Support is the key to a successful system. For more than 25 years we have successfully supported our software clients. Our goal is to resolve any critical system problem overnight and the best way to contact us with a problem is to send an email to support@feldmanengineering.com. But first, help yourself by looking for an answer in this listing of frequently asked questions.

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What is the relationship between Labor, Workstations, Workcells, Department and Equipment Records?

Bills of Material specify labor operations (identified by class#11). These are performed at at specific workstations (class #D2). A given workstation can have a number of similar machines (class #D1) that can perform the same operation (and these are assignable during the scheduling process). Functionally similar machines are grouped in workcenters (class #D3) and they in turn are grouped into departments (class #D4)

This is a little complicated so bear with me. What we have is a chain of command that is used for work assignment and cost control.

Departments are the highest level and overhead costs are normally charged by department .

A Workstation is a generic functional machine: it can be an individual piece of equipment , i.e., panelsaw, or cutting table, a workcell (group of machines dedicated to a multi-step process) or a dedicated line (metal painting or hot press panel laminating line).

Specific machinery ( each panelsaw or router), workcells and lines are listed in the equipment key. The first parent is the machine or workcell location, the second parent is normally the Workstation. For equipment which is part of a dedicated workcell or a line (the gluespreader on a laminating line), the second parent is the specific workcell or line in the equipment key.

Production schedule data is accumulated by Workstation and then summarized by Workcenter and Department. Group leaders can use the Workstation Schedule to assign specific machines to jobs, to check whether materials are available or prior operations are completed. These records point to each other by the use of "parent records" An example:

I only see an empty (blank) screen when I start the program. What should I do?

If the screen is truly blank - no text visible on the above accordion bar (left side of screen) go to Control Panel> Display>Windows Setup> Display> select "Classical Windows " theme! If you can see the Accordion Bars but after clicking on one, can't see subheadings then you must change the colors in your Windows Setup. Select Default (Blue).

Your software needs a more current calendar file (days worked and holidays). Please email us for the version suitable for your version of SIM*plicity.

SIM*plicity's dynamic bill of material files contains a full range of mathematical functions. First here is an example of how to use them:

Labor can be reported within either the Plan and Perform module or by using the Production Reporting option in the Manufacturing Control module. This discussion pertains only to the Manufacturing Control module where labor is reported by ticket number.

To initiate labor reporting add (or edit) the following lines in CAMS.INI manufacturing section:
[Manufacturing]
Report Labor=yes (no is the default)
Report Inventory=no (yes is the default)

The significance of the setting "Report Inventory" depends on how labor is reported in your company. If you report it in real time set this value to yes. If you batch report (i.e., enter time card date at the end of the day) you may want to avoid the lag in entry time required for the inventory to be updated after each transaction. If "Report Inventory" is set to "no" inventory transactions will only take place when you ship the product . With either option back-flushing of inventory and labor usages will take place unless that specific transaction was reported.

Operators name, and/or ticket numbers can be entered by scanning of barcodes or directly via the keyboard. Time can be entered as conventional (1:00 pm) or military time (1300). Entering "=" enters the current time.

Dynamic Bills of Material are normally used for a wide range of products while Static Bills are used for specific products. If you have similar products which require Static Bills you can use a similar item as a template --"cloning" its structure to an an empty Bill of Material. From the Engineering accordion bar select "Create/Edit B/M". Select the bill to copy from and click "Ctl-C" {control plus the c key}. Then select the empty bill and click Ctl-V". The data from the original bill is copied to the new bill which can then be edited.

Select Order Entry, then Product Definition selection on the menu accordion. Entering an item allows you to select the Global option that establishes the base price for that product. If you enter "0" in the base price then the unit value prices are the product prices. If you enter a value in the base price the unit values are incremental. To these prices you can add feature specific pricing which can be either Global (Order) or Product Option specific. However these upcharges are the same for all products that have the specific options selected in their bills of material.

Upcharges depend on the unit value of the selected option (if not a yes/no option), and are defined with the following characters (selected from a drop down list). note values can be negative (price reduction)

Q Count function that multiplies the $ amount selected by the quantity (i.e., number of doors, buttons, etc.). To activate the count function enter a "$" at the end of the line in the bill of materials that defines the option.

M Metric area Area is calculated as length multiplied by width and as this could become a very large number use the "M" option which is area divided by one million - equivalent to converting square millimeters to square meters.

Using Board-feet values requires a special usr file "boardft.usr. Here are some typical values:

For example all products with a final finished thickness greater than 1.05 and less than 1.31 would be considered 6/4 and have their surface area (divided by 144) and multiplied by 1.5.

CAUTION: The following options may require reformatting of your acknowledgment and invoice layout.

(When selecting N or X a pop-up box appears to input the minimum or maximum quantity.)

The engine that drive SIM*plicity is a relational database. It is transparent to most users but sometimes you need to get “under the hood” (when setting up your database) or just want to know what’s there. This overview should help but please contact us for detailed info before you change anything in the “System Maintenance” area.

