Work Centers

Use work centers to track the production costs that Scheduling activities generate. The work center does not affect the actual scheduling. Some information you enter when setting up a work center is used to provide default values when you create an operation record, but this is for convenience only and you may override the values on the operation record.

These tabs are available:

  • Scheduling tab: Use this tab to specify information about departments, shift IDs, and so on.
  • Costing tab:

    Use this tab to record information regarding costs and rates associated with a specific work center.

  • Accounts tab: Use this tab to maintain the default value for account numbers for the Material, Labor, Fixed And Variable Overhead, and Outside Service WIP Accounts for each work center.
  • Variance tab: Use this tab to maintain material and labor variance accounts for each work center.
  • Overhead Accounts tab: Use this tab to maintain the default value for account numbers for the fixed and variable overhead usage for Material, Labor And Machine Accounts. You use these accounts only for production schedules and JIT production; they do not include jobs. You update the WIP Cost fields as a result of running the End of Period Costing Activity.
  • Accumulative Amounts tab: The accumulated values that display represent the totals of all jobs and production schedules that have passed through the work center since the system was initially set up.

    The form also displays the current, cumulative cost for each work-in-process (WIP) Account and total WIP per work center for production schedules and JIT production.

    This is display-only information. You update cumulative costs as a result of reporting scrap against, or completing quantities for, a production schedule or JIT transaction. Any work center transactions will also update these fields, as will running the End of Period Costing Activity.

    The WIP Cost fields are dynamic. When material, labor, etc. accumulates for production, WIP costs increase by Actual amounts. As you complete production, WIP costs decrease by Earned amounts.

    Note:  These WIP values do not include jobs tracked individually on the Cost Detail tab on the Job Orders form.
  • Resource Groups tab: This tab allows you to associate up to six resource groups with the work center. This association is for defaulting purposes when you create operations. When you select this work center for an operation on the Operations form, the resource groups you enter on this tab are also associated with the operation.
    Note:  The number of resources assigned to an operation does not affect that operation's cost.
  • If you are using the Automotive industry pack, use the OEE tab to view data relating to overall equipment effectiveness.
  • User Defined tab: See the "Displaying User Defined Fields Defined in Earlier Versions" help topic for more information.
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