This function is used to calculate the simulated cost of a product, a selection of products, all the products at a site from a cost type routing alternative, a cost type BOM, with or without immediate update, to print a document summarizing or detailing the calculation.

The simulated cost is generally used in order to prepare a cost estimation as a function of the project (new BOM, new component, new route).
The simulated cost calculation uses the routing data (time) and the valuation dimension data for the work centers associated with the route during the processing.

When the calculation is carried out a raw material, the process makes an attempt to determine the receipt overheads for the material.

The user has several possibilities available for the calculation to establish a simulated cost :

  • a choice of calculation quantities,
  • a choice of raw material valuation,
  • overheads,
  • the valuation dimension rates,
  • a posting method for the fixed costs.

For a calculation including the BOM multi-levels or for a calculation for several products, the process is exclusive by site, that is to say no other user can launch a cost calculation at the same site at the same time.

If the process is requested for a selection of products, the system examines these products in decreasing order of the codes at the lowest level.

The calculation with or without the lower BOM levels consists of reading the component costs at the first level and transferring them to the cost of the parent product.

  • When calculated with BOM split, the calculation includes the component costs at the first level, but also all components n decreasing order of the codes at the lowest level.
  • A calculation excluding the lower BOM is justified for an update when the costs of the sub-levels have already been calculated. 

 

Notes about the material and subcontract cost: :

  • Materials:
     
    By definition, material does not have component. The "Material cost selection" field is used to determine how its cost is calculated when defined as "calculated" and not "entered".
     
  • Subcontract:
     
    The search to value the sub-contract service in a context of production is as follows:
     
    1/ The reference price on the operation, if it exists, is taken into account.
    2/ The price of the valuation method is taken into account if valuation method is on the product-site.
    3/ Search of price list.
     
    The cost of materials given by a subcontract always comes from the price list; if the price list is not found, the standard cost can be used if the PURPRICE - Standard cost default price list parameter has the value Yes.
     
    To search the sub-contracting service (without WO) and the provided material list prices given by the subcontractor (and to search the material list price and the choice of BOM components), the calculation process is systematically based on the validity start date of the cost.

SEEWARNING If a product has a BOM, the production overhead is taken into account, otherwise the receipt overhead is taken into account.

Prerequisite

SEEREFERTTO Refer to documentation Implementation

Screen management

The Simulated cost calculation function is made up of a screen where the operator indicated the product selections and calculation parameters.

Entry screen

Selection criteria

Site

The user must indicate the site for the calculation.

Selection of the products

The user must indicate either a product, or a group of products at the site or a selection of products.
When the choice is a single product, it is necessary to indicate the product reference, and to tick the box "unique".

  • To choose to calculate the simulated cost for all the products at the site, tick the "All" box.
  • To carryout the simulated cost calculation for a selection of products, it is necessary to create the selection filter via the contextual menu accessible in the Product field.

The filter can be saved.
At the end of the selection the "selection" button activates.

Validity

The user has to specify the validity period of the calculated revised standard cost.

Calculation quantity

This is the quantity that will be used in the calculation.
In the case of a calculation for a single product, this filed is loaded by default by the economic quantity for the product but can be modified.

Calculation parameters

BOM routings

The user must indicate an alternative routing of the cost type, this alternative must be associated with a BOM alternative that is also of the type cost.
In the case where the routing alternative is not entered, the process will only calculate the material costs.

BOM code

The BOM alternative is displayed and is non modifiable. This is the first BOM alternative associated with the routing alternative previously entered.
It is necessary to ensure that this BOM is of a cost type alternative.

Descent through the BOM

The "Descend BOM" field is only active in the case of a single product calculation.
If this flag is set, the process descend through the BOM to the lowest level or up to a parent product whose "Update Simulated Cost" code is entered (Cost tab in the product-site record).
The calculation process, stores the simulated cost for each parent product found.
If the flag is not positioned, the calculation is carried out at the first level, and it uses the existing costs of the components based on the material cost selected.

Distribution of the fixed costs

The fixed overheads (material loss, setup rate, operation loss rate, fixed rate) are distributed either as a totality or pro rata for the calculation quantity/economic quantity.

Material cost choice

The material cost choice is initialized by default (CLCBUDMAT setup), it is used to value the material cost.

Dimension rate choice

The dimension rate choice is initialized by default (CLCBUDRAT setup), it is used to value the labour and machine elements in the calculation.

OH column choice

The OH column choice (Overheads) is initialized by default (OVECOLBUD setup), it is used to value the overhead element in the calculation, detailed by the nature of the overhead and calculated by applying the fixed rate or the formula in the chosen calculation column.