To isolate problems SIM*plicity’s database is divided into separate files. Most of these share a common format and are designated “Master Records”. The layout of a standard Master Record is divided into fields as per these examples:

All these fields are indexed (sorted automatically) giving you immediate access to a single record or groups of records based on any of the above.

RECORD # Each record in the system has a unique identifier so you know what file it belongs to and what its record # is. An analogy is a car’s VIN#. Change its license from state to state or even repaint it and you can still identify it. This is extremely important within the system because you can rename products in your catalog without losing the links to related products or to its original bill of material. ( W3030 is kitchen cabinet industry standard nomenclature – you could change its identification or description for ease of data entry or for private labeling without changing any of its manufacturing information).

CLASS/KEY The record # prefix is two characters designating the file to which it belongs. These characters are called “classes” and” keys” Visualize them as a long bank of file cabinets. The individual cabinets are the classes identified “0-9 and A-Z). Each cabinet has ten “key” drawers (0-9). This gives us a total of 360 Master Record files, each dedicated to a specific purpose. Most users don’t need to deal with knowing the Class/Key characters as the system automatically ties them to their intended function.

The classes are identified with functional names as well as the characters so a “file clerk” doesn’t have to hunt at random. For example; inventory is stored in the “I” class (cabinet) with the main manufacturing inventory in I1 and satellite warehouses and special inventories in the keys (drawers) 0, 2-9. In the system maintenance section of SIM*plicity the user can designate (initialize) keys for specific functions and access utilities to repair the keys if they get damaged.

CODE A unique identifier (within the selected Class/Key) up to 10 characters long. Zipcodes are the best analogy.

DESCRIPTION Up to 30 characters. This does not need to be unique. (There are many Brooklyns in the United States but every one has a unique Zipcode).

UNIT VALUE A single character (key specific) to designate a family grouping. In the product key it may be used to designate sofas, chairs, etc. In the inventory key it may be used for pieces. pounds, sets, etc. Next to the Unit Value field in the screen above are up and down arrows called “Spin Buttons”. The user can select or change the unit value for any record by using these arrows. The default number of unit values for any key is 10. If you need more unit values create a file with the key's file name and the suffix "unt". For example the state file "Z9" uses the unit value field to identify countries. To add additional countries create a file (in your data folder) with the name "cmkeyz9.unt".

PARENT RECORD Every Master Record is tied to two parents so the user can find records based on their parents or children. Parent records are predetermined and selected by the spin buttons when data is entered manually.

“I” inactive record can be located and modified much the same way as an active record, but generally does not appear on reports and other displays.

“D" deleted which means the record is hidden and removed from the sort indexes. Master records are only marked as deleted, they are not removed from the file

"L" locked. This is temporarily used within a network to prevent other users from modifying a record while it is being processed.

For how- to information on importing your existing data into SIM*plicity please read:Importing Data

Check the FOB.USR file in your user directory. If the freight description starts with a "+" sign freight always defaults to zero and can't be changed in order entry. Select another value in the freight pulldown box or alter the FOB.USR file.

A classic question. Ordered are 6 arm chairs and 3 swivel rockers. Chairs are 4 to a box and rockers are 2 to a box. How many boxes were used and how much did they weigh? Did they put the two extra chairs in one carton? Did they put a chair in with a swivel rocker? We don't know! Therefore:

Pieces per box are your standard. We will always divide the total quantity of a "line item" by its standard pack and round up!

Default due dates for order entry are defined in "CAMS SETUP". Default due dates for requisitions (purchasing) are defined in CAMS.INI in your user directory. In the purchasing section of this file is a line "DUE DATE DELTA=0 . The number after the equal sign is the default # of working days between ordering and due. You can edit this value directly; click on the calendar icon to select a date; or, use one of the following shortcuts entries:

Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri sets date to next date that corresponds to day of week.

Final sets date to last day of month corresponding to today's day of week.

You can - use the transfer function in the Utilities section of the accordion menu. What you can't do is directly read or write to our file structure from other programs . This is for user security and general safety. (The transfer utility has additional security features including preventing users whose authorization has expired from accessing the data.)

In the user file directory, there needs to be a file, SORTINFO.USR, which defines the various sort sequences that are needed. The first line of this file is ignored and can be used as comments. (A sample file follows - note that the display format may make it appear that there are blank lines between the data lines there should not be any blank lines in your file. Please see the actual file in your user directory).

1=NotUsed;2=Part#;3,4,5=T,W,L;6=Due;7=Remarks;8=Order #;9=Cust;10=Labor,11=Ship Date, 12=Global Option,13=Local option, 14= Customer Name, 15=scheduled date 16=Product Name

Up unto the ‘\’ is a description of the sort sequence; following the ‘\’ are the indices for the various sorts. These are:

Note: a '!' following an option creates a page break. A"*" following an option says not to sub-total on that option.

