Overview
Shop floor tracking (SFT) provides an alternative to back office, paper-based data entry by moving activity from the back office to the floor, reducing the gap between physical activity and organizational visibility. Managers can view all activities, make corrections, and add missing entries. Posting procedures to create work order tracking can be performed interactively or as a recurring batch job. You can also setup teams for SFT to handle tasks for multiple employees at the same time.
Click the following thumbnail for an illustration of how SFT fits within the existing Sage X3 manufacturing functionality.
Implementation decisions
To successfully implement SFT, you must review and adjust parameters that are specific to SFT as well as consider the value of existing parameters.
The following questions must be answered to setup and implement SFT.
The numbers do not have to match a payroll employee ID.
Current ID is only used within Sage X3 manufacturing tracking.
Processing is much more efficient if this value can be provided via barcode scan or badge swipe.
Management of this is an implementation decision. Making the number simple increases the risk of employees clocking transactions for other employees.
Summary teams do not track individual (employee level) labor, but take into account the number of team members to calculate the total labor. Summary teams follow the same procedures as an individual employee except that Total duration for a task is multiplied by the number of employees on the team. You can update the number of employees for an existing team in the Employees function (TABMAT) or using the Adjust team action in the SFT workbench. Note that when you change the number in the Employees function, unposted activities are not affected. However, when you use the Adjust team action, the number of employees on an open transaction does change.
Detailed teams allow for clocking activities using the team ID but generates employee level detail. Employees who are associated with a team can leave and rejoin as needed. Detailed teams are made up of individual employees, so you must assign employee to the team. All team members must be active and share the same Site and Shift code as the team profile. Employees can still stop team activities to work on individual tasks, but they can only be a member of one team.
You can manage Detailed teams using the Teams function (GESTEM), which allows you to add or remove members and view the team member history.
Are the employee IDs defined? If not, you must add them, and you need to check the new fields and update as required.
If so, you need to decide the default setting for the SFTELPDEF - Automated Data Collection (ADC) elapsed time default parameter (GPA chapter, CTL group).
If so, set the SFTEMPCLK - Employee clock in/out parameter (GPA chapter, CTL group) to Yes.
Unless you are in time zone GMT = 0, you must define the SFTOFFSET - Time zone difference parameter (GPA chapter, CTL group) for each production site where employees are tracking transactions using the SFT workbench. Otherwise, their start/stop times are displayed in GMT time.
OPRRATE - Labor rate selection (GPA chapter, COS group) is a core parameter and its value impacts the source of the rate used for labor transactions.
If employee-specific labor rates are being used, the employee record must be updated to have the desired labor rate.
When using actual labor rates, you should consider limiting access to the Employees function (TABMAT) because the rate is often considered as sensitive data.
Each employee that can enter elapsed time must be updated by checking the Elapsed labor check box.
If so, you should review the rejection reasons that are defined and adjust if necessary.
If so, create indirect reference codes to match the activities that employees should use.
If so, set the SFTAUTOBRK - Auto breaks parameter (GPA chapter, CTL group) to Yes.
At least one indirect reference with type Auto break must be created.
Employees subject to automatic break creation must be assigned to a shift.
If so, you must define the break codes in the Indirect references function (SFTINDREF).
With this option, the machine continues to charge time whilst the employee is on a break or an other exclusive task and prevents “undercharging” a work order with machine burden.
Whether done back office or by a supervisor, the Employee activity function (FUNFSTEAC) is usually secured via Sage X3 security setup. Typically, regular shop floor employees do not have access to this function.
Labor validation can be run interactively or as a batch job. Some organizations allow a period of time for review and then post by shift or by shift date. If your process is to run it periodically, you can define a recurring batch job to process automatically based on the desired schedule.