The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent any warranty on the part of LaborMetrix, Inc. The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement that accompanies this manual, and may be used or copied only in accordance with this agreement.
Copyright © 2002
LaborMetrix, Inc.,
All Rights Reserved November, 2002
Introduction to Bundle-Track 3.8
Bundle-Track is a shop-floor management tool for apparel manufacturing industries. The system assists in production planning, produces Bundle Tickets that represent assembly steps, accepts activity and productivity data (scanned or manually entered), calculates pay and efficiency data, and generates reports.
Bundle-Track is also a remote production monitoring tool. Factories using Bundle-Track can post Work-In-Process datasets onto the Bundle-Track.com webserver, and remote Customers can use the internet to contact that webserver and download data about their production in sites anywhere in the world.
First, you must go though the setup process: someone must load Bundle-Track with information about the products you produce, the tasks involved in producing each product, the currency values of those tasks or their time standards and base rates, the pay rules, the personnel, and other foundational details. Then Bundle-Track is ready to work for you.
Important: It is crucial to have someone with some production experience advising the person setting up the system. Bundle-Track will operate in a way consistent with your shop floor and production processes only if you properly tell it how things are done.
When there is an order for a particular Product, someone defines a new production Lot in Bundle-Track, specifying the product to be made, the Customer, the planned production dates, and if appropriate, making Lot-specific overrides to the product’s usual assembly plan.
When it is time to begin production, someone defines one or more Cuts for that Lot, indicating how many units of each size/color are involved in each Cut, and how those units are bundled together. With this information, Bundle-Track is ready to print a Traveler of detachable Bundle Tickets for each Cut. Each Ticket represents a Step in the production process and includes a code that uniquely identifies the ticket. Someone prints the Travelers, attaches each Traveler to its corresponding Bundle, and puts the Bundles into production. The Travelers accompany the Bundles through the assembly process.
Each time an assembly step is completed on a bundle, the worker pulls the corresponding Ticket from the Traveler and attaches it to a timecard. On this sheet, the worker also logs worked time and activity changes – on-standard or off-standard work, lunch, machine down, job transfers, etc.
When the time sheets are turned in, someone enters each worker’s activities and hours into Bundle-Track and scans each worker’s Tickets into the system. As Tickets are scanned, Bundle-Track learns which task has been completed, on which units, and by whom. Bundle-Track updates its records about the production status of the Lot and follows your pay rules to calculate the amount of pay each worker has earned, taking into consideration the hours worked, the tasks completed, etc. Your payroll staff opens reports to confirm that everything looks in order, and makes any appropriate adjustments before submitting gross pay data to the check printers. Your production managers open other reports to review the status of production so they may make any appropriate adjustments on the floor.
This Bundle-Track system is capable of making your production information accessible by your Customers through our web server at Bundle-Track.com. If your factory is using this feature, you will typically do this every day after you have scanned the day’s Tickets. You invoke a simple command from the menu and enter your site’s password, then your Bundle-Track system gathers your factory’s Work-In-Process data and posts it to our webserver through the internet. Your Customers may then download this data and generate reports to see for themselves the status of their production in your factory. (Customers can only see data meant for them – data about Lots that specify them as the Customer.)
This feature is discussed further in the Bundle-Track 3.8 User Guide.
A Production Manager who has production in one or more factories in different sites may use Bundle-Track to receive automated notifications about key production events and to access reports about each Lot’s production status in each factory. To access these features, Production Managers will use Bundle-Track Viewer, an application separate from the main Bundle-Track application.
For more information about Bundle-Track’s Remote Production Tracking services, refer to our website: www.bundle-track.com.
These components work together to provide a powerful, leading edge tool for your factory.
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Bundle-Track Application Set |
This is the workspace, the interface between you and Bundle-Track data. |
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InterBase |
This Relational Database Management Server (RDBMS) processes, validates, and stores Bundle-Track data. |
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Borland Database Engine (BDE) |
This component serves as the interpreter between then Bundle-Track application and InterBase. |
The application set involves these modules:
· Bundle-Track (the Factory’s user interface)
· Bundle-Track Links (for configuring connections to the databases)
· Bundle-Track Roles (for maintaining security – Network Version only)
Bundle-Track does not require exotic equipment. The basic elements for a factory are these:
· a computer to run the software and maintain information,
· a printer to print the tickets,
· paper on which to print tickets,
· if you intend to scan the barcodes back into the system, a barcode scanner,
· and, if you intend to post Work-In-Process data to the webserver, a means to connect briefly to the internet.