In the example above, the first sort sequence is identified as “Labor/Part#/T/W/L/DateDue” and the sort order is first by labor operation (10), then by Date Due (10), then by thickness, then width, and then length (3 4 5).

For Global Options, either a 12 or a ‘G’ will suffice and similarly for Local Options, a 13 or an ‘L’. These parameters, however need to be followed by which option #. For example, G-1 says the global option defined by the M0 key, record number 1. (Local option capability is limited at this time.)

After the SORTINFO table is built, there are two ways to define which sort sequence to be used for a particular machine. In the DOS Add/Edit Machine Info screen there is a field for this. Alternatively, the manufacturing schedules are defined by CMUFACT5.INI and the sort sequence can be specified there.

Indicates that the ninth sort sequence in SORTINFO.xx0 is to be used for the equipment identified by D1-26. With the file above, this would be “G-1 2”. D1-26 is the parent of the labor operations to which the schedule should apply.

Edit cmufact5.ini. The default is a multi-line detailed listing. To change, add one of the following characters in front of the workstation #:

How do I specify alternate processes based on characteristics of raw materials or components?

Grain Sensitivity is a modifier used to designate material with process limitations. Examples are plaid fabrics which can’t be cut on automatic cutters and wood grain laminates where the length and width dimensions are not interchangeable for optimization in panel saws or in router nesting.

- The first is on the inventory item itself and is set through the Add/Edit Inventory Item screen, Physical tab. This flag being set indicates to the system that this particular item has grain sensitivity.

- The second place is in the bill of material designating the operations which are affected by grain sensitivity.For static bills of material, this is set in the Create/Edit Bill of Material Screen. On the Create/Edit screen, the “Grain Sensitive” check box is three-stage. Checked means that the b/m item should be included if a previous item is grain sensitive; Unchecked means that the item should not be included if a previous item is grain sensitive; and Gray means always include the item. For dynamic bills, this is specified on the line after the record numbers and before the Autocad information, if any, as a “G+” or “G-” indicating that the item in the bill of material is grain sensitive and non-grain sensitive. The absence of either a “G+” or a “G-” implies a grayed state.

When exploding the bill of material, the system looks at every selected item and if the grain sensitivity flag is set for that item, it sets an internal flag saying that the component, assembly or whatever has grain sensitivity specified. This internal flag only applies to the current level of the bill of material – each higher or lower level has its own flag. Each subsequent item (and the item itself) is now checked against the bill of material grain sensitivity flag.

It is anticipated that Checked/Unchecked combinations of labor records would be used in pairs in a bill of material in order to select one or the other operations based upon whether a previous item was grain sensitive. (If no item in the current level of the bill of material has its grain sensitivity flag set, then the Unchecked and Grayed would produce the same result.)

Conditional pricing is when the value selected for one option is combined with the value selected for another to determine price (or upcharge on the base price). For example if you are making tables with both laminate and veneer tops you could decide that you wanted a substantial upcharge for combining wood edges (rather than laminate edges) with laminate tops. To activate it you create a matrix of unit values of the two dependent options in the following format :

1 5           0      1      2      3      4      5      6      7      8      9      A
0             0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0
1             0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0
2             0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0
3             0      0      0      0     16     16     16      0      0      0      0
4             0      0      0      0     32      0     32      0      0      0      0
5             0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0
6             0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0
7             0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0
8             0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0
9             0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0
A             0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0
B             0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0      0

"1 5" in the upper left hand corner are the option #'s. Across are the unit values for option #5 and down are the unit values for option #1. Non-zero values in the table are the conditional pricing values when both of these unit values are selected.

1. Edit the DISCNTxx.USR files to set up the various special
discounts. For instance, DISCNT00.USR, should look like:

Installers Program
H1 H0
9
F 50 (.50)\                            0.50       0.05
E 50-10 (.45)\                      0.45        0.05
D 50-10-10 (.405)\              0.405      0.05
J Employee Disc 28%\         0.28        0.00
K 50-10-5\                          0.4275    0.05
A (A) Blue MoonProgram\    0.10        0.04

Note: In Product Definition, the names for the various discounts
comes from the lowest number DISCNTxx file -- in this case,
DISCNT00. Therefore, the lowest number DISCNTxx file MUST contain
the names of all the special discounts.

2. Initialize the H0 key (through the Utilities menu). There need to be only enough records to hold
the products for which there are special discounts.

3. Enter into the H0 key only the products foer which there are special discounts
t
4. In the Customer Database, set up each eligible customer for
the particular program and within each program, set them eligible
for the specific special discount programs.

What data needs to be changed when we decide we are done testing SIM*plicity and are ready to start with actual orders?

4. Reinitialize the key.

Special Cases: M0 and L0 are read into memory as you enter SIM*plicity- always exit and restart after modifying these keys. It may be easier to edit these keys one record at a time!

Order Entry and Factory Order Keys have a number of associated records - see the list of keys to be reset in the startup discussion above.

How do I format shipping labels?

Please read this page for field definitions:

Product and Component Labels

Shipping Labels Formatting

The shipping label format is under control of the “Shipping Label Format” section of the CAMS.INI file.

