track, these Custom Lot Fields have no function. However, they may be put to use in custom Bundle Tickets or in custom reports built by Latitude Business Systems.
How Custom Lot Fields are Used
On the Lot Editor’s General tab (page 61) and on the Cut Editor’s General tab (page 64), four Custom Lot Fields will appear under the captions you specify here.
You may fill those fields as you see fit, for simple reference on custom Tickets, or as sort criteria in custom reports.
Custom Employee Fields (Network Version only)
These are intended to support custom reporting and custom policies.
You should ignore these controls, unless you are led by Latitude Business Systems to use them to support custom functionality developed for you.
Options: System Tables
The information held in System Tables is some of the simplest in Bundle-Track, but it can affect almost every area of the program. These tables populate dropdown lists in the General Setup area of Bundle-Track. The tables ship with some of the most common options already defined, but you may customize to your needs.
To access this area, either menu-select SetupŽOptionsŽSystem Tables,
or click and select System Tables.
Time Units
These are the standard time units available to the system.
Time Units are assigned as the numerator when defining Time-Based Rates under Unit Settings (page 19).
For most factories, the standard options of SECOND, MINUTE, and HOUR will suffice, but Bundle-Track allows you to define new time units.
Time Units Controls
|
Symbol |
Required. Up to 5 characters. This will appear in screens and reports throughout the program. For example, the “Hour” unit might have a symbol of “hr” and appear in labels such as “$/hr”, or “hr/unit” |
|
# of Seconds |
To enable Bundle-Track to properly evaluate Time Units, each must be defined in terms of seconds. |
"Per" Units
These are cardinal, aggregate quantity units. A classic example is “DOZEN” which represents 12 individual units. You may define your own “Per” Units.
How “Per” Units are Used
“Per” Units are assigned when defining the denominator of both time-based and money-based engineering units under Unit Settings.
Many factories will engineer things in single units, others per dozen, or per gross. Still others may pay in dollars per dozen, but engineer time-based Rates in Standard Hours per Hundred.
You may also need to define units like CASE or BUNDLE that have other custom quantities associated with them.
“Per” Units Controls
|
Item-Based? |
This indicates whether the unit value is based on the number of items handled, or on some other measurement that must be measured by some other means. For example, a “Per” Unit might be weight-based – “per pound” – and require the user to specify not how many items were involved, but what their collective weight was. Beware that Operations cannot be assigned to Steps in Routings if their Unit Settings involve “Per” Units that are not Item-Based; however, such Operations may be charged against Events to log production measured in other ways. |
|
# of Units |
To enable Bundle-Track to properly evaluate your “Per” Units, specify how many individual units your “Per” Unit represents. A dozen = 12, a HUNDRED = 100, and so forth. A CASE might = 36 pieces. |
|
Symbol |
Up to 5 characters. This will appear in the screens and reports throughout the program. For example, Dozen might have a symbol of DOZ. and appear in labels such as “$/DOZ.”, or “hr/DOZ.” |
Currencies
These are the standard monetary units available to the system. You may define your own.
Currencies Controls
|
Symbol |
Up to 5 characters, but more than likely something like “$” for dollars. This symbol will appear in screens and reports throughout the program. |
Countries
These are the Countries available to the system. You will select from one of these when setting Currency Settings. You may define your own.
Operations
Operations are the building blocks of Bundle-Track. Each Operation represents a specific task that is performed by workers in your facility, contributing either directly or indirectly to the final cost of a Product.
When you are defining a Product, you will arrange Operations in an assembly sequence called a Routing. This information forms the basis for the Tickets that workers pull as a record of production.
Each Operation is assigned a money Rate and a standard allowed time for completion. These provide the basis for calculating efficiency and incentive pay.
Overview of the Operations area
To access the Operations area, either
menu-select SetupŽOperations, or click 
.
The Operations area has four sub-areas, each on a different tab of the Operations panel: Operation Groups, Operations, Multi-Operation Groups, and Multi-Operations.
Save, Cancel, and Close Buttons in the Operations area
In the Operations area, you will not see the Save, Cancel, and Close buttons on the area’s main panel. Instead, you will see them only on the editor panel that pops up when you are adding or editing a record. Accordingly, these buttons take action only on currently visible record.
Save Button Auto-Adds in Add mode
When you are editing a record (having arrived at the editor by clicking the Edit button, not the Add button), the Save button simply saves changes to the current record.
However, when you are Adding a record (having arrived at the editor by clicking the Add button, not the Edit button), Bundle-Track assumes that you are probably going to add more than one record, so when you click the Save button, it not only saves changes to your newly created record, but opens another new record. This enables you to quickly add one record after another. At that point, if you simply Close, the unedited new record is discarded. This may be a bit confusing at first, but now that you know about it, you’ll catch on more easily.
Cancel button
The Cancel button reverts any un-saved changes made to the current record.
Close button
The Close button closes the editor.
If there are any unsaved changed in effect when you click Close, you will be prompted to save or cancel them before the editor will close.
Operation Groups
To help keep things organized, Operations are grouped into – surprise, surprise – Operation Groups. Likely examples: “Cutting,” “Sewing,” “Finishing;” “Single Needle,” “Double Needle,” “Overlock.” By assigning Operations to Operation Groups, you minimize the number of Operations you must sort through when assigning Operations to Routing Steps.
How you choose to group your Operations is entirely up to you. Some factories group them based on the type of work being done, others group all Operations that relate to a particular Product. You should create a scheme that will make the most sense for your factory’s staff.
Defining Operation Groups
You will define Operation Groups in one panel, and assign Operations to them in another. To add or edit a Group, go to the Operation Groups tab and click the appropriate button to pop up the Operation Group editor.
The Ellipsis on the Operation Group editor lets you view a list of all Operations assigned to the Operation Group you are editing.
Operations
Operations represent production activities and are the basis of production data. They may be assigned to Routing Steps and be represented by Tickets that workers pull from Bundle Ticket Travelers as a record of production; or they may be simply defined within the system, never to be printed on Bundle Tickets, but to be charged to Events as appropriate.
Operations Tab Controls
Selecting the Operations tab will reveal an editor listing the available operations, ordered by Operation Group code, and showing the Rates for each operation. Adding or Editing records will enable you to access the Operations Form. The elements of this form are listed below.
Operation Editor Controls
The controls on the editor are grouped into Operation Attributes, Rate Settings, and Rates.
Operation Attributes
|
Operation Group |
This dropdown list lets you assign the Operation Group under which the Operation will be listed. The Ellipsis button next to Operation Group field lets you view a list of all Operations assigned to the Operation Group you have chosen. |
|
Comment |
Optional. May be displayed on Tickets. |
Rate Settings
|
Unit Settings |
(Not editable in Desktop Version. You have only one
Unit Setting.) This dropdown lets you assign the units involved in the Operation’s Time Rate and Money Rate by selecting one of the Unit Settings you have defined. (To close the open dropdown window, click outside of the open dropdown window.) Beware that Operations cannot be assigned to Steps in Routings if their Unit Settings involve “Per” Units that are not Item-Based; however, such Operations may be charged against Events to represent activities measured in other ways. |
|
Rate Type |
(Not editable in Desktop Version. You have only one
Rate Type.) This dropdown lets you select one of the Rate Types you have defined under the selected Unit Settings. |
|
Operation Base Rate |
The text fields are read-only. The dropdown button lets you select one of your Operation Base Rates. This Rate serves different purposes depending on choices made in General Setup. It is used to calculate the time-based Rate where the money-based Rate is supplied, to calculate the money-based Rate where the time-based Rate is supplied, to convert the time-based Rate to pay, and to calculate efficiency when your Rates are money-based. The Ellipsis button next to Base Rate lets you view a list of all Operations using the Operation Base Rate you have chosen. |
Rates
|
Money Rate |
The Operation’s money-based Rate. |
|
Time Rate |
The Operation’s time-based Rate. |
|
Sized Rates |
This button accesses the Sized Rates panel that lets you set different Rates for each Product Size. (See the discussion of Sized Rates below.) |
Working with Sized Rates
By default, no matter what Product Size is involved, an Operation will be valued at the same Rate. With Sized Rates, however, you can cause an Operation to use different Rates for different Sizes.
To access an Operation’s Sized Rates controls, open the Operation for editing and click the Sized Rates button on the Operation editor. On the Sized Rates panel, you will see a grid of Sizes and Rates.
If no Size-specific Rates are defined, Bundle-Track automatically applies the default Time Rate and Money Rate to every available Size. To override the default Rates for a given Size, first locate the Size in the list, then change a value listed in the Currency and/or Time column of the same row. An anchor and a check mark will appear in the same row, indicating that the Rates shown are anchored to the Size – meaning that if you change the Operation’s default Rates, the Size-specific Rates you have set here will not be changed.
To release a Size-specific Rate, allowing the Operation’s default Rate to apply to the Size, find the Size in the table, and release the check mark on its table row.
Multi-Operations (Network Version only)
In some cases – mostly non-sewing applications – you may need more than one measurement to determine the appropriate pay for a given task. For example, with a warehousing task such as “Order Filled”, you may need to know the number of items in the order, the total weight, the time it took to gather the parts, etc. For a cutting operation, you may need to know the number of ply, the number of defects, the number of colors, etc. Multi-Operations give you a means to streamline the data entry process by gathering multiple Operations one Multi-Operation Code. When the user enters that code into the production entry screen, a panel opens to accept quantity values for all the Operations collected under that Multi-Operation.
Because each Routing Step represents a single Operation, Multi-Operations cannot be assigned to Routing Steps.
Multi-Operation Groups
Just as with standard Operations, you define Groups under which to place Multi-Operations. Use the Multi-Operation Groups tab to define them.
Multi-Operations editor
Use the Multi-Operations tab to define Multi-Operations. When you click the Add or Edit button, you’ll open the editor.
On the Multi-Operations editor, you’ll use the Multi-Operation Groups dropdown to select the Group to hold the Operation.
The Operations table on the editor lists the Operations that have been included under this Multi-Operation code. The fields are read-only.
To add an Operation to the list, click the Plus button (+). To replace an Operation with another, click the Ellipsis button in the Code field to open the Choose Operation panel and make your choice there.
Choose Operation panel
On this panel, the list of Operations is filtered by the Unit Settings dropdown at the top. You will see only those Operations assigned to the selected Unit settings.
The Operations list will also be filtered by Operation Group, if that checkbox is marked.
To complete your selection, select the desired Operation from the Operations list, and then click OK.
Products
Each Product assembled in your facility will be defined by a Product record that will include general information like code, description, sizing, and colors, as well as a Routing (a.k.a. “bill of labor”) consisting of Operations arranged in a production sequence. These Product records form a library of standard "blueprints" for production planning.
