Inventory Control of Container Size?

[swertel]

Case Study: We use an adhesive. The adhesive comes in 4oz bottles, 12oz bottles, spray cans, or even 55 gallon drums.

Engineering creates a vendor item drawing that defines the acceptance criteria of the adhesive and offers recommendations for commercial items that fit the specification.

Supply Chain wants to know exactly what to buy, since the pricing and options for the different containers varies greatly. Engineering doesn't care, and therefore doesn't specify. Manufacturing will have to decide how they want to apply the adhesive. Planning can determine how much to buy based on usage and orders.

Inventory Control now has product in receiving. Supply Chain, upon Operations' request, bought both the spray can and the 4oz bottles. They bought both of these under the same engineering part number that defines the actual adhesive.

How is the adhesive defined in the inventory system (ERP, MRP, MES, etc.)?
Do you mix all containers in the same bin? If so, how do you know what container size to issue to each work center?
Do you create fictitious ID numbers to track each container size? If so, how do you relate those numbers back to the original engineering drawing?

--Scott
www.aerornd.com

 

[truckandbus]

I'd create part numbers for each container size option, strictly for the ease of purchasing. The drawings would reference the engineering spec doc defining the adhesive
I'd have purchasing stock the adhesive like they would any consumable - drill bits, sanding disks, light bulbs, toilet paper - and reorder when inventory gets low. Work stations that use a lot get spray cans, work stations that use a little get small bottles
Bills of material can call out the engineering spec document with either an amount of adhesive given or "as required" as the description

 

[looslib]

Each should have its own stock number and be treated as a consumable with min and reorder quantities.

My questions are:
Can you use the spray and the tube of the adhesive interchangeable in the same application?
Does manufacturing/assembly prefer one application to be better than the other?
Any issues with shelf life for the 2 methods?
Is one more economical than the other? Spray cans of products are usually more expensive.

If engineering will only go so far as specifying the material and uses an A?R for quantity, then it becomes manufacturing planning's responsibility to economically determine the optimal packaging for shop floor use.



"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli