About Backflushing

While backflushing is an optional feature, it is tailored to minimize the number of entries you will need to enter to record transactions for jobs, production schedules, or JIT production. Based upon the routing of an item, backflushing automatically issues materials or record machine and labor hours, or any combination of materials and hours. You can use backflushing in conjunction with control points, which further automates your process.

To use backflushing, you must set up the backflushing location on the Inventory Parameters form.

Note:  You cannot perform backflushing operations on items from consignment warehouse locations.

Reverse Backflushing

Reverse backflushing costing uses the average Actual cost of materials. The system reverses labor and machine hours at the standard rate based on the routing. The manufacturing type determines the routing the system uses.

Manufacturing Type Routing Used in Backflushing
Job Job routing/BOM
Production Schedule Production Schedule release routing/BOM
JIT Production Current routing/BOM

Lot-Tracked/Serial-Tracked Items

To backflush lot-tracked or serial-tracked items, you must first enable backflushing for these items on the Inventory Parameters form (Control tab) and the Items form (Control tab).

Note: Job material sequences can be changed or deleted even if there are pending lot-tracked or serial-tracked items that have not posted.

Slow-Moving and Obsolete Items

Do not backflush items that are slow-moving or obsolete. If an item that is backflushed is later flagged as slow-moving or obsolete, remove it from all backflushing processes at that time.

Caution: 
You receive no warning or error messages if you backflush an item that is flagged as either Obsolete or Slow Moving.

JIT Production

JIT production reports costs against a work center when that work center is defined as a control point in the current routing. The difference is that the system records Actual amounts for comparison against Earned amounts. The system accumulates variances by work center for the period you choose (for example, weekly).

Note:  For both production schedules and JIT production, you can add manual transactions in addition to the transactions automatically recorded through backflushing.

Vendor Consigned Inventory

If you have material in a vendor consignment warehouse when you perform a backflush, the system will check that warehouse for the required material.  If found, it will transfer the necessary amount out of consignment, which will trigger a purchase order line with the vendor.