Component Tracking

This Wiki is read-only for reference purposes to avoid broken links.

Component Tracking refers to the tracking of serialized components in assemblies. In an instance of an assembly defined by a Bill of Materials (BOM), components that are part of the assembly can be removed, installed on a different assembly, placed in inventory, sent for repair or scrapped. In its life cycle, a particular component may be purchased new, installed and removed on several assemblies, sent for repair and overhaul several times before being scrapped. During all this activity, the history of the component needs to be tracked to know its status and where it is in its life cycle.

Definitions

Assembly

A collection of one or more components. An assembly can be a component. An assembly has a BOM.

Component

An element of an assembly. The component may be an assembly or a single entity. A component has a life cycle defined by usage, time or both. It may have an inspection/overhaul cycle defined by usage/time or both.

Reporting Requirements

The reports and data in the application need to answer the following questions:

• What components are due for inspection or servicing and where are they located (where installed or stored)?
• What assemblies have components that are due for servicing or replacement?
• What components are installed on a particular assembly?
• When is the next closest inspection or servicing limit of all components of an assembly?
• Where is a particular component?
• Where are similar models of a component located? (Find a replacement)
• Does this assembly have all the necessary components installed?
• What components are missing from this assembly? Is it acceptable that these are missing? How long have they been missing?
• What happened to a component over its life - where has it been?
• What repairs/changes were made to a component over its life?

Process Requirements

The following processes will be required:

• Identification of a component (similar to a product) and the life cycle of the component.
• Identification/definition of the assembly as a collection of components. The definition needs to include whether the component is required or optional. (Similar to a product with a BOM - an engineering master)
• Creation of an instance of a component with a specific serial number or identifier and a specific life status (opening balance) (similar to an attribute set instance)
• Creation of an instance of an assembly with the component instances of which it is made. (Similar to an attribute set instance but where the components all have ASIs defined as well.)
• Work order steps/tracking for changes to an assembly instance and the reasons for the change. (Component #1234 removed. Component #3456 installed.)
• Validation that all required components are installed on the assembly.