Automating Updates to Unit Configurations

As service is performed on a unit, its configuration information may need to change to reflect the work that was done.

Material Transaction Posting

You can set up the system so that, when SRO Material Transactions are posted for service orders where a unit is specified on the SRO line, the unit's configuration can be changed accordingly. Use the Configuration Update Method field on the Service Parameters form to handle this.

You can specify one of these options for the update method. For all options except Never, you must provide a reason code to use when a component is removed from the unit. By default, this method is set to Prompt.

Never: A material transaction posting does not affect unit configurations. Updates must be performed manually.
Prompt: The system prompts the user to ask if the configuration should be updated. If the response is Yes, the Unit Configuration form is displayed.
Auto Append: If you select this option, you must also specify a Configuration Change History Branch. Each time a material transaction is posted, the configuration changes are logged in the history branch of the configuration tree.
When a return transaction is performed, the system looks for the first occurrence of the item on the configuration that has not already been removed and, if one is found, sets the removal date and removal reason. If the item is not found, the user receives an error message.

When an issue or shipment transaction is performed, the system creates the new component in the Change History branch. The installation date is set to the transaction date of the material transaction.
Auto Synch: The system adds and removes configurations without any user intervention.
When a return transaction is performed, the system looks for the first occurrence of the item on the configuration that has not already been removed and, if one is found, sets the removal date and removal reason. If the item is not found, the user receives an error message. If the item is serial tracked, the exact item, as opposed to the first item found, is removed. If more than one of the same item exists on the configuration, the first occurrence of that item, based on component ID, is removed.

When an issue or shipment transaction is performed, the system looks for the first occurrence of the item on the configuration, removed or not. If the item is found, a new component is created in its place. Otherwise, the component is added to the bottom of the tree.

When more than one serial-tracked item is issued, the system automatically creates multiple configuration records, one configuration for each serial number.

Notes:

Only item records where Include on Configuration is selected (on the Items form) can trigger a configuration update.
Loaner shipments and returns do not trigger configuration updates.

Reversing a Material Transaction Posting

When the Configuration Update Method is set to Never, the system does not try to change the unit configuration when reversing a material transaction posting. For the other three options, the system tries to back out any changes to the configuration that were a result of the original posting.

SRO Material Data Collection

The data collection posting routine observes the unit configuration update method when set to Auto Synch or Auto Append. If the parameter is set to Prompt or Never, any posting on the form does not change the unit configuration.