Details of these "blueprints" can be adjusted for actual production runs without affecting the master Product record. For example, you can use a heavier material than usual, or you can assign a different Rate to a production Step. The master Product record will remain unchanged.
Overview of the Products area
To access the Products area, either
menu-select SetupŽProducts, or click 
.
The Products area has three sub-areas, each on a different tab of the Products panel: Product Groups, Tracking Sequences, and Products.
The Save, Cancel, and Close buttons in this area function just as they do in the Operations area (see Save, Cancel, and Close Buttons in the Operations area, page 34).
Product Groups tab
The creation of Product Groups is not required.
All Tracking Reports have ranging options, and as Product Group is one of the details you can constrain in your ranging options, having Product Groups gives you greater control over reporting functions.
You are free to define Product Groups to have any meaning you choose, to characterize Products in your own way. Outside of the ranging option on Tracking Reports, Product Groups do not have any meaning within the Bundle-Track system.
You define Product Groups here and assign Products to them on the Products tab.
Tracking Sequences tab
A Tracking Sequence is an ordered list of Tracking Stages. You defined the possible Tracking Stages in the Product Setup area (page 30). Here, you specify a sequence of Stages and give that sequence a name. Later, when you are defining Products, you will assign a Tracking Sequence to each one. During production, Bundle-Track will be able to give you reports that let you monitor the flow of Products through the Stages of the Tracking Sequences assigned to the Products on your production floor.
If all of your assembly runs are similar, you may find that one sequence of Tracking Stages is all you need. However, if some Products go through Stages that others do not, you will want to define different Tracking Sequences and assign those to your Products accordingly.
Defining a Tracking Sequence
From the Tracking Sequences tab, if you click the Add or Edit button, the Tracking Sequence editor will pop-up.
Assigning Available Stages
The list builder on this panel lets you add or remove Stages from the Included list. The Tracking Stages available are those you defined in the Product Setup area (page 30).
1. Highlight the desired Tracking Stage(s) in the available area of the list builder.
a. To highlight more than one Stage, hold the CTRL key while clicking on the Stages you want.
b. To highlight a range of Stages, click on the Stage you want as the first in the range, and then, while holding the SHIFT key, click on the Stage you want as the last in the range.
2. Click the Add button. This will move the selected Stage(s) from Available to Included.
Arranging Included Stages
To modify the sequence of Stages, select a Stage and click on the Up / Down Arrow buttons to move it up or down in the Included list.
Products tab
Production planning data is based on Product information defined here. Product Routings defined here provide the blueprint for Bundle Ticket printing.
Clicking the Products tab accesses an editor listing the defined Products. The list is sorted by Tracking Sequence.
Clicking the Add or Edit buttons will access the Product editor – a tabbed notebook with tabs General, Colors, SKU codes, and Routing. Of these, only the General and Routing tabs hold required information. Colors and SKU codes are optional.
Products Controls – General tab
This identifying information is the first information you should enter when creating a new Product record.
|
Tracking Sequence |
You must assign a Tracking Sequence to the Product. |
|
Size Set |
You must assign a Size Set to the Product. |
|
Product Group |
You may assign the Product to a Product Group. The Clear Product Group button lets your remove the Product from Product Group membership. |
|
Default Bundle Size |
You must specify the default number of units in a Bundle for this Product. |
Products Controls – Colors tab
The Colors Tab holds a simple editor that lists the Colors assigned to the Product.
When adding to this list, you may choose a Color from the System Table of Standard Colors or define a new Color (and optionally have it added to the System Table of Standard Colors).
Adding Standard Colors
1. Click Add. Bundle-Track displays the Add Color tool.
2. Select the Color you wish to add.
3. Click OK. Bundle-Track removes the Color from the list of available Standard Colors and adds it to those included for Product.
Adding Colors not defined in the Standard Table
Bundle-Track allows you to define a new Color (and optionally to have it added to the System Table of Standard Colors).
1. Click the Add button. Bundle-Track displays the Add Color tool.
2. Type the name of the new Color into the Code field.
3. Type a description of the new Color into the Description field.
4. If you wish the new Color to be added to the system table, mark the Add to Standard List checkbox.
5. Click OK.
Products Controls – SKU Codes tab
If you have assigned a Size Set and at least one Color to the Product, the table on this tab will list a row for each Size/Color combination. Only the SKU Code field is editable.
Assigning SKU Codes is optional. Each one must be unique across all Products. Up to 30 characters are permitted.
Products Controls – Routing tab
This area deserves its own chapter. See Routings below.
Routings
A Routing specifies the Operations involved in the Product’s production, their order in the assembly sequence, and the Rates that will apply.
To build a routing, you define production Steps (based on Operations), assign each Step to a Ticket Section and a Tracking Stage, and adjust Operation Rates as necessary.
the Routing Screen
You access the Routing screen as follows:
1. Access
the Products area either by menu-selecting SetupŽProducts,
or by clicking .
2. Click on the Products tab.
3. Select the Product whose Routing you want to access, and click Edit.
4. Click on the Routing tab.
Elements of the Routing Screen
Here’s a brief introduction to the screen elements you will encounter:
Steps Editor
This is the large white space in the center of the screen. It has three areas:
|
Ticket Sections / Tracking Stages |
The first area – two columns – displays either Ticket Sections or Tracking Stages, depending on the Routing tab’s current view mode (see Sections / Stages View dropdown below). The first column lists the sequence number, and the second names the Ticket Section /Tracking Stage. |
|
Operations |
The second area – three columns – displays the Operations assigned as Steps in the routing. The first column lists the sequence number, and the second lists the Operation’s Code, and the third, its Description. |
|
Details |
The third area – either two or four columns – displays details associated with each Step. For further details, see Step Details dropdown, page 43. |
Sections / Stages View dropdown
Routing Steps are assigned to Ticket Sections to control how they will be printed on Bundle Ticket Travelers, and to Tracking Stages to enable Bundle-Track to report their position in the assembly process. Accordingly, the Routing tab operates in two modes: Section View and Stage View.
Use the Sections / Stages dropdown at the upper-left of the screen to select the mode you want to be in. There are differences in the functionality available in the two modes:
|
|
Section View |
Stage View |
|
Steps arranged by … |
Ticket Section |
Tracking Stage |
|
State of Section tools: |
Enabled |
Disabled |
|
Available in the Details area: |
Tracking Stage assignment |
Ticket Section assignment |
Summary and Details buttons 
The Steps Editor has Detail and Summary modes.
Use these buttons to set the Steps Editor to Summary or Detail mode
In Summary mode, the Steps Editor hides its Operation and Detail areas. In the first area, it shows all Ticket Sections or Tracking Stages (depending on the Routing tab’s current view mode), even if there are no Steps assigned to a given Section or Stage. The Step Tools are disabled.
In Detail mode, the Steps Editor reveals all areas, the Step Tools are enabled, and any Ticket Sections or Tracking Stages that have no Steps assigned to them are hidden.
Step Details dropdown
For each Step, more details exist than can be shown in the Steps Editor at one time. Use the dropdown at the upper right of the Steps Editor to specify which details are displayed in the Details area of the Steps Editor. It offers the following options:
|
(Nothing) |
Nothing is displayed in the Details area of the Step Editor. |
|
Rates: Money and Time |
The Details area displays the Money-based Rates and the Time-based Rates assigned to each Step. |
|
Rates: Money |
The Details area displays each Step’s Money-based Rate and the corresponding unit label. |
|
Rates: Time |
The Details area displays each Step’s Time-based Rate and the corresponding unit label. |
|
Tracking: Sections / Tracking Stages |
Depending on whether the Routing tab is in Stage view or Section view, the Details area displays each Step’s Ticket Section or Tracking Stage assignment – the opposite of the view setting. |
All three Rates options give you Rate editing powers. These are discussed in Step-Specific Rates, page 46. The display, when any of these is selected, also indicates whether the Rates are floating or anchored (as defined on page 46).
Section Tools
You will use these tools at the lower left of the Editor to edit the Routing’s Ticket Sections.
Step Tools
You will use these tools, found just to the right of the Section tools, to edit Routing Steps.
Copy Routing From
You may copy the details of another Product’s Routing into this one. This button opens the panel that lets you indicate which Product’s Routing you want.
Ticket Sections
Every routing Step is assigned to a Ticket Section.
Ticket Sections are used to handle Product assembly processes in which the materials must at some point be split up, processed separately, and later reunited. We call this a Sectioned Routing.
For processes in which the materials do not need to be split up, one routing Section is sufficient. We call this an Unsectioned Routing, but it’s really a One-Sectioned Routing – all steps are assigned to the same Ticket Section.
When you are working with a Sectioned Routing, Bundle-Track prints a separate Ticket for each Ticket Section. Each Ticket has its own Ticket Section label to differentiate it from the others, but each also has the same Bundle Number to identify it as belonging with the others. This enables you to split the Sections, process them in parallel, and later bring them together again.
Adding Sections to the Routing
This requires that there be multiple Ticket Sections defined in your system.
1. Using the Sections / Stages dropdown, place the Editor into Section View to enable the Section Tools.
2. Click the Plus (+) button in the Section Tools area. This adds a Section – the first one available is chosen by default – and pops up a Routing Section Editor box to let you replace the currently-specified Section with another of your choice.
3. Either click Cancel to accept the Section currently displayed in the Routing Section Editor’s dropdown, or specify a different Ticket Section from the dropdown and click OK.
Changing Sections
1. Double-click on the displayed Section Name. The Routing Section Editor will pop-up.
2. Specify a different Section from the dropdown.
3. Click OK.
Removing Sections from the Routing
1. Empty the Section of its Steps, either by removing them or by reassigning them to other Sections.
2. Switch to Summary mode and Sections view.
3. Highlight the Section you wish to remove.
4. Click the Section Tools’ Minus (-) button.
Re-Sequencing Sections within the Routing
1. Switch to Summary mode and Sections view.
2. Highlight the Section you wish to move.
3. Click the Section Tools’ up or down arrow buttons to move the Section through the sequence. Bundle-Track will move the Section and its Steps and will reassign Step numbers accordingly.
Routing Steps
Adding Steps
1. Access the Sections view to add into a Section or access the Stage view to add into a Stage.
2. Highlight the Section or Stage that will hold the new Step.
3. Click the Step Tools’ plus (+) button. The Choose Operation panel pops up.
4. Find the Operation appropriate for this Step, select it, and click OK. (If you need help with the Choose Operation panel, see Choose Operation panel on page 38.)
Re-Sequencing Steps
1. Highlight the Step you wish to move.
2. Use the Step Tools’ Up and Down arrow buttons to reposition the Step within the sequence.
Moving Steps to Another Section or Another Stage
1. Access
the Steps Editor, either by double-clicking on the Step to be edited, or by
selecting the Step and then clicking the Step Tools’ Step Editor button (
).