Each entry in the section has the following format:

Key Name=Control String

Where Key Name can be any of the following (case is not important; spacing is}

PRODUCT CODE

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

CARRIER

PRO NUMBER

PO NUMBER

ORDER NUMBER

ITEM NUMBER

ORDER NUMBER PLUS ITEM

SHIP DATE

QUANTITY

STAGING LOCATION

THICKNESS

WIDTH

LENGTH

NOTES 1

NOTES 2

SHIP TO

ADDRESS 1

ADDRESS 2

CITY

In addition, a Key Name of LABEL puts just text onto the label.

The label is measured in inches, with the upper left corner being 0,0. The control string is made up of a series of parameters separated by semi-colons of form:

Parameter:value

The various parameters are as follows:

Xlabel X-coordinate for the label

Ylabel Y-coordinate for the label

Xfield X-coordinate for the field

Yfield Y-coordinate for the field

LabelSize Size of the label font in pixels

FieldSize Size of the field font in pixels

Font Name of the font

Bracket Place the value string before and after the field

Label The fixed text that is associated with the field

The “ORDER NUMBER PLUS ITEM” has a special parameter string, SEPARATOR, which defines the character string that is between the order number and the item number. Also, the presence of BOLD, ITALICS, or UNDERLINE in the control string sets the appropriate printer characteristic.

The items are printed in the order they appear in the section of the INI file. If there are duplicate key names in the section, only the first one is recognized. The label, if any, is printed before the field.

If an X dimension field (Xlabel or Xfield) is omitted, the X position is the end of the last string printed; if the Y dimension field is omitted, the Y position is the next line down. If the FONT parameter is omitted, the previously defined font will be used. If the font is changed during the printing of the label, be sure that the first Key Name entry has the font reset to the default.

In the [Shipping Labels] section (separate from the Shipping Label Format section), provision has been made for:

Orientation=landscape

Orientation=portrait

In order to properly set the printer to the right mode.

A sample [Shipping Label Format] section is:

[Shipping Label Format]

Product Code=XLabel:0.25;YLabel:0.25;Label:"Product # ";YField:0.25;Font:"Times New

Roman";LabelSize:12;FieldSize:16

Product Description=XLabel:0.25;YLabel:0.5;Label:"Product Desc ";YField:0.5;LabelSize:12;FieldSize:16

Carrier=XLabel:0.25;YLabel:1.0;Label:"Carrier ";YField:1.0;LabelSize:12;FieldSize:16

PRO Number=XLabel:0.25;YLabel:1.25;Label:"PRO Number ";YField:1.25;LabelSize:12;FieldSize:16

PO Number=XLabel:0.25;YLabel:1.50;Label:"PO Number ";YField:1.50;LabelSize:12;FieldSize:16

Order Number=XLabel:0.25;YLabel:1.75;Label:"Order Number";XField:0.25;YField:2.10;LabelSize:12;

FieldSize:20

Item Number=YLabel:2.10;Label="_";YField:2.10;LabelSize:16;FieldSize:16

Quantity=XLabel:3.50;YLabel:0.25;Label="Qty Pkd";XField:3.75;LabelSize:12;FieldSize:16

Ship Date=XLabel:3.50; YLabel:1.00;Label="Ship Date";XField:3.50;LabelSize:12;FieldSize:16

Location=XLabel:3.50;YLabel:1.50;Label="Location";XField:3.50;LabelSize:12:FieldSize:20

Notes 1=XField:4.5;YField:0.25;FieldSize:16

Notes 2=XField:4.5;FieldSize:16

Ship To=XField:7.00;YField:0.25;FieldSize=16

Address 1=XField:7.00;

Address 2=XField:7.00;

City=XField:7.00;

Order Number Plus Item=XField:4.5;YField:1.75;Bracket="*";Font:"3 of 9 Barcode";FieldSize:48

Note: the lines which are indented need to be included in the line above the indention.

How can we automatically designate the freight classes on Bills of Lading?

Bill of Lading Freight Class Files

Purpose:

These files contain the text for the” article descriptions” that are printed on the bill of lading. Additional fields have been added to designate which product unit value are associated with each class. SIM*plicity will automatically print the the number of cartons for each on bills of lading.

File Name Designation:

Prefix specified in CAMS.INI

[Bill of Lading]

Class File Name=(defaults to “BillOfLading”).

BillOfLading files:

These are text files located in your user directory. Extensions are of the form “.nnn”. One file for every class description that should appear on the bill of lading There are a maximum of 8 files of this type.

Example: BillOfLading.001

Class=85;0,1,2

BOOTHS,BAR,REST, OR STORE NOI KD

FLAT, IN PACKAGES ITEM #82400

Format:

First Line CLASS=nn

Where “nn” is the class that appears on the bill of lading. This text can be optionally followed by a “;”, and then a unit value list or the word “Default”, such as:

CLASS=85;0,1,2

CLASS=85;Default

Second and subsequent lines:

Text that is included in the article description. Although there is no limit as to the number of lines to be entered, the box printed on the bill of lading will only contain four lines.