Update code

The update code is used to :

  • Simulate a calculation (Choice 'no')
  • update the calculation in differed mode, this update is carried out by the "Update the calculated costs" function,
  • update immediately.
Printing the result of the calculation

At the end of the process, a log file can be printed, this file summarized all the products processed and any anomalies found.
A Crystal Report document can then be printed detailing and / or summarising the calculation.
When a calculation does not include a descent through the BOM, the print is of a calculation summary.

Batch task

This function can be run in batch mode. The standard task CALCSTSIM is provided for that purpose.

Error messages

In addition to the generic error messages, the following messages can appear during the entry :

During the selection entry, the following messages may appear:

Site... Record non-existent

This message appears after the site entry if the corresponding record is not found. You can check this by using the selection window.

Product-site record does not exist ...

This message appears after the entry of the product reference if the corresponding record has not been found. You can check this by using the selection window.

Calculation prohibited: the Entered/calculated code is 'entered'

This message appears after the entry of the product reference if for this product in this site, the 'Entry/calculated' code corresponding to the function in process is set to 'Entered': this means that the data can not be overwritten by a calculation.

The cost exists already, it will be erased on the calculation update

This message appears after the modification of a product reference, for the site or for the year for the standard or simulated type calculation if this cost already exists. This is a non blocking warning.

If one of the costs corresponding to these selections exists already, it will be erased on the update of the calculation.

This message appears in the same cases as the previous message but for a calculation on a selection or for all the products.

Code not valid for this site!

This message appears after the entry of the alternative if this is dedicated to another site.

No BOM alternative is valid for the selected site

This message appears after the entry of the alternative if none of the 3 associated BOM alternatives is not dedicated to the site entered.

No BOM alternative found

This message appears after the selection entry if, for the product entered, no BOM exists after the search in the 3 alternative associated with the routing alternative.

No routing alternative : Warning material calculation only !

This message appears if the routing alternative is set to zero : only the material cost can be valued because no operation can be processed and no BOM can be read.

The filter must be constructed from the previous field (contextual menu)

This message appears after having ticked the radio button 'selection' if no filter has been established from the Product field (by right click and 'Filter').

 The product reference must be specified

This message appears after having ticked the "Single" radio button if no product reference has been entered.

Cost already calculated by not updated.

This message appears after the entry of the year if a cost record corresponding to the selections exists in the provisional table. This is a non blocking warning.

Another calculation in process at this site

This message appears after the entry of the selection if a calculation is launched for several product or a product with descent of BOM and that another calculation is in process at the same site. This message is blocking because this type of calculation is exclusive for a given site.

Impossible to anticipate the revised cost : Accounting interface activated !

This message appears during control of the year field if this is greater than the current year and the ACCCSTIFA is set to Yes. A cost revision must be chronological to be able to be passed to accounting.
 

After the process, the log file can contain the following messages :

Error with BOM descent

A problem has occurred during the descent of the BOM (before the actual calculation). The process is interrupted, no update takes place.

Product-site record does not exist ...

This message appears if during the descent through the BOM a product-site record is not found.

No economic quantity for pro-rata distribution

This message appears if the Economic quantity and Technical lot fields for a parent product (product-site record fields) are found to be zero and that the Distribution setup for the fixed costs is set to 'Pro rata'. In this case the coefficient for the pro rata will be forced to 1.

This message can also concern a sub-contract product.

Product-cost record does not exist ...

This message appears if during the read of the component costs a product-cost record has not been found. The process continues but there will not be an update of the ITMCOST table.

No valid BOM link ...

This message appears if the read of the BOM for a parent product finds no valid link for the calculation date.

Routing record does not exist ...

This message appears if the routing (where the reference is the Routing-cost field from the product-site and the number of the selected alternative) does not exist for a parent product.

Routing not valid for the specified date

This message appears if the routing for the parent product is not valid for the calculation date.

No valuation section for this work center ...

This message appears if the Valuation section field for the work center is empty.

Transaction interrupted

This message appears during the write operation in the provisional table ITMCOSTW in the case of a serious problem. The process continues but there will not be an update of the ITMCOST table.

Error in the formulas for the Overheads OH code (formula code)

This message appears if the formula referenced in an Overhead column cannot be evaluated. The error is not blocking, the corresponding OH amount will be null.

Material record already present in the print file

This message appears during the preparation of the print line for a material if this material existed already in the temporary table serving the print.

The calculation result is remaining in the provisional table

This message appears after a blocking problem (write error or Product-cost non-existent) if an immediate update has been requested. There will not have been an update of the ITMCOST table and the calculation result will be in the ITMCOSTW table.

Existing record erased

This message appears if a standard or budget cost calculation is launched when this cost exists already.

The corresponding standard cost could not be created

This message appears if a revised or simulated cost calculation is launched when the corresponding standard cost did not exist and there has been a write problem for this standard cost (that is normally created automatically). It will then be necessary to manually create a standard cost to be able to view the other types of costs using "cost management" function.

Tables used

SEEREFERTTO Refer to documentation Implementation