2. Use the Stage dropdown to set the new Stage or the Section dropdown to set the new Section.
3. Click OK.
Removing Steps
1. Highlight the Step you wish to remove.
2. Click the Step Tools’ minus (-) button.
Step-Specific Rates
Bundle-Track allows you to customize Rates at every Step, overriding the default Rates assigned in the Operation definition, and even setting Size-specific Rate overrides (see Sized Rates, page 46).
You can view the Rates assigned to each Step in the Details area of the Step Editor. Use the Step Details dropdown (page 43) to select the Rates you wish to see.
Rate Detail Columns
When you are viewing Rates in the Details area of the Step Editor, you will see four columns.
The first two columns work together: the first indicates whether the step’s Rates are Anchored or Floating; and the second carries a checkbox to let you switch between Anchored and Floating (discussed below).
The third and fourth columns also work together. The specifics depend on the current setting of the Step Details dropdown:
· When “Rates: Time and Money” is selected, the third column lists the Time Rate, and the fourth lists the Money Rate.
· When “Rates: Time” is selected, the third column lists the Time Rate and the fourth lists its units label.
· When “Rates: Money” is selected, the third column lists the Money Rate and the fourth lists its units label.
Anchored and Floating Rates
By default, each Step in a Routing is a Floating Rate, so
called because it will change along with changes made upstream. (Steps in a
Product Routing inherit Rates from Operations.
Steps in a Lot Routing inherit Rates from the Product Routing. Steps in
a Cut Routing inherit Rates from the Lot Routing.) If you leave a Rate
floating, you can effect updates to the Step’s Rates by making changes
upstream.
You can also anchor a Rate in a Routing, breaking the connection with upstream information. If you anchor a Rate in a Routing, you must edit the Step’s Rates directly to effect updates, because the Rate will not be affected by upstream changes.
If the first Details column shows an anchor icon (
), the Rate
is anchored. It is floating if the floating ring icon is shown (
). To anchor
a floating Rate, click into the second Details column, and place a check in
the checkbox. To release an anchored Rate, remove the check.
Sized Rates
You can create Size-specific anchored Rates too.
To access a Step’s Sized Rates click on one of its Rates
in the Detail area, and then click on the Sized Rates icon (
) next to
the Rate.
A Step’s Sized Rates can have one of three different reference settings, indicated by the icon accompanying them:
|
(none) |
Sized Rates with no icon next to them reference the default Rate for the Operation. There is no special Rate for that Size. |
|
|
Rates with a float icon reference Sized Rates defined upstream. Only upstream changes made to the Sized Rates will affect these Rates; upstream changes to the default Rates will not. |
|
|
Rates with an anchor icon are anchored to the Rates specified in this window. Those Rates will not be affected by upstream changes to Sized Rates or the Operation’s default Rates. |
The Step Editor
When you double-click on any Step row (except directly on a listed Rate), the Step Editor pops up. Most Step details are editable here in this panel:
Section
You can move the Step to a different Ticket Section by selecting the other Section from the Section dropdown.
Stage
You can assign the Step to a different Tracking Stage by selecting the other Stage from the Stage dropdown.
Operation
You can assign a
different Operation to the Step by selecting another Operation from the Operation
dropdown, or by clicking on the lookup icon (
) and selecting
an Operation from the Choose Operation panel (page 38).
Money Rate and Time Rate
You can anchor your Rates by typing a new Rate into either the Money Rate or Time Rate text field. Editing either field will anchor both the Money Rate and the Time Rate.
Sized Rates
You can access the Sized Rates dialog by clicking on the Sized Rates icon to the right of the Time Rate text field.
In-Grid Editing
Bundle-Track also allows you to edit some Step details directly within the Steps Editor:
Changing the Operation
1. Click once on the current Operation Description (the third column in the Operations area of the Step Editor). An Ellipsis button will appear.
2. Click the Ellipsis button to open the Choose Operation panel (page 38).
3. Select the new Operation and click OK.
Changing Rates
1. Set the Step Details dropdown to the appropriate Rate option.
2. Click once on the Rate you wish to change.
3. Type the new value.
Personnel & Pay
This next main area of Setup is where you define pay rules and Employees.
To access the Personnel & Pay area, either menu-select
SetupŽPersonnel & Pay,
or click 
.
This area has five sub-areas, each on a different tab: Pay Condition Groups, Pay Conditions, Employees, Schedules, and Makeup Sets.
The Save, Cancel, and Close buttons in this area function just as they do in the Operations area (see Save, Cancel, and Close Buttons in the Operations area, page 34).
Introduction to Pay Conditions
Pay policies tend to call for different pay rules under different circumstances. In Bundle-Track, those circumstances are called Pay Conditions.
As Employees log their time throughout the day, they will specify the Pay Condition that characterizes each Event. The Pay Condition tells Bundle-Track how to compensate, account for, and report those hours.
You will define at least one Pay Condition for each scenario that requires a different set of pay rules. For example, a minimal set of basic Pay Conditions such as On-Standard, Off-Standard, Vacation, Machine Down, Break, and Lunch might be enough to support your payroll needs.
However, you will likely want to have more detail in your reports than those minimal Pay Conditions can support. To capture more information, you would define more Pay Conditions and give them more-specific meanings. For example, instead of simply having one On-Standard Pay Condition, you could define a separate Pay Condition for each On-Standard job. This would enable you to generate reports that give you details on a job-by-job basis.
Pay Condition Groups tab
Pay Condition Groups organize Pay Conditions. How you choose to group your Pay Conditions is entirely up to you. Some commonly defined groups are Worked On-Standard (Hourly), Worked Off-Standard (Incentive), and Non-Worked (for Vacations, Absences, etc.). You should group Pay Conditions in the way that makes the most sense for your shop floor.
There is one constraint to consider: each Pay Condition Group has a Premium Rule assigned to it, and all Pay Conditions assigned to a Group are subject to that Premium Rule. (See Premium Rules, page 16.)
Use the first tab on the Personnel & Pay panel to define Pay Condition Groups.
Pay Conditions tab
Selecting the Pay Conditions tab reveals an editor listing the Pay Conditions in your system. The information is organized by Pay Condition Group. Adding or Editing records will enable you to access the Pay Conditions editor with the controls described below.
Pay Condition editor – General tab
|
Pay Condition Group |
This dropdown specifies the Pay Condition Group to which the Pay Condition belongs, and thus determines the Policy Rule in effect for the Condition. |
|
Makeup Set |
This dropdown specifies the Makeup Set in effect for the Pay Condition. (A Makeup Set guarantees a Rate of pay not less than a specified minimum Rate. See Makeup Sets, page 58.) |
Pay Condition editor – Properties tab
Each of these details provides another way to report and analyze costs.
|
Direct Labor |
If you wish to make a distinction between Direct and Indirect labor, for your own reference, you may use this checkbox to do so. These settings will not affect pay. |
|
On-Standard |
Mark this checkbox if the Pay Condition represents activities that involve pay rules at least partly based on measured standards other than hours worked (in other words, incentive-based pay). |
|
Overtime Eligible |
Mark this checkbox if hours logged under this Pay Condition should be considered when applying overtime rules. |
|
Paid |
By unchecking this option, you tell Bundle-Track to ignore Events tagged with this Pay Condition when calculating pay (but not when calculating efficiency). If the Pay Condition’s “Worked” checkbox is marked, then the “Paid” checkbox is automatically marked and disabled. |
|
Worked |
Mark this checkbox if the Pay Condition represents actual worked activities, as opposed to non-worked activities such as vacation. All “Worked” Pay Conditions are also “Paid.” |
|
Report As |
Some reports categorize pay as “Regular” or “Other.” Use this radio option accordingly to categorize pay associated with this Pay Condition. |
Pay Condition editor – Associated Rates tab
|
Hourly Rate |
This dropdown specifies the Pay Rate serving as the Pay Condition’s Hourly Rate. For On-Standard Pay Conditions, the Hourly Rate defines the “Incentive Minimum” Rate. |
|
Default Rate |
If the selected Hourly Rate has a fixed Rate, that value is displayed here. If the Rate is variable – calculated by the system – it may have a different value for each Employee, so no Rate value is displayed. |
|
Condition Rate Per Hour |
This field lets you specify a Pay Condition override to the Pay Rate specified in the Hourly Rate dropdown. (This override may itself be overridden at the Employee level. See How Bundle-Track Handles Overrides to Pay Rates, page 21.) |
|
Split Factor |
When calculating pay, Bundle-Track multiplies the Hourly Rate by the Hourly Split Factor, and multiplies the Earned Rate by the Earned Split Factor. |
Pay Condition editor – Standards tab
|
Condition Base Rate |
When evaluating an adjustment or Operation that is defined in time-based units, Bundle-Track must select a Rate to convert the time-based value to a monetary value. This dropdown lets you pick a Pay Rate to serve as that Base Rate whenever this Pay Condition is used. |
|
Default Rate |
The Pay Rate’s actual value is defined in the General Settings area. If it has a fixed Rate, that Rate will be displayed under Default Rate. If the Rate is variable – calculated by the system – it may have a different value for each Employee, so no Rate value is displayed. |
|
Condition Rate |
This field lets you specify a Pay Condition override to the Pay Rate specified in the Condition Base Rate dropdown. (This override may itself be overridden at the Employee level. See How Bundle-Track Handles Overrides to Pay Rates, page 21.) |
Standard Used for Payroll
This setting determines how Bundle-Track converts Operation’s production quantities into earned money when calculating pay:
|
Money Rate |
Bundle-Track will multiply the production quantity by the Operation’s Money Rate to calculate earned money. |
|
Time Rate x Opr. Base Rate |
Bundle-Track will multiply the production quantity by the Operation’s Time Rate to calculate earned time, and then multiply earned time by the Operation’s Base Rate to convert earned time to earned money. |
|
Time Rate x Cnd. Base Rate |
Bundle-Track will multiply the production quantity by the Operation’s Time Rate to calculate earned time, and then multiply earned time by the Pay Condition’s Base Rate to convert earned time to earned money. |
If “Money Rate” is chosen, Adjustments to Time will be ignored; only Adjustments to Currency will be honored. Otherwise, the reverse is true: Adjustments to Currency will be ignored; only Adjustments to Time will be honored, and those Adjustments will always be converted through the Condition’s Base Rate, since there is no Operation involved.
Standard Used for Efficiency
This setting determines how Bundle-Track converts Operation’s production quantities into earned time when calculating efficiency:
|
Time Rate |
Bundle-Track will multiply the production quantity by the Operation’s Time Rate to calculate earned time. |
|
Money Rate / Opr. Base Rate |
Bundle-Track will multiply the production quantity by the Operation’s Money Rate to calculate earned money, and then divide earned money by the Operation’s Base Rate to convert earned money to earned time. |
|
Money Rate / Cnd. Base Rate |
Bundle-Track will multiply the production quantity by the Operation’s Money Rate to calculate earned money, and then divide earned money by the Pay Condition’s Base Rate to convert earned money to earned time. |
If “Time Rate” is chosen, Adjustments to Currency will be ignored; only Adjustments to Time will be honored. Otherwise, the reverse is true: Adjustments to Time will be ignored; only Adjustments to Currency will be honored, and those Adjustments will always be converted through the Condition’s Base Rate, since there is no Operation involved.