These files define the article descriptions to be placed on the bill of lading. If the unit value list is not used, all items on the orders are grouped into the first description.

If the unit value list is used, the items on the order(s) are processed, and the appropriate description, based on a match with the product unit value, is tallied for piece count and shipping weight. If a unit value match is not found, the default article description is used. If no “Default” is specified, the first article description that does not contain a unit value list is used.

Note, if needed please request the Word document illustrating the CAMS.INI values for Bill of Lading FORMAT fields:

Can we automatically price and process (at order entry) buyout items?

Sub-contract and buy-out items are automatically costed in the same manner as product pricing. A base price can be established depending on the unit value (species, fabric grade, etc.) and option and feature upcharges can also be calculated based on their unit value. Option and feature charges can be calculated on area and % as well as $ cost.

In order to use this feature, the following items need to be set:

In the [Accounting] section of CAMS.INI:
Product Costing=Yes
The H9 key (default) needs to be initialized. When the Product Costing=Yes option is present in CAMS.INI, a key is displayed on the System Maintenance | CAMS Setup screen. Description should be something like “Product Costing”. The key needs to be initialized but not necessarily populated.
Order Entry | Product Definition – for product type, choose Product Costing. Enter a part number. The search is actually done on the normal product key, H1, and an appropriate record is displayed. If a corresponding record does not exist in the H9 key, it is added with the “External Source” flag set.
In the H9 key, enter the appropriate unit value pricing and the appropriate upcharges for both the global and local options.
In the H1 product key, select the attributes ("color" options) that you want printed on the PO. Size of the purchased product and reference to the customer order and line # are also printed.
An external source item can be either directly entered or be included in a top level bill of material. Examples of this would be the purchase of unfinished chairs with the bill of material then having upholstery operations or doors for kitchen cabinets.

When a customer order is approved, if any item is marked as “External Source”, and a corresponding record is found in the H9 key, the cost is calculated and placed on a requisition for that item. These requisitions are assigned to a vendor in the "Assign Purchase Orders" tab on the Inventory accordion.

Can we get a list of the buy-out items at the time a customer order is approved?

On approval, requisitions for buy-out items are issued and a list of these items can be created. To trigger this list add the following to CAMS.INI

[Planner]

Buyout Report=Yes

What are the values of the "inventory flags" that are used for data imports?

$0001, {Inventoried}

$0002, {Optimized}

$0004, {External Source}

$0008, {Grain Sensitive}

$0040, {Products in Bill of Material}

$0080, {Additional Dimension Present}

$0100, {No discount applies}

$0200, {No commission applies}

$0010, {Taxable item}

$0020, {Area (sq ft, etc) usage}

$0400, {Local option determines option pricing}

$0800, {No G&A applies to this item}

$1000, {Item is inventoried, but not stocked}

$2000, {Quantity discount applies}

$4000 {Percentage upcharge does not apply}

When entering data into the import screen sum up the values that you want selected and enter them without the $ or leading 0's.

How are Work in Process items valued?

All inventoried components, subassembly and products are valued based upon the quantity used in the last bill of material usage or generation. Items that have not been individually accessed are costed at the quantity designated in the default value section of CAMS setup. (Updated quantities are changed by factory orders for these items but standard cost quantities are not).

SIM*plicity values Work in Process and non inventoried items as follows:

It determines what labor, material, components and subassemblies are in the item. If these lower level items are inventoried it uses their inventory value which in turn is based on the lower level inventoried item's designated quantity - not that of the item being costed. If the lower level item is not inventoried, it is costed at the quantity required to produce the quantity of the end item being calculated.

Can we use older versions of Windows with SIM*plicity ?

Every time Microsoft comes out with a new version it is trumpeted as the most reliable Windows ever. Bull! DOS required your application to crash- it wouldn't do it on its own. The reality is that DOS is like a horse drawn cart compared to a sleek new car. If you need to go fast you need the car but be prepared for a more complex life.

Windows 95 is now an old product but one which some network programmers still embrace, believing that it's network performance is better than Windows 98 or even XP (which we recommend). However, there are several key flaws in W95 that create network data errors. These are the patches that will minimize these problems.

For all Windows 95 machines you should take the following steps. First, make sure you have at least version 4.00.1116 of VREDIR.VXD (156,773 bytes, 11^thSep 97, 11:16) and version 4.00.1112 of VNETSUP.VXD (17,595 bytes, 30th May 97, 11:12). These can be installed with the patch program vrdrupd.exe located at http://support.microsoft.com/Download/support/mslfiles/vrdrupd.exe and fix a problem in Windows 95 where an application shares data with a Windows NT server, as described in Microsoft’s Knowledge Base articles Q148367 and Q174371. Note that Microsoft’s articles get the date stamp of VREDIR.VXD wrong and suggest it is 2 Jun 97.

