MESTEC version 8.0

Documents linked to workflow operations

The Document Manager lets you upload files and website links and reference them on workflow operations.

When booked on to an operation on the shopfloor, you can view the referenced documents. By default, only documents associated with the current operation are displayed, but it can sometimes be useful to view the documents associated with prior or subsequent operations. The document viewer feature has been enhanced to include a checkbox that, when checked, allows you to see all the documents linked to all the operations within the workflow.

The first image shows just the documents linked to the current operation. The second image shows the documents linked to all the operations in the workflow.

Transfer jobs between Recipes, BoMs and Workflows

Version 7.3 introduced a new model for version control for Recipes, BoMs and Workflows providing strict control of which versions of workflow and BoM are applied to any job. This works well for static designs, but the strict control causes an administrative burden where design iterations are more frequent and need to be up versioned in the middle of manufacture.

Version 8.0 provides more flexibility to allow changes to BoMs and Workflow versions to be applied to work in progress, either to apply a process or design change, or to correct a configuration error. This is achieved by allowing the transfer of jobs between Recipes, BoMs and Workflows. You can do a full transfer or partial transfer.

Full Transfer

The Full Transfer screen lets you transfer the job and all its items/tasks to the new Recipe, BoM and/or Workflow. The changes you make to the items/tasks in WIP will also be applied to future items. The Full Transfer popup can be accessed from the Full Transfer menu item in the Schedule Manager.

Partial Transfer

A partial transfer only affects the selected individual WIP items/tasks and does not apply to future items/tasks. The Partial Transfer popup can be accessed from the Items menu item in the Schedule Manager. It is also possible to up-version BoMs for completed items.

BoM version transfer

Material that was used in one BoM version can be mapped across to a new BoM version. All the things that were populated in the as-built against version 1 will be copied across to the new version using a new concept of BoM slot keys.

Recipe, BoM and Workflow Traceability

Traceability for recipe configuration changes was improved as follows:

Controlled BoMs, Workflows and Recipes will require a change reference when approval is requested.
eSignature capability was added to BoM Version, Workflow Version and Recipe Approval.
Have the option to set approver permission ID against BoM Types - defaults to BoM approver.
Have the option to set approver permission ID against Workflow Types - defaults to Workflow approver.
With the introduction of the SUID field, a BoM can be mapped to a third-party system.

Validation modes

In regulated sectors you need to demonstrate strict control of design and process changes. We added Pre-production and Pending Virtual Test statuses to BoMs, Recipes, Workflows, Jobs and Material Items in the production system.

Usually, system changes are made in a test environment where you create a test configuration. After testing and if you are happy with the test configuration, you copy the configuration to the production environment where you approve it for use. The following issues exist with this method:

Configurations must be done twice. Once in the test environment, and again in the production environment. This costs time and effort.
When you copy from test to production, you might introduce errors.
You have no evidence that the configuration was ever tested because the tests were performed in the test environment.
When you test a physical process, you consume resources. When performed in a test environment, you don’t see the consumption of resources.

Allowing you to mark configurations in your production system as test configurations, resolves all the issues listed above.

You don’t have to repeat configurations, so you save on the time and effort.
You don’t have to copy the test configuration to your production system, so you avoid the risk of introducing errors.
You can record the evidence of the tests giving you an audit trail.
You can model the real consumption of real resources.

Pre-production and Pending Virtual Test modes for BoM, Workflow and Recipes statuses were included. Jobs, material items or lots may also have a test status and only qualified people can work on test jobs and test items. For test jobs and test items, you may reference the test BoMs, Workflows and Recipes if you have the appropriate permissions to do so. These statuses allow items subject to these processes to be tracked in the system.

Pre-production

This status may only be used for pre-production jobs and by users with the appropriate permissions. Items in Pre-production will not be released into good stock when completed but will be set to on-Hold. Manual intervention is required to release pre-production items.

Pre-production jobs represent actual activity on the shopfloor and may consume any inventory and will appear in any plan.

Pending Virtual Test

This status may only be used for virtual test jobs by users with the appropriate permissions. Items in Pending Virtual Test will not be released but put on-Hold when completed.

Virtual Test jobs are for testing configuration and are not physically executed on the shopfloor. Virtual Test jobs may only consume material with virtual test status.

Product Documentation

We continue to add to our knowledge base, link context-specific content to application pages and add tooltips to fields. Explore our documentation (https://docs.mestec.net/docs).

Public API

Our integration capabilities have been enhanced and expanded in 8.0.

Material remove trigger: Material removed from a BoM in MESTEC may now be configured to trigger an outbound integration call, for example to perform a de-issue in ERP.
Public APIs were expanded to include:
- Product Serial Range: Can set a product to ‘schedule job specified’.
- Product Group: Ability to reads, create and delete a Product Group. Can also assign/unassign a product from a Product Group.
- Product Type: Ability to read, create and delete Product Types.
- Build: Ability to create a build record.
- BOM: Can create and update all aspects of a BOM definition:
  - BOM Types
  - BOM
  - BOM Version
  - BOM Slot: Properties, Candidates
- Schedule: Can create a new schedule (WO/Job).
- Work Centre Group: Ability to create and update Work Centre Groups.
- Recipe: Supports create, update, list and delete.
- Attendance Log improvement: Manage clocking into shifts.
- Users: Create, update, list user data.
- Schedule Resources: Ability to create a new schedule (WO/Job).

API Documentation

You can explore the full list of supported APIs in the documentation at: https://[SUBDOMAIN].mestec.net/apidocs/index

Translations

Our translations feature continues to be enhanced and expanded throughout the system. In 8.0, workstation buttons will display in the operator's language if a library exists for the language.

Where an entry is not available in a user’s language, it defaults to English.