Pre-Defined Pay Conditions
To help you get started, this software ships with some Pay Conditions pre-defined. You may rename and modify these as you wish.
|
ABS-SICK |
Absence: Sick. As currently configured, this Pay Condition pays the Plant Minimum Rate per hour. (Presumably, no operations would ever be charged against this condition, so the Standards settings are irrelevant.) |
|
ABS-VAC |
Absence: Vacation Pay. As currently configured, this Pay Condition pays at the Employee’s Average Rate per hour. (Presumably, no operations would ever be charged against this condition, so the Standards settings are irrelevant.) |
|
HOLIDAY |
Holiday Pay. As currently configured, this Pay Condition pays at the Employee’s Average Rate per hour. (Presumably, no operations would ever be charged against this condition, so the Standards settings are irrelevant.) |
|
STDHRY |
Standard Hourly. As currently configured, this Pay Condition pays at the Employee’s Home Rate per hour, and calculates incentive earnings by multiplying Operation minutes by the Condition’s Base Rate (currently set to Plant Minimum) instead of by the Base Rate of the Operation involved. |
|
TRN-CNDRAT |
Transfer: Pay Condition Rate. As currently configured, this Pay Condition pays at the Employee’s Home Rate per hour, and calculates incentive earnings by multiplying operation minutes by the Condition’s Base Rate. Note on the Standards tab that the Condition’s Base Rate is set to PAYCNDBASRAT, and that since PAYCNDBASRAT has no default value, a Condition Rate per hour value is locally defined. |
|
TRN-CPYCNV |
Transfer: Company Convenience. As currently
configured, this Pay Condition pays at the Employee’s Average Rate per hour,
and calculates incentive earnings by multiplying Operation minutes by the
Base Rate of the Operation involved. |
|
TRN-EMPCNV |
Transfer: Employee Convenience. As currently
configured, this Pay Condition pays at the Condition Rate specified here, and
calculates incentive earnings by multiplying Operation minutes by the
Condition’s Base Rate (currently set to CNDBASRAT, whose value is set here)
instead of by the Base Rate of the Operation involved. |
|
SPLITINCENT |
Split Incentive. On the Properties tab, note that
the On-Standard option is set, enabling the Associated Rates tab’s Split
Factor controls. Because the Hourly Rate’s Split Factor is 0.5, this
condition pays the Hourly portion at 0.5 times the Plant Minimum rate; and
because the Earned Rate’s Split Factor is 0.5, the condition calculates
incentive earnings by multiplying 0.5 by Operation minutes by the Base Rate
of the Operation involved. |
|
STDINCENT |
Standard Incentive. This Condition sets the Split
factors at 0 and 1, meaning no hourly pay and full incentive pay. |
|
UTILINCENT |
Utility Incentive. This condition is set up just
like the STDINCENT condition. |
Employees
The Employee tab in this area lists all the Employees you have defined.
The radio buttons above the table determine the table’s sort order: by Code or by Name.
The Find box gives you a quick search method. As you type into the box, Bundle-Track scrolls the list to the first Code or Name (depending on which radio button you have selected) that matches the string you have typed.
The Employee editor – which you access by adding or editing an Employee – has three tabs: General, Special Pay, and Custom Fields.
Employee editor – General tab
Employee’s Name - Last, First, Middle
Each of these fields is optional. Up to 30 characters.
Identification
|
Employee Code |
Required. Must be unique. Up to 15 characters. This code will identify the Employee in lookup lists and reports. |
|
Badge # |
Optional. Up to 15 characters. A secondary identifier for Employees. |
|
Social Security # |
This numeric entry must follow the format XXX-XX-XXXX. Dashes are inserted automatically. |
Membership
These fields specify Home details – default settings. When Bundle-Track processes Event records, unless alternate details are specified, Bundle-Track assumes that the Employee’s Home settings apply.
|
Home Department and Team |
Department is required. Team is optional. (In Desktop Version, there are no Teams.) This dropdown holds an expandable list of Departments and their Teams. To select a Team, first click on the + next to the Department that contains it, and then click on the Team you want. To select a Department only, simply click on the Department. To close the dropdown, click elsewhere on the Employee panel, outside the dropdown window. |
|
Home Pay Condition |
Required. The Pay Condition that is appropriate for the Employee most of the time. |
|
Supervisor |
Optional. You can identify another Employee as this Employee’s supervisor. |
|
Shift |
Optional. The Employee’s usual Shift. |
Employee editor – Special Pay tab
All information on this tab defines optional overrides.
Premium Rule
The Premium Rule specifies how Shift and Overtime Premiums are applied.
The Employee’s natural Premium Rule is the one assigned to the Pay Condition Group that contains the Employee’s Home Pay Condition. You may specify an override here.
Pay Group (Network Version Only)
(The Desktop Version has only one Pay Group.)
The Pay Group determines the Employee’s Period processing schedule.
The Employee’s natural Pay Group is the one assigned to the Employee’s Home Department. You may specify another here.
Pay Rates
This is where you enable Employee-specific Pay Rates. In some cases, these are overrides for Pay Rates that have values defined elsewhere; in others, these simply activate an employee-specific version of a Pay Rate that was always meant to be employee-specific, as in the case of EMPAVE (see Pre-Defined Pay Rates, page 24).
The five-column table here lists every Pay Rate defined in the system:
· The first column names the Pay Rate.
· The second column reports the number of Pay Conditions that refer to the Pay Rate. If there is an asterisk (*) after that number, there are Pay Condition overrides in effect on that Pay Rate. If you click on the ellipsis button in this cell, you get a panel of details about how those Pay Conditions use the Pay Rate (see Pay Rate Dependencies, page 22).
· The third column lists the Pay Rate’s default value, if there is one. (See Pay Rates Controls – General tab, page 22.)
· The fourth column holds a check mark if an Employee-specific value for the Pay Rate is enabled, overriding any global default value the Pay Rate may have. You may release an override by removing the check.
· The fifth column reports the Employee-specific value if any is in effect.
Important: To activate an Employee-specific value for a given Pay Rate, you must place a check mark in the fourth column.
If the Pay Rate is calculated from historical data, any Employee-specific value you specify here will be overwritten when Bundle-Track updates Employee Averages. (See Updating Employee Averages, page 80.)
Important: The factory-provided HOMRAT Pay Rate, which represents each Employee’s usual rate of pay on the Employee’s usual job, leaves it to you to set the value of HOMRAT for each Employee here under each Employee. (Many sites commission Latitude Business Systems to set up a Masterfile Import to populate all Employee Home Rates at once and to update them on a regular basis.)
Operation Base Rates
This is where you specify Employee-specific overrides to Operation Base Rates.
This five-column table presents a row for every Operation Base Rate in the system:
· The first column names the Operation Base Rate.
· The second column reports the number of Operations that refer to the Operation Base Rate. If you click on the Ellipsis button in this cell, you get a listing of those Operations.
· The third column lists the Operation Base Rate’s natural value.
· The fourth column will hold a check mark if an Employee override is effect. You may release an override by removing the check.
· The fifth column reports the override value if any is in effect.
Important: To activate an Employee-specific override for a given Operation Base Rate, you must place a check mark in the fourth column.
Employee editor – Custom Fields tab (Network Version only)
These are intended to support custom reporting and custom policies.
You should ignore these controls, unless you are led by Latitude Business Systems to use them to support custom functionality developed for you.
Schedules
Before we discuss Schedules, we should discuss Events.
Note to users of Desktop Version: You do not have Teams. References to Teams in this section do not apply to you.
Introduction to Events
Bundle-Track learns of factory activity through Events.
Each Event is a record identifying a time-period, a Pay Condition, and a charged Department or Team. The Pay Condition provides the pay rules and general cost headings. The Department or Team specifies where Bundle-Track should credit pay, efficiency, and cost information.
Introduction to Schedules
What do the people in your factory do from day to day? Chances are, they usually come in at a regular hour, work under their Home Pay Condition, take a few scheduled breaks, and leave by the same time each day. Most Event details are foreseeable and repetitious.
Because Employee activities do tend to be so predictable, you can spare users the work of repeatedly entering foreseeable Events by using Schedules. This will speed up the processing of payroll and production information.
A Schedule is a template of the Events in an Employee’s typical day. A user entering an Employee’s activity will begin by selecting the Schedule that describes the Employee’s typical day. Then, all that remains to be entered are exceptional Events to describe unanticipated situations like machines breaking, or waiting for work, or other variances.
You might develop a different Schedule for each different type of worker (like day shift or night shift), or for different days of the week. Maybe Fridays are an abbreviated day, or departmental meetings are held every Wednesday.
Data Fields – Schedule Editor
When you have clicked an Add or Edit button to access the Schedule editor, you will see a table with four columns and a set of Schedule tools.
The Schedule tools below the table enable you to add and remove Events from a Schedule, and to change the order of their occurrence.
The Table lists the details of each scheduled Event. Each Event is characterized by a Pay Condition (Code & Description), a charged Department or Team, and an amount of Total Time.
Note that if there is only one row showing in the table and the cell under Dept/Team is empty, there are currently no Events defined. Click the Schedule Tools’ Plus (+) button to add the first record so you may begin editing.
Changing the Pay Condition
The first two columns of the Events Table indicate the Event’s Pay Condition.
If the Pay Condition is blank and the Description is “(),” then the Event is set to look up the Employee’s Home Pay Condition when the Schedule is invoked.
Changing the Department/Team
The third column of the Events Table indicates the Event’s Charged Department/Team.
If the field’s content reads “(Employee’s home Dept/Team)”, then the Event is set to look up the Employee’s Home Department / Team when the Schedule is invoked.
To select another Department /Team, click the dropdown arrow in the field to open its dropdown window. The list is expandable: Teams are listed inside Departments. Select the Department/Team you want applied, or simply check the “Use Employee’s Home Department/Team” box. To close the window, click on the Schedule panel outside the dropdown window.
Changing the Total Time
Time is entered in HHMM format. Bundle-Track always interprets the last 2 digits of the entry as minutes, and any preceding numbers as hours. If the last 2 digits form a number greater than 60, Bundle-Track converts those two digits into hours and minutes and adds the result to any hour digits you have provided.
|
Entry |
Display |
|
55 |
:55 |
|
65 |
1:05 (excess minutes were converted to hours) |
|
155 |
1:55 |
|
200 |
2:00 |
|
190 |
2:30 (excess minutes were converted to hours) |
Makeup Sets
A Makeup Set is a pay rule that may be assigned to Pay Conditions to guarantee a Rate of pay not less than a specified minimum Rate.