Next, VREDIR must also be set up correctly: ensure that the binary registry value

HKey_Local_Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\VREDIR\DiscardCacheOnOpen

is set to 01. The machine will need rebooting for this setting to take effect.

What is Automated Transfer Output?

This concept is being used to produce output file for the general ledger as orders are invoiced. To do so: flag CAMS.INI with the request for output and specify the output path in TRANSFER.INI. It can be applied to other output routines but has not been fully implemented or tested in other areas.

The transfer file has the section and transfer Menu Description separated by a forward slash. You can specify any fields that are listed in the key's header file. Excerpts from these files follow (Note there are no blank lines in-between. Any blank lines shown are only in your browser display) :

CAMS.INI

[Invoices]

Transfer=Name/Export Invoice Detail to Accounting

TRANSFER.INI

[Name]

Menu Description=Export Invoice Detail to Accounting

Direction=Export

Class=Q1

start=yes

Destination=c:\ABC\invdet.txt

Delimiter=tab

Order No.

InvoiceRecordNumber

Customer\Cust No.

Detail\ItemNumber

Detail\QuantityOrdered

Detail\ProductDescription

Detail\ProductUnitValue

Detail\Price

DateInvoiced

InvoiceRecordNumber

InvoiceNumber

InvoicePrice

AcutalCost

How does panel optimization work?

Panel Optimization

SIM*plicity can determine the most economical panel to use for each part and the number of such panels required for each order. All sizes of panels that meet the part’s criteria (face and back materials, thickness, core, etc.) are examined and analyzed for yield and then for total cost. Saw or cutting tool kerf is considered in these calculations.

This process takes place during product costing and order entry and is, of course, quantity sensitive. It creates a protective estimate for costing and inventory control by assuming that you will use full sheets for each part and that you will cut all the parts from the same size sheet. At the time of production you should do either manual or computerized optimization of a “cut list” which may improve actual yield. (To generate cut lists from production schedules check the “optimize flag” on applicable inventory items. By reporting actual usage of these sheets, a material utilization variance can be tracked and applied to future orders.)

Hypothetical Example (an extreme case):

Part: 1-1/8” MDF x 11-3/4 x 11-3/4

Panels: 1-1/8 MDF x 49 x 97 (billed as 48 x 96) @1.00 per sq. foot = $32.00/per panel

1-1/8 MDF x 61 x 121 (billed as 60 x 120 @1.05 per sq. foot =$52.50/per panel

Quantity = 1: Requires 1 Panel. Size selected = 49 x 97 - cost of part =$32.00 each.

=25: Requires 1 Panel. Size selected = 49 x 97 - cost of parts =$ 1.28 each

=40 Requires 1 Panel. Size selected = 61 x 121 - cost of parts =$ 1.41 each

=50 Requires 1 Panel. Size selected = 61 x 121 - cost of parts =$ 1.05 each

=64 Requires 2 Panels. Size selected = 49 x 97 - cost of parts =$ 1.00 each

Feel a little sorry for the customer who wants 40? Real sorry for the customer who wants only one? If the material is not a stock material don’t feel in the least bit sorry because you will get stuck for the whole panel even though he needs only a square foot. In the case of commodity materials such as stocked MDF you can create some “drop” sizes such as 32” x 48” and 60” x 60”. (Unless you really accumulate them, cost them out at a premium (20% ?) to reflect extra handling costs –forcing SIM*plicity to first look at larger panels.)

There is another approach to small parts, simply exclude them from the optimization calculations (by setting the dynamic b/m size parameters to exclude them from the optimization operation) and the system will then calculate the items cost on a sq. ft or sq. meter basis. Yield factors at cutting and material utilization factors will then be used to estimate waste.

Panel optimization only works with dynamic bills. To activate it:

- Enter the circumflex character ^ in the remarks field of the dynamic bill of the line selecting material (between the double quote marks – “^” ). This must be the first character in this field (no leading spaces allowed).

- You must have panel sizes, prices and conversion factors entered for each inventoried panel that you want to optimize.

- Check the Area Usage Units box of the panels to be optimized. (Inventory>Add/Edit - Physical tab).

- CAMS.INI must have kerf entered in its manufacturing section

[Manufacturing]

kerf=0.2 (Note: kerf value must be greater than 0.005. If you have a true "0" value contact us for a special version)

How do I simultaneously view items stored at different locations?

Multiple Inventory Locations

SIM*plicity has always had multiple inventory keys. These permit you to separate out different types of inventory (i.e., supplies from production material) and to track items stored at different locations. A new feature allows you to simultaneously display all locations for a given item and to transfer material between locations. Here are the details:

In CAMS.INI modify the inventory key list to add a list of all applicable inventory keys after the the "primary" key. Key # followed by a colon and the key description to be displayed. Each key in the list must be separated by a comma.

[Keys] ;Key name and printed description
Special Inventory=I0,SpclInventory
Inventory=I1,Materials(i1:local,i7:warehouse,i8:west)

There are practical limitations on the display of multiple inventories.

