Create a Work Center

Use the Work Center Maintenance (WCM) program to create, change, copy, and delete work centers, and enter work center utilization exceptions. See Background and Road Map for more information.

Enter a work center number (6 alphanumeric). Enter VENDOR for an outside service.
Click Add. The program prompts Machine number.
Enter a unique machine number (10 alphanumeric). If the work center is VENDOR, enter the vendor number that performs the outside service.

Enter data in these fields:

Field Name	Type / Max Length	Action / Description
Description	Optional 30 alphanumeric	Enter a description of the operation that takes place at this work center. If you entered an outside service the vendor's name displays.
Dept number	Optional 5 alphanumeric	Select the code of the department that is responsible for this work center.
Mfg branch	Optional 4 alphanumeric	Select the manufacturing branch for this work center.
Critical?	Optional	Select if this work center is critical or leave blank if it is not. Your organization defines "critical." Typically, a critical work center requires careful workload planning; for example, an overloaded center or a bottleneck. An option in the Capacity Requirements Planning (MCP) program permits planning for critical centers only.
Picking warehouse	Conditional 2 alphanumeric	If you selected the Backflush components by operation seq? and Use only inventory in work center loc? options for your manufacturing branch in the System Options Maintenance (XM) program (Manufacturing Options), select the warehouse from which you want the system to pick components or leave blank to backflush components from any available warehouse location. See Overview: Component Backflushing. This field is validated against the warehouse map if the warehouse map feature (maintained in Branch Maintenance) is active for the work center's branch.
Picking bin	Conditional 8 alphanumeric	If you selected the Backflush components by operation seq? and Use only inventory in work center loc? options for your manufacturing branch in the System Options Maintenance (XM) program (Manufacturing Options), enter the bin location or select the bin location from the lookup from which you want the system to pick components or leave blank to backflush components from any available bin. See Overview: Component Backflushing. This field is validated against the warehouse map if the warehouse map feature (maintained in Branch Maintenance) is active for the work center's branch.
Machine lbr cd	Conditional/Optional 2 alphanumeric	If this work center is used for an unattended operation, select the labor rate code and hourly rate to be used as the machine rate. The extended machine rate is computed as the machine overhead (the four overhead codes are not used in this calculation). The Standard Cost Rollup (MCR) program uses this code when calculating the incremental costs of inventory items. You can also include direct costs of the estimated operator time by filling in the setup and direct labor codes and associated percentages. For example, if the operator normally runs two machines at the same time, enter 50% for the Setup labor % and the Direct Labor %. It is up to you how you want to allocate the operator cost. Leave these fields blank if you want to include the operator cost as overhead.
Overhead code 1 - 4	Conditional/Optional 2 alphanumeric	Select overhead rate codes that you want to apply to this work center. The program uses the rates associated with these codes to calculate labor overhead cost. The Standard Cost Rollup (MCR) program uses overhead codes to calculate incremental overhead cost for inventory items. If you entered VENDOR for the Machine number field, you cannot access these fields.
Mach capacity	Required 5 numeric in the format 99999	Enter the number of hours per shop day this machine is available for productive use at this work center.
Mach util %	Required 5 numeric in the format 999.99	Accept the displayed percent of time that the machine is used when it is available or enter a different percent. The program calculates utilization %: (Hours of production x 100) / Machine capacity
Labor capacity	Required 5 numeric in the format 99999	Enter the number of hours per shop day that laborers are at this work center.
Labor util %	Required 5 numeric in the format 999.99	Accept the displayed percent of time that employees at this work center are actually performing setup or direct labor, or enter a different percent. Maintenance and cleaning are usually excluded from utilization. The program calculates labor utilization %: (Hours spent on production x 100) / Labor capacity
Labor eff %	Optional 5 numeric in the format 999.99	Enter the labor efficiency percent: (Hours per piece x Pieces produced) / Hours spent on production) x 100 This field is used in the calculation of the estimated completion as viewed in the Barcode Labor Inquiry (LRTQ) program.
Workers	Optional 3 numeric in the format 999	Enter the number of people who operate this work center per shift. This number does not affect labor capacity. If you need to affect labor capacity to reflect more than one person at a work center, then maintain the Labor capacity field.
Shifts	Required 2 numeric	Enter the number of shifts per day.
Queue time	Required 5 numeric in the format 999.99	Enter the number of days that a job generally spends in a queue before being processed. Capacity planning and priority dispatch programs and the Accumulated Lead Time Calculation (MLT) program use the Queue time field.
Hours shift 1 - 3 avl	Optional 4 numeric in the format 99.99	For future use
Downtime allowed?	Optional	For future use
Stocking warehouse	Optional 2 alphanumeric	Select the warehouse where items controlled by location are stocked if you are using the "stock at last operation" feature (selected by item in Branch Item Maintenance) and the item is warehouse/bin controlled. This field is validated against the warehouse map if the warehouse map feature (maintained in Branch Maintenance) is active for the work center's branch.
Stocking bin	Optional 8 alphanumeric	Enter the bin location or select the bin location from the lookup where items controlled by location are stocked if you are using the "stock at last operation" feature (selected by item in Branch Item Maintenance) and the item is warehouse/bin controlled. This field is validated against the warehouse map if the warehouse map feature (maintained in Branch Maintenance) is active for the work center's branch.

(Optional) Click Utilization to enter work center availability exceptions. See Enter Utilization Exceptions. Click Exit to return.

Choose the appropriate options:

To	Do This
Associate a tool with a work center	Click Tools. See Associate a Tool with a Work Center. This option requires entries in the Picking warehouse code and Picking bin location fields. If tools are associated with the work center, a green check mark is displayed on the Tools button.
Accept the data	Click OK. The program prompts Work center no and Machine number. Enter another work center or leave blank to exit.
Exit without creating this work center	Click Cancel. The program prompts Work center no and Machine number. Enter another work center or leave blank to exit.
Update the record and leave it displayed	Click Apply.
Delete a saved record	Click Delete. See Delete.
Enter notes for this work center	Click Notes. See Enter Notes.
Enter data in custom fields your company uses	Click User. See Enter Data in User Fields. Note This button displays only if you have set up user fields for this program in the User Fields Maintenance (XMO) program.
Enter utilization exceptions	Click Utilization. See Enter Utilization Exceptions. When utilization exceptions exist, a green check mark appears on the Utilization button.

Choose the appropriate options when you click OK or Cancel:

To	Do This
Add another work center	Click Add.
Delete the selected work center	Click Delete. See Delete.
Copy the selected work center	Click Copy. See Copy.
Display the work center details	Highlight a work center/machine line and double-click it
Print the work center listing	Click Print. See Print.
Sort the listing by department, description, or machine number	Click Sort Options. Click a sort order or click Cancel to end this action.
Exit the work center	Click Exit.

When you click Exit, enter another work center or exit the program.