Makeup Set Editor – Makeup Sets tab
On the Makeup Set tab, a table lists the Makeup Sets you have defined.
|
Rate |
If the Incentive Minimum Pay Rate has a global fixed Rate, that Rate is reported in the Rate column; otherwise, the Rate is variable. |
|
Override |
The Makeup Set’s Incentive Minimum Pay Rate may be overridden. If an override has been defined within the Makeup Set, that value is shown in the Override column. |
|
Based On |
This column indicates the scope of this Makeup Set. |
|
# of Cnds. |
This column indicates the number of Pay Conditions using this Makeup Set. |
These fields are discussed in detail below.
Makeup Set Editor – Properties tab
|
Incentive Minimum |
Each Makeup Set is assigned a Pay Rate that serves as the Incentive Minimum Rate. |
|
Rate |
If the Incentive Minimum Pay Rate has a global fixed Rate, that Rate is reported in the Rate field; otherwise, the Rate is variable. |
|
Rate Override |
The Makeup Set’s Incentive Minimum Pay Rate may be overridden. If a Rate Override value is given, the Incentive Minimum is assigned the Rate Override value instead of the Pay Rate’s natural value (provided, of course, that there is no Employee-specific override for the same Pay Rate). |
|
Makeup Calculated |
This selection specifies the Makeup Set’s timeframe for comparison: either per Event, per day, or per week. Bundle-Track calculates the amount that the Employee would earn under the Pay Conditions’ rules in the specified timeframe, and compares that against the amount that the Employee would earn if paid the Makeup Set’s Incentive Minimum Rate for the same timeframe. If the Incentive Minimum is greater, Bundle-Track adds Makeup Pay to raise the Employee’s pay for that timeframe to the level guaranteed by the Makeup Set. Bundle-Track also keeps track of the amount of Makeup Pay that was used, so you can view it in payroll Reports. |
Makeup Sets Editor – Member Pay Conditions tab
This tab gives you a means to manage the association of Pay Conditions to this Makeup Set.
It presents two lists: “Included” lists Pay Conditions using this Makeup Set, and “Not Included” lists Pay Conditions not using this Makeup Set.
The Include button moves a Pay Condition from the “Not Included” list to the “Included” list.
The Send To … button moves a Pay Condition from the Included list to another Makeup Set, if there is another Makeup Set to choose.
Activities
The Activities area covers the tasks users perform on a day-to-day basis: initiating production Lots, printing Bundle Tickets, updating Bundle information, and performing system maintenance.
You can access the sub-areas of the Activities area by clicking through the Activities Menu, or by clicking on one of the Activities buttons:
|
(p. 60) |
Initiate the production cycle by defining Lots for different Products. |
|
(p. 63) |
Define Cut information, and print Bundle Tickets. |
|
(p. 69) |
Update Bundle quantities based on production changes. |
|
(p. 69) |
Enter production quantities, hours worked, and other payroll information. |
|
(p. 78) |
Access reports and listings. |
|
Pay Administration (p. 80) |
Update calculated Pay Rates, Freeze / Unfreeze pay, and Close Pay Periods. |
|
Purge and Recover Lots (p. 82) |
Expel obsolete Lots from the system, or restore them as necessary. |
Lots
There are many different terms people use to refer to what Bundle-Track calls a “Lot”; “Work order” and “Production Run” are two common ones.
When you are planning to produce a Product, you define a Lot. This gives you the opportunity to make any order-specific adjustments to the Product’s Routing. The Lot then serves as the template for defining actual Cuts and their Bundle Tickets.
Lots Panel
To access the Lots area, either menu-select ActivitiesŽLots, or
click 
.
The Lots Panel that pops up lists the Lots you have defined. Clicking the Add or Edit buttons will open the Lot Editor on the currently selected Lot.
Adding A Lot
When you click the Add button on the Lots Panel, you are required to specify the Product whose production you are planning.
After you have made your selection, Bundle-Track gathers information about that Product, and then presents the Lot Editor.
Removing a Lot
When you click the Remove button on the Lots Panel, you will be asked for confirmation that the Lot should be removed.
Removing a Lot will remove all downstream information for that Lot including all Cuts, Bundles, and un-scanned Bundle Tickets.
Lot Editor
When you have clicked Add or Edit on the Lots Panel, you will reach the Lot Editor panel.
Lot Editor – General tab
|
Default Bundle Size |
When you initiate a Cut based on this Lot, the value in this field will be suggested as the default number of units in the Bundle. |
|
Product Information |
These details were copied from the Product definition when you created the Lot. You cannot change the Product associated with a Lot. |
|
Custom Lot Fields |
These are available for use in custom Reports or on custom Bundle Tickets. They are not used in the standard deployment of Bundle-Track. (See Custom Lot Fields, page 32.) |
Lot Editor – Planed Units tab
The table on this tab presents a row for every possible Size/Color combination given the Colors and Sizes assigned to the Product. It also lists the SKU Codes assigned to those combinations.
Only the Units column is editable. The number in that column indicates how many units are to be produced of a given Size/Color combination.
Lot Editor – Key Dates tab
This tab lists projected and actual dates regarding the Lot’s production life. These are available for use in custom reports.
You may enter dates in MM/DD/YY format, or click the calendar button to open the calendar tool and select a date from there.
Two of these dates are not user editable: Bundle-Track automatically sets the Actual Create Lot date when you create the Lot, and it sets the Actual Start Lot date when you define the Lot’s first Cut.
You may set the Estimated Start Lot date, the Estimated Complete Lot date, and the Actual Complete Lot date.
If you are posting WPI Datasets to Bundle-Track.com, you must provide the Estimated Start Lot date and Estimated Complete Lot date to enable Bundle-Track.com to determine whether Late alerts are warranted.
Lot Editor – Colors tab
This read only table lists the Product’s Colors. (See Products Controls – Colors tab on page 40.)
Lot Editor – SKU Codes tab
This read only table lists the Product’s SKU Codes. (See Products Controls – SKU Codes tab on page 41.)
Lot Editor – Routing tab
On this tab, the Lot’s Routing is defined. When you create a Lot, Bundle-Track writes a copy of the Product’s Routing into the Lot’s Routing. After this, there is no connection between the Lot’s Routing and the Product’s Routing. You may customize the Routing for the Lot without affecting the Product’s Routing. (Also, changes to the Product’s Routing will not affect Routings for previously defined Lots.)
Routing Overrides
Bundle-Track allows complete editing of the Lot’s Routing. You can add and remove Steps, and override Rates. Thus it is possible to run different Lots of the same Product, each with different assembly Steps and labor Rates.
The controls for Lot Routings are the same as those for Product Routings (as discussed in Routings, page 41).
Lot Editor – New Cut tab
On this tab, you will find the Create Cut button.
When you click this button, and then confirm that you really do want to create a new Cut, Bundle-Track creates a new Cut record from the Lot. You can create multiple Cuts by doing this repeatedly.
After you create a new Cut, a shortcut button will appear. If you click that button, Bundle-Track will close the Lot Editor and open the Cut Editor for the most recently created Cut.
Cuts
Once you have created a Lot in the system, you are ready to define Cuts to introduce the Lot into production. For example, given a Lot that has 1000 units, you may choose to divide its production into four Cuts of 250 units each.
You can print Bundle Ticket Travelers for each Cut as you need them. These Travelers are meant to move through the production cycle with the component parts as they are assembled. At each production step, the worker who performs the Operation for that step should remove the corresponding Ticket from the Traveler. (In many plants, the workers attach tickes to a gum sheet or a time card.) At the end of the shift, the worker will turn in all collected tickets to be scanned into Bundle-Track.
Cuts Panel
To access the Cuts area, either menu-select ActivitiesŽCuts, or
click 
.
The Cuts Panel that pops up lists the Cuts you have defined.
Cut Status
The State column in the Cuts Panel indicates the status of the Cut in the production process:
|
|
Colors, Sizes, and Quantities can be changed. Bundle Tickets cannot be printed. |
|
|
Colors, Sizes, and Quantities cannot be changed. Bundle Tickets can be printed and re-printed. |
|
|
Bundle Tickets can no longer be printed. |
Adding Cuts
When you click the Add button, Bundle-Track will ask you to select the Lot whose Tickets you wish to print.
Bundle-Track will also ask whether you want to edit the Lot before creating the cut.
· If you click “No”, Bundle-Track simply creates the new Cut, based on the selected Lot.
· If you click “Yes”, Bundle-Track opens the Lot editor. You may then make changes to the Lot before creating the Cut. To create the Cut, move to the Lot editor’s New Cut tab and click the Create Cut button.
· If you click “Cancel”, no Cut is created.
Removing Cuts
From a maintenance standpoint, you need not be concerned with removing Cuts from the system. Cuts are automatically removed when you remove the Lot from which they were generated.
However, should Cut information be entered in error, you may wish to selectively remove a Cut.
1. Highlight the record you wish to remove.
2. Click the Remove button. Bundle-Track will ask whether you really wish to remove the record.
3. Click Yes to remove the record.
Removing a Cut will remove all downstream information for that Cut including Bundles and un-scanned Bundle Tickets.
Cut Editor
Clicking the Add or Edit buttons on the Cuts Panel will open the Cut Editor on the currently selected Cut. The Cut Editor carries the controls you need to actually Print Tickets.
What’s Editable?
The detail of the Cut is largely a copy of the Lot detail. Most of the detail is not editable and the following tabs are entirely read-only: Planned Units, Key Dates, Colors, SKU Codes, and Routing.
Cut Editor - General tab
On this tab, you can edit the Cut’s Code and Description, the Cut’s Default Bundle Size, and the Custom Lot Fields.
Cut Editor - Cut Entry tab
This tab is where you finally produce Bundle Tickets. The functionality available on the Cut Entry tab changes with the Cut’s Status:
· In Edit Status, the tab supports Cut Planning. You specify actual production Sizes, colors, and quantities for the Cut.
· In Print-Ready Status, the tab supports Bundle Ticket printing. You specify which Bundles’ Tickets are to be printed (or re-printed), and initiate printing.
· In Approved Status, the tab is read-only.
Cut Planning – the Cut Entry tab in Edit Status
When you first define a cut, the Cut Editor’s Cut Entry tab is in Cut Planning mode. Here, you specify actual production Sizes, colors, and quantities.
