Managing Inventory

The Inventory window displays the current item inventory in the MES system. Items are stored in storage entities and in specified lots, if desired. The MES inventory system will allow you to track an item’s remaining quantity, grade, status, and expiration date. The current work order may be associated with produced items, to allow tracking of WIP (work in progress) items. Internal movements may be tracked, as well as recording shipments in and out of your system.

Each inventory record reflects the storage of some quantity of a unique combination of item, lot number, and storage entity. In that way, an item may be stored in multiple lots, in multiple locations, and in various grades or states in each lot and/or location. Each combination of these fields will generate its own inventory record.

The contents of the Inventory window may be customized to suit each user’s needs. The Arrange Columns option allows you to choose which information from each inventory record should be displayed, and in which order. The Filter option allows you to choose which inventory records should be displayed. Both options are described more fully below. For a complete listing of the fields available for display in the Inventory window, see Available Inventory Columns.

Left-clicking a column heading allows you to sort the inventory display by that field. Click that heading again to reverse the sort order. Ctrl+click on other headings to add secondary and tertiary sort fields.

Left-clicking an inventory record allows you to select that record to be updated by one of the right-click context menu options. Use Ctrl+click to select multiple records for updating.

Right-clicking in the inventory display opens a context menu that contains the following options.

Add

Adds some quantity of an item into inventory. This option is discussed in detail in Add Item Window.

Transfer

Transfers some quantity of the selected item to another storage entity. This option is discussed in detail in Transfer Out Window.

Scrap

Removes some quantity of the selected item from inventory as scrap. This option is discussed in detail in Scrap Window.

Reduce

Removes some quantity of the selected item from inventory, for example, because it was damaged or it was shipped as finished goods. This option is discussed in detail in Reduce Window.

Lot Attributes

Assigns attributes to the selected item and lot. This option is discussed in detail in Lot Attributes Window.

Split Lot

Moves some quantity of the item in the selected inventory record to another lot number, storage entity, grade, and/or status. This option is discussed in detail in Split Lot Window.

Combine Lots

Combines some quantity of the selected item from multiple inventory records into one inventory record. This option is discussed in detail in Combine Lots Window.

Reclassify

Redefines the grade, status and/or expiration date for the selected items. This option is discussed in detail in Reclassify Window.

Filter

Allows you to choose what information appears in the Inventory window. This option is discussed in detail in Inventory Filters Window.

Refresh

Updates and redisplays the Inventory window to reflect any changes made in this window or elsewhere.

Arrange Columns

Allows you to choose what information from each inventory record is displayed in the Inventory window.

The columns available for display are described in Available Inventory Columns.

Attributes assigned to items and/or lots will be available for display in the Inventory window. The attribute names will appear in the Arrange Columns window for you to display in the location of your choice, if desired.

Restore Column Settings

Restores the column settings (which fields to include and in which order) to the original system settings.

Save Inventory Sequence

Applies the current sort order of the Inventory window to the MES Operator Inventory tab.

Set Auto Refresh Rate

Allows you to set the Inventory window to automatically refresh itself at the specified interval.