- Values for items are only displayed if the item exists in that key. (Items are found by code search).

- Units of measure, conversion factors and standard costs are those of the primary key. These values may differ between the keys (locations).

- Purchasing. All requisitions, P.O's and receipts are only for the primary key. (Note: that you can use any key in a bill of material; thereby receiving in the primary key and issuing material for an order from an alternate location.)

- Display: Scrolling through multiple inventory keys is a burden on system resources. Therefore only the item number (code) changes until you click on it or tab out of the field. You can view and scroll through values of your primary key by selecting the "View Inventory" option on the accordion.

Move items between inventory locations with the "Move Inventory" selection on the accordion.

Purchase orders will be issued only for your primary location

Do we need meaningful inventory numbers for panel materials?

We have a ten digit alphanumeric inventory code and we need to have consistent logic to find panels to be used on a given order. The sequence of search is first by thickness, then by face color (and if necessary the back color). Finally we look at all panel sizes to determine the most economical choice. Here are three numbering scheme that probably will give you the least grief as you grow:

TWO DIGIT COLORS/VENEERS

Positions 1 and 2 = User Category, for example MM for 2 sided melamine. We can use other letters combinations if you need alternate core materials and to use this concept for plastic laminate, etc.

Position 3 = thickness in 1/8 increments 6=3/4 9=1-1/8 we can always add letters later on such as V for 1/32 laminate.

Position 4 and 5 = Face color or veneer. Two digit alphanumeric code gives you 1296 choices.

Position 6 and 7 = Back color or veneer. Two digit alphanumeric code gives you 1296 choices.

Position 8 = Panel width in feet

Position 9 = Panel length in feet

Position 10 = not used - could be used to designate oversized trim panels.

THREE DIGIT COLORS/VENEERS

If you feel that you need a 3 digit color code (and a number of our clients using wide ranges of plastic laminate do, then consider this arrangement:

Position 1 = Material Type (P=Panels, L=Laminates)

Position 2 = Core M=MDF P=particleboard, V=Veneer

Position 3 = thickness in 1/8 increments 6=3/4 9=1-1/8 we can always add letters later on such as V for 1/32 laminate.

Position 4, 5 and 6 = Back color or veneer. Three digit alphanumeric code gives you more than 46,000 colors (It may be needed -we have clients using thousands of different plastic laminates and they need to be designated by brand)

Position 7, 8and 9 = Face color or veneer. Three digit alphanumeric code

Position 10 = (Code for panel size A= 4x8 B=4x9 etc.

THREE DIGIT COLORS/VENEERS (alternative)

If you feel that you need a 3 digit color code (and a number of our clients using wide ranges of plastic laminate do, then consider this arrangement:

Position 1 = Material Type (P=Panels, L=Laminates)

Position 2 = thickness in 1/8 increments 6=3/4 9=1-1/8 we can always add letters later on such as V for 1/32 laminate.

Position 3,4,and 5 = Outside color or veneer. Three digit alphanumeric code gives you more than 46,000 colors (It may be needed -we have clients using thousands of different plastic laminates and they need to be designated by brand) You can specify MAP for maple and MAM for maple melamine.

Position 6, 7 and 8= Inside color or veneer. Three digit alphanumeric code

Position 9= (Code for panel size 4= 4x8 B=4x9 etc.

Position 10= Reserve for special character to designate, prefinish, etc.

There are many variations on this so let's talk.

How do we use both metric and inch measurements in our company?

Metric Shop Floor Interface - inches for customers; metric for your team

SIM*plicity prints information and displays information in decimal or fractional formats. (You can choose the display format in CAMS Setup.) Many companies using metric measurements in their factory want to retain English (inch) measurement on their sales documents. An example is kitchen cabinets; a customer orders a B24 which is 24" wide but actually wants it 23" wide. You don't want to acknowledge the order with this remark B24 special size cut to 584.2 mm wide. The solution is easy:

Add to your dynamic bill of materials file the word "metric" after the other information on the top line on each bill of material that needs to convert English measurements to metric. If your company uses both dynamic and static bills of material we can use the following global approach (but please contact us first as this feature may be turned off in your system).

in the Manufacturing section of CAMS.INI enter the following line.

[Manufacturing]
Metric=yes
Metric Factor=25.4

The metric factor line is optional and not required if you are working in millimeters. However, if you work in centimeters change the line to read Metric Factor=2.54

What determines the number of decimal places displayed and/or printed?

In CAMS.INI options section specify the number of decimal places. The value selected will be used for width and length. Thickness will have one additional decimal place.

[Options]

Decimal Places=3

How do I know if I have the latest version of SIM*plicity?

The date of your version is indicated by the revision number next to the word SIM*plicity. This number is the day of the year that the update was created. You can also see this (and more details) by clicking on Help and then About on the header bar.

Existing users can click here to reach our update site. Caution: this is not the site for free trial versions!

How do you support SIM*plicity?

