Using M3 Graphical Lot Tracker with M3 Business Engine

The pre-configured solution for interfacing with M3 Business Engine contains these trace steps:

  • Purchase
  • Manufacture
  • Reclassification
  • Scrap
  • Distribution
  • Customer
  • SubContract
  • Blend

Syntax of step IDs

The step ID for most of the above configurations is constructed on this logic:

TT.Whs.Item.Lot

This syntax comprises these elements:

  • TT represents the transaction type that is used to create the lot. This table shows the available options:
    Value Description
    BL Blending
    CO Customer
    MO Manufacture
    PO Purchase
    RC Reclassify
    SC Scrap
    SU Subcontract
  • Whs represents the warehouse where the action took place.
  • Item and Lot represent the item number and lot number, that is, the object.

A trace step can be defined with the type ‘Unknown’ and the step ID XX.Whs.Item.Lot. This information represents a lot transaction that has not been created by any of the valid traceable ways. For a lot that is created by a requisition order or stock count, a step ID with the type XX is defined and the transaction is rejected and displayed in the Rejected Transaction report. See Setting the transaction starting point to Unknown.

Example: trace steps and step IDs

This table shows examples of trace steps and step IDs for each trace step:

Trace step Description
Manufacturing For manufacturing lot L1 for item I1 in warehouse W1, a trace step is created with this information:

Step: Manufacture Step Id MO.W1.I1.L1

Depending on the setting of the trace line, the step ID for manufacturing a lot may follow this alternate logic:

MO.Whs.Item.ManufacturingOrder

Scrap Scrapping a lot is a possible end point of a trace. This step ID is defined for scrapping:

SC.Whs.Item.Lot

Distribution Shipping to a customer is the other possible end point of a trace. The step ID for shipping to a customer depends on the database configuration. One of these step IDs can be defined:

CO.OrderNumber.LineNumber.DeliveryNumber

CO.OrderNumber.LineNumber.DeliveryNumber.LotNumber

SubContract The step ID for shipping a lot to outside processing (subcontract) includes a reference to MO or PO, depending on whether a manufacturing order is involved or not. The step ID also shows the requisition order and line:

SU.MO.OrderNumber.OrderLine

SU.PO.OrderNumber.OrderLine

Example: transactions and steps

This example shows the transactions and steps that are created for each specified process:

  1. Receiving the purchased lot L1 for item I1 into warehouse W1

    Transaction: From-Step = Create, From-Step Id = blank, To-Step = Purchase, To-Step Id PO.W1.I1.L1

    Trace step: Step = Purchase, Step Id PO.W1.I1.L1

  2. Consuming lot L1 item I1 in warehouse W1 to produce lot L2 item I2 in warehouse W1

    Transaction: From-Step = Purchase, From-Step Id = PO.W1.I1.L1, To-Step = Manufacture, To-Step Id MO.W1.I2.L2

    Trace step: Step = Manufacture, Step Id MO.W1.I2.L2

  3. Distributing lot L2 item I2 to warehouse W2

    Transaction: From-Step = Manufacture, From-Step Id = MO.W1.I2.L2, To-Step = Distribute, To-Step Id MO.W2.I2.L2

    Trace step: Step = Distribute, Step Id MO.W2.I2.L2