Two Entry Modes
You must begin Cut Entry by using the radio buttons at the lower left of the form to select the entry mode to work in – Bundle Sets or Spreadsheet. The entry mode determines the manner in which Cuts are visually represented in the Cut Entry tab:
|
Bundle Sets |
In this mode, the Cut’s Bundles are defined in a table. In each row, you specify a Size, a Color, a number of Bundles, and a number of units per Bundle. |
|
Spreadsheet |
In this mode, the Cut’s Bundles are defined in a matrix (crosstab). Every row represents a Color (Shade), and every column represents a Size (Marker). The intersection of each Color and Size represents one Bundle, and the value in the cell defines the number of units in that Bundle. |
Cut Entry in Bundle Sets Mode
In this mode, the Cut’s Bundles are defined in a table. You create a row for each Size/Color combination and specify the planned quantities.
Bundle Set Tools
The buttons below the table enable you to add, remove, and rearrange the rows in the table.
Table Columns
|
Color |
This dropdown lets you select one of the Product’s Colors. |
|
Size |
This dropdown lets you select one of the Product’s Sizes. |
|
#/Bundle |
This defines the number of units in one of these Bundles. |
|
Bundles |
This specifies how many of these Bundles are planned. |
|
Units |
Read-only. This reports the number of units planned, given the number of Bundles and the number per Bundle. |
Cut Entry in Spreadsheet Mode
In this mode, the Cut’s Bundles are defined in a matrix (crosstab). Every row represents a Color (Shade), and every column represents a Size (Marker). The intersection of each Color and Size represents one Bundle, and the value in the cell defines the number of units in that Bundle.
Color Controls
Below the matrix is a set of Colors Tools. Use these to add rows, to remove rows, and to redefine rows.
When you click the Plus button, a Colors dialog pops up. In this dialog, you can select the Color and Ply settings you want in the new row. The Ply sets the default number of units for all cells in the row. You can see the current Ply setting in the header cell of each row.
If you click the Detail button, the same Color dialog pops up, enabling you to change the settings of the current row. If you change the Ply, all actual units specified in the row will change.
Size Controls
Next to the Color Tools is a set of Size Tools. Use these to add columns, to remove columns, and to redefine columns.
When you click the Plus button, a Size dialog pops up. In this dialog, you can select the column’s Size setting, and you can set the actual production quantities for all Colors under that Size.
Leaving Edit Status is Permanent
When you are finished entering the Cut detail, you click the Next button to move the Cut from Edit Status to Print-Ready Status.
Notice: Once the Cut has been moved to Print-Ready Status, the Cut Editor cannot add, change, or remove Bundles from the Cut.
Changing Cut Details after Leaving Edit Status
Although the Cut Editor cannot effect changes after leaving Edit Status, there are ways to handle some necessary changes:
· To add Bundles, create an additional Cut and define them there.
· To remove Bundles, or to change a Bundle’s Size and/or Color details, use the Bundle Adjustments panel. See Bundle Adjustments, page 69.
· To reduce the number of units in a given Bundle, simply specify those lesser quantities when you scan the Bundle’s Tickets.
· If you determine that some Bundles require an increase in quantity, and you cannot find a way to represent those additional units in new Bundles in a new Cut, you must remove the entire Cut and rebuild it.
Ticket Printing – the Cut Entry tab in Print-Ready Status
When the Cut is in Print-Ready Status, the Cut Entry tab supports Bundle Ticket printing. As long as the Cut is in Print-Ready Status, you may print and re-print Tickets as often as you like. Once you advance the Cut to Approved Status, you cannot print its Bundle Tickets.
Printing
By default, when the Cut first enters Print-Ready Status, all Bundles are print-enabled. You may selectively enable and disable printing for individual Bundles using the controls discussed below.
To print all print-enabled Bundles, click the Print All Marked Bundles button. This presents the Print Bundle Tickets panel. Here, you have the option to change the Printer settings. Note that changing the selected printer here does change Bundle-Track’s default Ticket Printer.
Two Viewing Modes
In Print-Ready status, you may use the radio buttons at the lower left of the form to select from two viewing modes – Original or View Bundles Sequentially. The viewing mode determines the manner in which Bundles are visually represented in the Cut Entry tab:
|
Original (Bundle Sets or Spreadsheet) |
The table retains the form of the entry mode you selected while in Edit Status. |
|
View Bundles Sequentially |
The Table lists one row for each individual Bundle. |
Print Controls in Bundle Set View
This view shows the same table you had in Edit Status, with an added Reprint column. A Reprint cell may have one of three values:
|
No |
None of these Bundles is print-enabled. |
|
Yes |
All of these Bundles are print-enabled. |
|
Some |
Some of these Bundles are print-enabled. To see which ones,
click on the Detail button ( |
To get to a Yes or No value, click on the cell’s checkbox.
Enabling Some Bundles in a Set
Clicking on the Detail button (
) in a Reprint
cell opens the Individual Bundles panel. The table on this panel lists a row for every Bundle in the set.
You can then enable/disable each one individually.
Check to End button
Clicking this button print-enables all Bundles from the currently selected Bundle (or first-selected if there are more than one) to the last, in top-to-bottom order.
Print Controls in Spreadsheet View
A check in a cell indicates that the Bundle is print-enabled.
Bundle text box
This box lists the Bundle Number of the currently selected Bundle. If more than one is selected, it lists the number of the first-selected Bundle.
You may jump the selector to another Bundle by typing that Bundle Number into this box.
Mark for Reprint button
Clicking this button print-enables any currently selected Bundles.
Unmark Reprint button
Clicking this button print-disables any currently selected Bundles.
Check to End button
Clicking this button print-enables all Bundles from the currently selected Bundle (or first-selected if there are more than one) to the last, in top-to-bottom, left-to-right order.
Double-Click to Toggle
If you double-click anywhere on the table, the selected Bundle (or first-selected if there are more than one) toggles its marked/unmarked status.
Print Controls in View Bundles Sequentially View
This view shows a table with a row for every Bundle:
|
Bundle |
Read-only. The Bundle Number. |
|
Color |
Read-only. The Color Code. |
|
Color Desc. |
Read-only. The Color Description. |
|
Size |
Read-only. The Size Code. |
|
Qty. |
Read-only. The number of units in the Bundle. |
|
Reprint |
Editable. A check indicates that the Bundle is print-enabled. You may set or release checks. |
Check to End button
Clicking this button print-enables all Bundles from the currently selected Bundle to the last.
Leaving Print-Ready Status is Permanent
Approving a Cut moves it from Print-Ready Status to Approved Status. You cannot print Bundle Tickets in Approved Status, so you should do this only if you are sure you will never need to reprint a Bundle Ticket for this Cut. Some people, preferring to preserve their ability to reprint lost Bundle Tickets, never put a Cut in Approved Status.
You may Approve a Cut only when you have removed all Reprint checks (no Bundles are print-enabled). When you click Approve, if there are no print-enabled Bundles, Bundle-Track asks you to confirm that you really want to Approve the Cut. If you give confirmation, then Bundle-Track moves the Cut permanently to Approved Status.
Bundle Adjustments
The Bundle Adjustments panel enables you to remove Bundles from production, and to change Size and Color details of any Bundle in production.
To access the Bundle Adjustments area, either
menu-select ActivitiesŽBundle Adjustments,
or click 
.
Bundle Adjustments Controls
|
Go To Bundle text box |
Specify the Bundle at issue by Bundle Number in this box. |
|
Go button |
Click this to look up the specified Bundle. |
|
Remove button |
Click this to remove the Bundle from production and to invalidate all of its Bundle Tickets. (This will not work if any of the Bundle’s Tickets have been scanned.) |
|
Size dropdown |
Use this to change the Bundle’s Size. |
|
Color dropdown |
Use this to change the Bundle’s Color. |
Everything else on the panel is read-only reference information.
Events and Production
Note to users of Desktop Version: You do not have Teams. References to Teams and the “Team tab” in this section do not apply to you.
Once your Bundle Tickets have been printed, and work has gone out into production, the next step is to enter production back into the system. From the information entered into this screen, Bundle-Track can tabulate operator efficiency and group efficiency, calculate gross payroll, and generate work-in-process tracking information.
This process begins with defining Events, and then applying production and adjustments against them. Productivity may be measured per Employee, per Team, or per Department. Accordingly, you will have Employee Events, Team Events, and Department Events.
To access the Events and Production area, either menu-select
ActivitiesŽEvents and Production,
or click 
.
Creating Events
You must create Events before you can enter production data.
Employee Events are created by Bundle-Track users. These specify a Date, a Pay Condition, a charged Department or Department/Team, a specific length of time, and a charged Shift.
Bundle-Track automatically generates and maintains Department and Team Events as appropriate. These records are not time-specific in the way that Employee Events are. Instead, they provide daily summaries by Pay Condition and Shift. While you might have thirty Employee Events charged to a given Pay Condition and Shift in a single day, you would have only one Department Event for that Pay Condition, Shift, and Date. Because Team and Department Events are summaries of actual Employee Events, you cannot edit the details of Team and Department Events.
Team Events are created only if Employee Events are charged to Teams (and not simply to Departments). If an Employee has a Home Team assignment (see Membership, page 54), then that Employee’s Events will charge to that Team by default.
Specifying the Employee
To define Employee Events, first make sure you are on the Events panel’s Employee tab, then specify the Employee whose Events you are defining. Use the following controls to select the Employee.
Code Text Field
Use this text field to input the Employee Code. Bundle-Track will bring up the record with the matching Code.
Dropdown button
Use the dropdown button at the far right (in the same row as the Code text field) to select the Employee from a list.
Specifying the Work Date
Under the Code field is a Date field. You can type the desired Date into the text field or click the Calendar button next to the field and use the calendar pop-up to specify the date. In the pop-up, dates that already have Events entered appear with a red dot on them.
Events Table
The table in the middle of the Events panel shows the Events defined for the currently specified Employee (or Team, or Department, depending on the currently selected tab) and Date.
On the Employee tab, each Employee Event row indicates the charged Pay Condition, the charged Department or Team, the Event’s Total Time, and the charged Shift.
On the Team tab or on the Department tab, each Team or Department Event row indicates a charged Pay Condition (Code & Description), and a charged Shift.
Changing Event Charges
Team and Department Events are maintained by Bundle-Track and cannot be directly edited.
You can change all details of an Employee Event.
To change the charged Pay Condition, Department/Team, or Shift, click the cell you wish to change, and then click the cell’s dropdown button to access its list.
You’ll find the Pay Condition controls under the Pay Condition Description cell.
The controls for the Pay Condition and Department/Team lists are a bit complicated, but they are the same as those you encountered when defining Schedules. For details, see …
· Changing the Pay Condition, page 57.
· Changing the Department/Team, page 57.
Event Tools buttons
Below the Events Table, you will see a set of Event Tools buttons.
The Plus and Minus buttons are for adding and removing Employee Events.
The Up and Down buttons are for re-arranging the order of Employee Events.
