Network routings

A simple routing contains only sequentially ordered operations. A network routing can contain sequentially ordered operations and parallel operations.

LN offers three methods to define parallel operations:

  • Manually, in the Operation Relationships by Order (tisfc1102m000) session.
  • By inserting phantom components that have a routing.
  • By defining parallel operations in the Routing Operations (tirou1102m000) or Generic Routing (tipcf3120m000) session.
Note

Only converging network routings are supported: two operations can a common succeeding operation, but they cannot have a common preceding operation. Every network routing has one final operation.

To manually define parallel operations

To manually define parallel operations in the production order planning, complete the following steps:

  1. Create a production order with a sequentially-ordered routing.
  2. Start the Operation Relationships by Order (tisfc1102m000) session.
  3. For each operation, enter the number of the next operation in the Next Operation. Enter 0 in the production order's final operation.
To define parallel operations using phantom components

To define a routing that has a secondary branch that joins the main routing halfway, complete the following steps:

  1. Define a phantom item that represents the subassembly created in the secondary routing branch.
  2. Define the phantom item's routing, which is the secondary branch.
  3. Add the phantom to the bill of material (BOM) of the main item.

  4. In the Bill of Material (tibom1110m000) session, link the phantom to the operation that follows the secondary branch of the routing.

    Alternatively, you can link the phantom to a specific operation for each routing in the BOM Line - Material-Routing Relationships (tibom0140m000) session.

LN connects the routing of the phantom item to the main item routing immediately before the main item operation that is linked to the phantom. For more information, see Example network routing.

To link an operation to phantom for a specific production order, in the Estimated Materials (ticst0101m000) session, specify that operation in the Operation field. For an example, see Example network routing.

To define parallel operations in a routing

If the Allow Parallel Operations in Routing check box in the Routing Parameters (tirou0100m000) session is selected, you can define parallel routings in the Routing Operations (tirou1102m000) session.

To define parallel operations in a routing, complete the following steps:

  1. Before you enter the operations, roughly order the operations from first to last. Ensure no operation is followed by an operation that must be performed earlier.
  2. Start the Routing Operations (tirou1102m000) session.
  3. Define all routing operations. At first, leave the Next Operation field at the default value, 0 (zero).

  4. For each operation, in the Next Operation field, enter the operation that is performed next.

    The operation number of the next operation must be greater than the number of the current operation. For example, operation 40 cannot follow operation 50.

    For the final operation, enter 0 (zero) in the Next Operation field.

After you complete the routing, validate the routing and correct any errors. To validate the routing, on the appropriate menu, click Validate Sequence.

Note

When a production order is created, LN validates the routing and stops the process if the routing is incorrect.

To define parallel operations in a generic routing

The procedure to define parallel operations in a generic routing is almost the same as that for regular routings. Instead of the Routing Operations (tirou1102m000) session, you must use the Generic Routing (tipcf3120m000) session.

Caution!

If you specified an operation in the Next Operation field, and that operation is skipped for a particular product variant, LN does not automatically replace that operation with the correct operation. Instead of the operation that follows the skipped operation, LN selects the operation with next higher operation number. After LN generated the routing for the product variant, correct the operation sequence for the customized item or configured standard item in the Routing Operations (tirou1102m000) session.

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