Hardware requirements will vary from factory to factory, depending on the complexity of the products made there, the production volume and typical bundle size, and the number of employees.
Below are the basic hardware specifications for a single workstation servicing up to 150 workers.
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Minimum |
Recommended |
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CPU |
Pentium 400 MHz |
Pentium 800 MHz |
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RAM |
128 MB |
256 MB |
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Hard Drive |
200 MB free |
400 MB free |
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CD ROM |
Yes |
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Operating System |
Any of the following: Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT 4.0 SP6A, Windows 2000 SP1 |
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Network |
Windows NT Server using TCP/IP |
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Power Backup |
Un-interruptible power supply / Battery back up |
|
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Data Backup |
Magnetic Tape |
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The Desktop Version is limited to one workstation. The Network Version can support multiple workstations. Contact LaborMetrix, Inc. to discuss server requirements for your facility.
With the high performance and low prices available in the PC hardware market, it is usually worth the investment to stay current, so if you are considering investing in new equipment, we generally recommend choosing the latest available technology.
There are two very different printing duties within Bundle-Track: printing bar-coded tickets and printing reports. Report printing presents no special challenge, but daily ticket printing is very demanding on a printer. We urge you to consider the following when selecting a printer to support ticket printing:
· Must be Windows–compatible.
· Must support continuous-form paper feeds.
· Due to the weight of the ticket stock, it is better to have a printer that pulls the paper than one that pushes it.
· The pathway the paper follows should be as straight as possible; “Bottom feed” systems seem to work best.
·
A printer that is old or less than “heavy duty” may not
be able to withstand the stress of daily ticket printing. We urge you to favor newer or more
industrial models. If you are thinking
of using an older printer, it is a good idea to have it serviced and to closely
monitor its performance.
The choice of paper can vary too. Some people choose cardstock for use with gum-sheets, and others use self-adhesive labels.
Bundle-Track prints tickets on “single-width” ticket stock that meets the following specifications:
These are the requirements for Bundle-Track’s standard ticket format. Custom Tickets may support other dimensions.
· Continuous feed.
· 7 ½ inch total width excepting the pull tractor edges.
· Vertical perforations every 2 ½ inches.
· Horizontal perforations every ¾ of an inch.
The standard printed ticket sheet includes a “header row ” containing information about the Lot, the Product, and the Bundle. The header row measures ¾ of an inch in height by 7 ½ inches in width. Below the header, individual Operations are detailed on tickets measuring ¾ inch by 2 ½ inch. Corresponding Operation information is printed on the remaining 2-½ inch center portion (spine) that remains with the Bundle as the tickets are removed.
Our preferred Ticket Paper supplier is R.T. Barbee, Inc. For more information, contact Lou Schrum at 1-800-934-1838.
While you cannot scan bar codes without a bar-code scanner, you can enter ticket codes into the system with the keyboard. You do not need a bar-code scanner for Bundle-Track to perform in your factory.
If you are selecting a bar-code scanner for use with Bundle-Track, consider the following requirements:
· It must be a “wedge” type scanner attaching to the computer in-line with the keyboard.
· It must be able to read bar-code symbology 39 or 3 of 9.
· It must automatically insert a carriage return after each scan.
While have not performed comparative testing on available scanning technologies, we have had experience with the LS-1000 Handheld Laser Scanner produced by Symbol Technologies (www.symbol.com/barcode), and found it to be a suitable choice for use with Bundle-Track.
If you have a question about Bundle-Track, the Bundle-Track User’s Guide should be the first place you look. Chances are, with a little digging, you can come up with the answer within a few minutes and keep right on moving.
If you feel you need additional support or training services, contact LaborMetrix, Inc.
For the latest policies and rates for support and training, refer to our website, www.bundle-track.com.
You can fax us at (617) 556-4005 at any time, or telephone at (617) 556-4003 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. You can also email us at support@bundle-track.com.
When you contact us for support, we will require the following information to resolve your problem as quickly as possible:
· Company information and registration number.
· The version number of the Bundle-Track product you are using.
· The type of hardware that you are using (CPU and printer).
· The exact wording of any messages that appeared on your screen.
· A description of the problem and what you were doing when it occurred.
· A description of how you tried to solve the problem.
To un-install Bundle-Track 3.8, use the Windows Add/Remove programs application to remove InterBase 6 Open Edition.
1. Select StartÞSettingsÞControl Panel.
2. Run Add/Remove Programs.
3. Select InterBase 6 Open Edition – 6.0.1.6.
4. Click the Add/Remove button.
This will remove Bundle-Track as well. However, your database will be left intact, in case you later change your mind.