Part of the PD concept involves setting up an “operations definition” which represents a model of the companies major business processes, it’s reporting structure, the physical locations where work is done, and supporting reference data.  Some key elements of this model are:
  

Process Templates - these represent processes for process types or families.  The tasks included in this process are linked to other customer specific data setup in a series of setup screens.  

Implementation involves key personnel working together with Saros to capture existing process flow for key operational processes and beginning the effort of streamlining each process.  Both office and factory processes are addressed.  Basic steps are:  

·         Process Definitions (titles of tabs on Setup and Order Create screens)

·         Process Flow – arrange task flow for each process

·         Task setup – set up task linkage (how tasks interrelate) and initial assumptions for task duration

·         Document suggested improvements that come out of meetings.  Present ideas to management for immediate implementation or inclusion in future projects.

• Other detail setup - other detail setup screens are provided to input other customer specific setup information.  Setup information like customer, supplier, and inventory data is imported directly from existing data sources where possible. Refer to Attachment A for more detail.  

Typical Business Processes:

Purchasing – typically includes receiving, incoming inspection, and assigning of stock to locations on floor and/or warehouse.  A purchase order and its associated tasks can be initiated directly through PD Order Create or automatically created based on demand of other processes.  

Sales Order – at a minimum includes order release, pick materials, and ship.  This process sets up the demand in the system.  Key tasks in office like credit check, engineering release, invoicing, and payment receipt are added as applicable.   There are several ways clients can use this process in combination with other processes.

• Review listing of material needs to support order and initiate automated purchase orders and work orders based on this need.  Intelligence can be added to combine these with other open orders based on predefined rules.
• At order save, system creates pending purchase and work order tasks for release by a centralized scheduling function.   Refer to page 9 for more detail for this approach.
• Tie accounting tasks directly to a clients accounting system.  These tasks will prompt for needed information and automatically create appropriate AR transactions in accounting system.
• For companies with some portion of their inventory controlled by visual systems, system will update prompting listing in appropriate reporting area to be used as a reminder to check visual systems and as a place to initiate electronic notifications.
• A Saros supplied order entry web page can be added to clients web site to automatically spawn sales orders ready for review and release.  

Work Order – this will vary the most between businesses.  Multiple processes typically identified by product “family” will be set up to represent the work and material flow for each product family.  Optional tasks that are included/excluded at time of order creation can be used to make each family more inclusive thus reducing the total number of product families.  These processes will typically include order release, pick materials, part processing, sub assemblies (if applicable), assembly, and assign to location.  Since all inventory items are linked to a particular process, more complex manufactured items can have multiple processes all tied together at multiple levels of manufacture.  This relationship is equivalent to the multilevel bill of material in traditional systems.  

Outside Service – a high degree of flexibility is available to control various types of outside services needed to support in house processes.  Depending on supplier relationship, process model can include reporting area(s) and related tasks at their site.  PD View can be provided to them working over the Internet allowing them to provide real time updates of status of process.  Security is set up to only allow them to view tasks within their assigned reporting areas.  

Other repeating business processes – other areas of business like ECN control, customer returns, non-conformance tracking, corrective action, etc can be modeled to reduce paperwork and improve throughput.  

Major projects – major projects can be modeled in Process Director and tasks assigned to appropriate resources.  Projects can be internal only or linked to customer or supplier.