The Details button is for accessing the Production panel where you actually scan Tickets and manage other production details. (See Introduction to Production Entry – the Production panel below.) This button works on all three tabs because, while you cannot modify Team or Department Events, you can charge production against them.
Use Schedule button
The Employee tab offers a Use Schedule button. This button opens a panel to let you select a source of Events to copy (so you don’t have to enter them all manually). You can pick from a Schedule or copy Events from another scan date for this Employee.
Effect of Using Schedule on Daily Overtime Threshold
If you are going to use a Schedule to define Events, keep the following in mind.
Normally, the Overtime Rules in effect for a given Pay Condition are inherited from the Premium Rule assigned to the Pay Condition’s Pay Condition Group.
If the Overtime Rule is based on Period Hours, then copying Events from a Schedule changes nothing.
However, if the Overtime Rule is based on Daily Hours, and you use a Schedule to define Events, then the fixed Daily Overtime Threshold defined in the Premium Rule’s Overtime Rule is overridden by the actual hours in each day in the selected Schedule.
The advantage of this feature is that it enables Bundle-Track to honor a different Daily Overtime Threshold for each day in the Schedule – if a Schedule has four 9-hour days and one 4-hour day, the Daily Overtime Threshold will be 9 on those 9-hour days, and will be 4 on that 4-hour day. The hazard is that you may forget that this override is automatic.
Introduction to Production Entry – the Production panel
All actual production entry takes place under a given Event, on the Event’s Production panel.
Selecting a Target Employee, Team, or Department
You begin by specifying the Employee, or Team, or Department whose Events you are defining. There is a separate tab for each of these levels of focus:
|
Employee |
For assigning Events and production to specific Employees. |
|
Team (Network Version only) |
For assigning Events and production to entire Teams. |
|
Department |
For assigning Events and production to entire Departments. |
These three areas have nearly the same functionality within them. The real difference is simply the scope of the target.
Whatever the tab you are on, use the Code field to enter the target’s Code directly, or use the dropdown at the right end of the same row to select the target from a list.
Selecting the Work Date
Under the Code field is a Date field. You can type the desired Date into the text field or click the Calendar button next to the field and use the calendar pop-up to specify the date. In the pop-up, dates that already have Events entered appear with a red dot on them.
Selecting the Event
The table in the middle of the Events panel shows the day’s Events. Click on the Event you wish to use to enter production data.
When entering production data, you should strive to match production entries to the Events that generated the production.
Beware that Events with unpaid Pay Conditions are ignored in pay calculations, and any production or adjustments you apply there will be ignored too.
Accessing the Production Panel
Once the proper Event is selected, you need to access the Production panel. That’s where production entry is actually entered.
First highlight the Event, and then click the Event Tools’
Details button ().
The Production panel has five tabs:
|
Bundle Tickets |
For entering Bundle Tickets. |
|
Adjustments |
For entering Adjustments to Time, Currency, or Total Pay. |
|
Operations |
For entering Operations that are not ticketed and not part of a Routing. |
|
Multi-Operations (Network Version only) |
For entering production through Multi-Operations. |
|
Lot Ops (Network Version only) |
For entering Operations that are part of a Lot’s Routing but are not ticketed. |
Production Entry – Bundle Tickets tab
Selecting the Production panel’s Bundle Tickets tab will reveal an editor that displays scanned Ticket information, and a set of buttons for managing scan records.
Remember to Select the Proper Event
Tickets are always scanned against an Event. Whether you are using a bar-code scanner or manual entry to enter Tickets, remember to set the highlight on the Event that you want associated with those Tickets.
Manual Ticket Entry
If you don’t have a scanner, or if a Ticket is too damaged or lightly printed to be scannable, you will need to enter it manually. Just type the 6-character code that corresponds to the bar-code into this field, and then click the Enter button.
If there is no Ticket matching the code you entered, or if that Ticket has already been scanned to completion, your entry will be cleared and ignored. Still, you should be careful when typing Ticket Codes; it is easy to mis-type and still get a valid (but unintended) Ticket Code.
Looking Up Lost Tickets
Bundle Tickets do sometimes get lost in the production cycle. The Ticket Finder gives you a means to find a listing of a missing Ticket so you can enter the code manually.
1. Have the operator note the missing Ticket’s Bundle Number and Step Number on their production sheet.
2. Access the Ticket Finder by clicking the Ellipsis button next to the Manual Ticket Entry field.
3. Use the filters to narrow your search according the information you have about the Ticket.
4. When you find the Ticket, select it and click OK. Bundle-Track will register the Ticket’s production information as if it had been scanned. The actual Ticket will become invalid so that if found, it cannot be erroneously scanned again.
Ticket Finder Filters
|
Search dropdown |
Use this to scope the list to show only Scanned Tickets, or only Unscanned Tickets, or All Tickets. |
|
Bundle text box |
Enter a specific Bundle Number, or just the beginning portion of one. |
|
Ticket Code |
Enter a specific Bundle Ticket code, or just the beginning portion of one. |
|
Operation Code |
Enter a specific Operation Code, or just the beginning portion of one. |
Viewing Ticket Details
If you click the Details button, you get a read-only pop-up that details the Ticket’s information on two tabs.
Changing Ticket Quantities
The quantity reported on a Ticket is sometimes less than the full Bundle quantity. What you should do about that depends on the reason for the difference.
· If the Bundle is being split – some of the work is being done by one Employee and the rest by another, or some is being done under one Event, and the rest under another – then you should handle that as a Split, not a Quantity Change (because the Bundle quantity itself has not changed). See Splitting a Ticket below.
· If the number of units in the Bundle has in fact been reduced (usually by pulling defective units from the production stream), then you should handle that as a Quantity Change: click the Quantities button, and in the pop-up panel, change the quantity associated with the Bundle at this Step.
Viewing and Changing Unsized Rates throughout the Lot
The Rates button gives you a quick way to change the Rates in effect for a given Routing Step in a given Lot.
You will recall that the Lot Editor’s Routing tab (page 62), when you are defining a Lot, lets you override Rates for any Step in its Routing. When you change a Rate there, that change affects all Bundles in all Cuts initiated from that Lot.
The Rates button on the Production panel’s Bundle Tickets tab lets you do exactly the same thing. When you click the Rates button, you get a pop-up that lists the Time Rate and Money Rate in effect for the Ticket currently selected. If you change a rate, your change will update the rate just as though you had gone to the Lot Editor’s Routing tab and made the change there. The change will affect the valuation of all Tickets for that Step across the whole Lot.
Please be sure to remember that this feature applies only to Unsized Rates. When you click the Rates button, even if the currently-selected Ticket involves a Sized Rate, the pop-up panel will list only the un-sized rate, and any changes you make will affect only the unsized rate. You cannot use the Rates button to view Sized Rates, nor to change Sized Rates.
Splitting a Ticket
If an Employee begins work on a Bundle during one Shift and finishes during another, or if one Employee begins work on a Bundle and another Employee finishes, you will need to log production for one Bundle on at least two Events. Bundle-Track lets you do that. You split the Ticket.
Splitting a Ticket involves creating a hand-written Ticket that lists the bar-code and the split quantity (the amount completed by the operator). The actual bar-coded Ticket is turned in by the person who finishes the Bundle.
Scenario:
One Employee completes 7 of 10 units in a Bundle on Friday, and another Employee completes the remainder on Monday.
Friday:
First Employee:
Instead of removing the bar-coded Ticket from the Bundle, the Employee leaves
the bar-coded Ticket with the Bundle and writes the Step’s 6-character code on
a blank Ticket, along with the quantity completed (in this case, 7). It
may be helpful to have the Employee write, “SPLIT,” on the hand-made Ticket,
and to write the remaining quantity on the bar-coded Ticket still on the
Bundle.
Bundle-Track user:
When processing the hand-made Ticket, …
1. Enter the 6-character code of the Split Ticket into the Ticket Code field and click Enter. A record for that Ticket will appear in the Tickets Table.
2. Highlight the record in the Tickets Table and click the Split button.
3. In the panel that pops up, enter the split quantity in the fourth column. (In this scenario, you enter 7.)
4. Click Close. Bundle-Track will register the completed units and leave the actual Ticket active and valued at the remaining number of units. (In this scenario, the actual Ticket still on the floor will now be valued at 3 units.)
Monday:
Bundle-Track users scan the remaining Ticket as they would any other Ticket. The Ticket can also be split again as described above.
Unscanning A Ticket
Occasionally, the wrong Ticket is turned in, or the right Ticket is scanned against the wrong Event. You can solve these problems by unscanning.
Simply highlight the Ticket record you want to unscan, and click the Unscan button. Bundle-Track will remove the Ticket record from the Event and enable it to be scanned elsewhere.
Scanning a "Variable" Rate Type (Network Version only)
If the Ticket you are scanning involves an Operation assigned to a Rate Type with the “Stop at Scan” option checked, a confirmation panel will pop up and prompt you for the production quantity. That value should be supplied to you by the operator that turned in the Ticket.
Production Entry – Adjustments tab
On the Adjustments tab you will find a number of controls for managing Adjustments.
Beware that Bundle-Track ignores Events with non-paying Pay Conditions when calculating pay, and any Adjustments applied to those Events will be ignored as well.
Three Types of Adjustment
There are three types of Adjustment: Currency, Time, and Total Pay.
Currency Adjustments
Currency Adjustments affect an Event’s currency-based production totals.
When Bundle-Track is calculating production earnings and efficiency Rates, Currency Adjustments are valued in the same way as a Ticket of the equivalent amount. Their impact on total pay depends upon the properties of the Event’s Pay Condition.
Time Adjustments
Time Adjustments affect an Event’s time-based production totals.
When Bundle-Track is calculating production earnings and efficiency Rates, Time Adjustments are valued in the same way as a Ticket of the equivalent amount. Their impact on total pay depends upon the properties of the Event’s Pay Condition.
Time Adjustments can be entered either in hours, in minutes, or in seconds. Decimal entry is required: to represent one and one half hours, set the time units to hours and input a value of 1.5.
Total Pay Adjustments
Total Pay Adjustments are added directly to total pay.
Unless a custom pay rule has been installed to some other effect, Total Pay Adjustments are not involved in any calculation of production earnings or efficiency Rates.
Adjustments Controls
“Show Adjustments to” options
The Adjustments tab handles only one type at a time. This selection determines the type you are handling.
Adjustment Tools
The tools below the table enable you to add and remove individual Adjustments.
Adjustment Table Columns
The table has three columns.
|
Description |
Simply a description for your reference. |
|
Value |
Depending on the “% of Tix” setting, either the fixed value of the Adjustment, or the percentage to be used in calculating the Adjustment based on Ticket value. |
|
% of Tix? |
This is not available for Adjustments to Total Pay. Otherwise, if this is checked, the Adjustment is calculated as a percentage of the total value of all Tickets applied to this Event. If it is not checked, the Adjustment has the fixed value specified in the Value column. (It takes a double-click to place or remove a check in this box.) |
Production Entry – Operations tab
This tab lets you
charge Operations that are not represented in Bundle Tickets. It works much
like the Bundle Tickets tab. You specify the Operation Code and provide any required
quantity values or adjustments.
