Materials prices dictate tighter stock control

With the current high and still rising cost of common raw materials such as brass, steels and stainless steels, manufacturers have to maintain accurate control of material usage.

With the current high and still rising cost of common raw materials such as brass, steels and stainless steels, accurate control of material usage and inventory is becoming more and more essential.

Over-stocking materials has a major effect on cash flow, and cannot be guaranteed to maintain its value in the current volatile market.

It can also leave manufacturers with unwanted material if a contract is subject to change.

Under-stocking leaves you at the mercy of delivery times and market pricing, and in most cases, is the actual cause of frantic last-minute efforts to achieve the promised delivery to the customer.

PSL Datatrack, from Prospec systems, addresses this problem in a simple and practical manner by offering the option of purchasing material against a specific job or for stock where it is essential for such production as Kan-Ban or JIT.

Whichever method is applied, or in the case of a mixture of methods, PSL Datatrack has enabled absolute control of allocations and issues of materials as and when required, without the need for intense management of the normal ins and outs of material movement.

Materials are identified by bar code on arrival via the GRN system and stocked in pre-determined locations.

The system scheduler informs production that material is available to start a job via the 'Work-to-list' produced automatically for each machine or section.

Allocations of material not under 'bonded' control are carried out by the shop-floor personnel who need to use it, directly at the machine, eliminating the need for any supervisory level.

The system checks that the correct material has been allocated and updates the production schedule and the material stock records automatically.

Bonded materials are issued by Authorisation Tickets produced automatically by the system.

Full trace-ability of materials is maintained throughout the history of supply and usage of materials.

For ISO purposes a series of detailed transactions, together with all the relevant job history for which they were supplied and used, is available as standard.

Full stock reports and valuations are available instantly, at any time, and can be used for rapid stocktaking when required.

The system reports on all forthcoming material requirements and links to the purchasing module to ensure they are ordered on time and from the right supplier.

Material delivery is monitored by the integral scheduler, ensuring that delivery promises are met, whilst the Quality Control module provides supplier performance reports to enable accurate statistics about suppliers and their ability to maintain the necessary excellent service.

The result is a well controlled material system which makes best use of cash flow, maintains accurate stock information, avoids over-ordering and makes the most economical use of machines possible by ensuring that they will always have a supply of the appropriate raw materials.

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