You will likely use
this for incidental operations that are performed irregularly, or at some
interval other than once per Bundle, like reloading a machine with production
material, or recalibrating a machine.
Production Entry – Multi-Operations tab (Network Version only)
This tab lets you
charge Multi-Operations to an Event. It works much like the Bundle Tickets tab.
You specify the Multi-Operation Code and provide any required quantity values
or adjustments.
To view or change
the quantities you have provided for any Multi-Operation, click the Quantity
button.
Production Entry – Lot Ops tab (Network Version only)
This tab lets you
charge Operations that are specified as Routing Steps but do not generate
Tickets. (The settings or the Operation’s Rate Type determine whether a Ticket
will print. See Printing and Scanning options, page 20.)
To enter Lot
Operation production, specify the Lot Code, the Operation Code, and the units
for a Lot Operation, and click Enter.
Reports
Bundle-Track offers a number of standard reports. Custom reports may be built for a fee by Latitude Business Systems.
The Standard reports are grouped as follows:
|
Report Folder |
Report Names |
|
Operations |
Operations Base Rates Operation Groups Operations Sized Rates Product Operations Multi-Operations |
|
Products |
Tracking Stages Ticket Sections Colors Sizes Tracking Sequences Product Routing Detail Product Routing Summary Product Operations Ticket Printing Settings |
|
Personnel & Pay |
Departments Teams Employees Pay Conditions Makeup Sets Pay Groups |
|
Production |
Lot Listing Cut Listing Bundle Listing Lot Tracking Detail Lot Tracking Summary |
|
Remote Production |
Global Lot Tracking Summary Global Lot Tracking Detail |
|
Payroll |
Production Detail Production Summary Payroll Detail Payroll Summary Lot Audit Detail Lot Audit Summary Payroll Export |
|
Efficiency |
Employee Efficiency Detail Pay Condition Efficiency Detail Efficiency Summary |
|
Cost Analysis |
Plant Analysis Detail Plant Analysis Summary Department Analysis Detail Department Analysis Summary On-Standard Variance |
Running a Report
To run a report, first access the Reports area, either menu-selecting
ActivitesŽReports,
or by clicking 
.
Then select the desired report, and click Print or Preview.
To Freeze or Not To Freeze
When you are reporting, you may want to Freeze or Unfreeze your Pay Group. See Freeze / Unfreeze Pay, page 81.
In short, you’ll want the dataset Frozen if you want to generate multiple reports in a short period of time and/or to be able to balance totals across reports; and you’ll want the data UnFrozen if you want every report to show you the latest entered data. For a fuller explanation, read on.
To give you a pay report, Bundle-Track needs a calculated data set. When you freeze pay data, Bundle-Track performs all pay calculations for the selected Pay Group once and protects that calculated data set. When you request reports for a frozen Pay Group, Bundle-Track uses the data in the protected data set. The advantages are that the data is already compiled so reporting is faster, and all reports are based on the same pre-compiled data set so you can meaningfully compare one report against another. The drawback is that, although production data entry is still permitted, newly entered data is not represented in the reports. If you want newly entered data to be reflected in the reports, you must unfreeze again.
If a Pay Group’s data set is not frozen, Bundle-Track recalculates pay each time you generate a report. The advantage is that each report is very fresh, reflecting all data entry up to the moment you requested the report. There are two drawbacks:
· Reporting is slower because Bundle-Track must execute the calculation process each time you generate a report;
· Report totals may not balance from one report to the next because the underlying data may have changed between each report’s generation.
Printer Setup
If you click the Setup button on the Reports panel, you have the option to change the Printer settings. Note that changing the selected printer here does change Bundle-Track’s default Reporting Printer.
Pay Administration
Updating Employee Averages
As you read in Pay Rates Controls – History Data Options tab (page 22), you can set Pay Rates to be calculated automatically after Period close, or not. If you have any that are calculated using history data but are not calculated automatically after Period close, then you will need to invoke the calculation manually on a regular basis.
1. Wait until it is the appropriate time to close the Pay Period.
2. Close the Current Pay Period (see Close Period, page 81).
3. Update the Pay Rate’s Fixed Date Range (see Pay Rates Controls – History Data Options tab, page 22).
4. Invoke the recalculation.
a. Access the Calculate Employee Averages panel by menu-selecting ActivitiesŽPay AdministrationŽUpdate Employee Averages.
b. Select the appropriate Pay Group. (Network Version only)
c. Click Calculate.
Freeze / Unfreeze Pay
To access the Freeze/Unfreeze Pay area, menu-select ActivitiesŽPay AdministrationŽFreeze/Unfreeze Pay. (There is no tool bar access because this is among the most sensitive areas within Bundle-Track.)
The controls on this panel enable you to freeze and unfreeze the data belonging to Pay Groups you select.
Data must be frozen before you may close a Pay Period.
Freezing also affects reporting. See To Freeze or Not To Freeze, page 80.
Export Pay
This function generates an export file to be passed to an ADP payroll system.
To access the Export Pay area, menu-select ActivitiesŽPay AdministrationŽExport Pay.
Before you initiate your first export, you must set the Company Code and Batch ID as expected by the ADP system. To do this, click the Setup button and use the fields provided.
To export pay data, select a Pay Group, and then click the Export button. Not that the Pay Group’s data must be frozen to let you do this.
Bundle-Track places generated export files in the ..\bundle-track\export directory.
Close Period
At the end of each Pay Group’s Pay Period, you must close the Period.
Before you close a Pay Period, you must Freeze the Pay Group (See Freeze / Unfreeze Pay above.)
To access the Close Pay Period area, menu-select ActivitiesŽPay AdministrationŽPeriod ProcessingŽClose Pay Period. Because this is among the most sensitive areas within Bundle-Track, there is no tool bar access.
Effects of Closing a Pay Period
· The Pay Group’s Current Period Close Date is advanced by the specified Number of Days Per Period (see Pay Group Controls – General tab, page 15).
· All current Period data is moved to history files where it cannot be edited or modified in any way.
· All Pay Rates configured to be calculated at Period Close are updated.
If you are closing the last Period of the year, you will also need to reset the Current Period Number. See Pay Group Controls – General tab, page 15.
Purge and Recover Lots
You may occasionally find that some Lots that are no longer on your production floor are still being listed in the system. The tools in this area are provided to help you dismiss obsolete Lots from the system. Purged Lots will remain in a hidden but recoverable state until you compress the database.
Purge Lots
To access the Purge Lots tool, menu-select ActivitiesŽPurge and Recover LotsŽPurge Lots.
This panel lets you call up a list of Lots that meet your criteria, and then remove them from the system. At least one of the Lot’s Tickets must be scanned for this tool to find the Lot.
Lot Selection Criteria
When the Purge Lots panel opens, these controls are presented:
|
Minimum Days since last Ticket scan |
The list will exclude any Lot that has had any Bundle Ticket scanned within this many days. |
|
Minimum Percentage of Tickets Scanned |
The list will exclude any Lot that has not had at least this percentage of its Tickets scanned. |
After you set your criteria, click the Next button. Either Bundle-Track will tell you that no Lots meet your criteria, or it will present a list of all Lots meeting your criteria.
To purge listed Lots, mark the checkbox in the Remove column for each Lot you want to purge, and then click Next.
Recover Lots
To access the Recover Lots tool, menu-select ActivitiesŽPurge and Recover LotsŽRecover Lots.
This panel lists all Lots that you have deleted from the Lot area (see Removing a Lot, page 61), or that you have purged with the Purge Lots tool (page 82), since your most recent database compression. Any Lots that were removed or purged before the latest database compression are unrecoverable.
To recover a Lot from this list, select it, and then click the Recover button. The Lot will disappear from the list and become available in the Lots area instead.
Send WIP Data to Bundle-Track.com
You can make your production information accessible by your Customers through our web server at Bundle-Track.com. This is optional functionality. Your Bundle-Track system does not automatically post data to our web server – you send it when you are ready and willing.
Note that only Customers that you have authorized will be able to view the data you post. Note also that each Customer will have access only to data about Lots that name them as the Customer – they will not be able to see data about lots for other Customers. It is therefore important that you remember to properly set the Customer field for each Lot.
To post your factory’s Work-In-Process data to Bundle-Track.com, menu-select ActivitiesŽSend WIP Data to Bundle-Track.com, then input your Bundle-Track.com password, and click Send.
When you do this, Bundle-Track generates a dataset that details the production status of each Lot (as is known to Bundle-Track through the scanning of Bundle Tickets) and passes that dataset to Bundle-Track.com.
When the Bundle-Track.com webservice receives your dataset, it generates and sends any appropriate email messages to those Authorized Customers who have requested email notifications about their Lots.
At any time, your Authorized Customers may download data about their Lots and generate production reports about the status of those lots in your factory. (You have copies of the same reports under the Remote Production folder in your Report Explorer. Remember that their data is not updated until you Send WIP Data to Bundle-Track.com). The data your Customers see will only be as fresh as your last posting, so remember to Send WIP Data to Bundle-Track.com often.
Miscellaneous
Database Administration
These tools help you keep the database thin and fast.
Remove History Data
Closed Pay Periods are stored in the History area of your database. As they build up, they increase the size of the database, causing database maintenance processes (like backup and restore) to take longer. You can optimize maintenance time by discarding history data you no longer need.
To access this area, menu-select FileŽDatabase AdministrationŽRemove History Data.
In the panel that pops up, you select the Pay Group whose data you will be deleting, and you select the Period Close Date of the latest Period you wish to discard. When you click Next, all data for that Period and any preceding it will be discarded.
Compress Database
When you delete records in the system, those records are not actually removed: they are hidden. This is done so that any references in historical data to these deleted records may still function. Compressing the database actually removes from the database any hidden records that are no longer needed (that have no relationships to other non-hidden records).
Important: the database should be compressed at least once a month.
It is recommended that you let Bundle-Track automatically compress the database with each period close. If all of your Pay Groups are already configured to compress data automatically (see Pay Group Controls – History Data Control tab, page 16), then your database is already being compressed at each Period close. However, if any Pay Groups are not set to compress automatically, then the data related to those Pay Groups will pile up unless you do this manually.
Reminder for users of Desktop Version: you have only one Pay Group.
To access this area, menu-select FileŽDatabase AdministrationŽCompress Database.
Printer Setup
This panel – accessed by menu-selecting FileŽPrinter Setup – lets you assign the printers for your Reporting and Ticket Printing operations.
When you are printing Reports, you have the opportunity to override the default printer specified here.