Support is available on a monthly basis and pricing is based on the number of users of your SIM*plicity system. This monthly support is optional after the initial contracted period. You may cancel support anytime after this contracted period, provided that your account is paid in full. Please note:

q On-site training charges are normally for the initial training and not for support. If you have a support problem that requires on-site help the only charges are travel expenses. Fortunately, this happens infrequently. Normal ongoing training and support is by email and phone. Additional on-site costs (charged at half our normal consulting rate) may be incurred for the concept development and installation of features unique to your system.

q There is never a charge for any customization of potential value to other users. If it makes sense, we do it! Beyond this we will do a reasonable amount of other customization as well as necessary forms if you choose not to use our standard formats. Note that the system has export tools to create your own Excel reports.

q Our goal is to resolve any problem overnight which prevents the full use of the system.

q SIM*plicity running in Windows has more features than earlier DOS versions. However, unlike DOS, the individual machine, the Windows version, and the network configuration may cause “glitches” that cannot be replicated. Resolving such errors sometimes requires the use of tracking logs on the machines with these glitches. If the problem is serious, we will immediately create a “work-around”; if minor, it may take time to accumulate sufficient tracking data to determine the cause.

Support becomes essential when the entire company uses it to outperform the competition. We give great support: not just in the nuts and bolts of the software but on how to use it to run a more productive factory and a profitable business. All SIM*plicity support is direct from the developers of the program!

What part of FREE don't you understand?

A few years ago, to celebrate our 25th year Feldman Engineering gave away 25 complete manufacturing software systems to small companies. It was a great promotion and an opportunity to help these manufacturers get their feet on the ground. Looking back, we realized that it didn't take much support effort and decided to continue this no-charge program hoping that some of these companies would grow into customers for our networked software. Worldwide users have downloaded about one thousand copies of BASICS software and their frequently asked questions about the concepts of this giveaway are quite interesting:

Is BASICS really free?

Yes, and there are no strings attached -- no trial period, deposits, renewal fees, etc. We want you to succeed and will even provide free email support. This free offer is limited to single-user systems. As your company grows, we look forward to you becoming a paying customer for a networked version. Larger companies are invited to download and use our software but with the same single-user restriction.

How much does it cost?

An interesting question as cost and price can be quite different. Our software is free (see above) , but how much is your time worth? Maybe, a better question is: what is it worth to mess around with a dead-end system or no system at all? You probably can't afford the cost of limping along without knowing your true costs and/or making promises to customers that you can't keep! No system is going to provide meaningful information "out of the box". To create a database that reflects your company, you will need to input information about your product line, manufacturing processes, purchased materials, etc. Outsiders can help, but for the system to really fly you can't farm out the defining of the unique factors of your company.

Is support free?

Yes. Email support is free to single-user systems but on a non-priority basis. (We take care of our network contract customers first.) We reserve the right to terminate free support at any time to any user. In North America we will provide limited telephone support (primarily a walk-through of system features) and can also help users who run Windows XP with "Remote Assistance", "GoToMyPC" or if their server is so equipped with CITRIX.

Runs very slow - How can I speed it up?

Wincams requires many data files to be opened and closed as you use move between features. Some virus checker software constantly monitors these files on your hard drive in addition to those received by email. This substantially slows program execution. After you trust our software change your settings so they don't constantly filter the data files used by our software. To do this in McAfee go to VirusScan and click the exclusion tab, then browse and exclude the c:\Wincams (and/or c:\Newcams) folder and subfolders.

Can we use SIM*plicity with Vista?

Yes, but only with some (potentially undesirable) tweaking!

Here's my story:

Years ago, we lived in New Jersey with a pond downhill from our house. We loved ice skating on it but it rarely froze enough. We had a neighbor’s kid who was even more desperate. Whenever it would freeze over he would go down there with a sled and walked on it – most of the time the cracking noises would make him retreat. (The sled was his idea of a “safety net”.) We thought/knew he was crazy and hoped we could get down there in time to pull him out if he went through -- but on the other hand hoped that the ice was thick enough so we could all enjoy it.

I’m as crazy as the kid. Each time Microsoft comes out with a new version, Iimmeadiately install it. Partly because of their claims of greatness but mainly to see if there are any compatibility issues with our SIM*plicity software. Each, and every time, I tell myself “never again”. This time Microsoft gave me an incentive for emotional suicide – free software as long as it is installed prior to March 31. Here’s the latest story:

Office, as usual, installed flawlessly and everything works okay but Windows is the usual time wasting disaster. The major problem (on my system) that took about four hours of web searching of the forums to ferret out was the incompatibility between pre-existing wired and wireless networks. They screwed around with TCP/IPv6 and this has to be manually set on the wired connection to find the value automatically. Lots of other interesting stupidity like no longer supporting (can’t view them) the Help files of existing commercial software including Microsoft's. (Thankfully, we discontinued using these a long time ago in the Windows version of SIM*plicity.) Also lots of update downloads were required for my IBM laptop – but at least they were available.

Many SIM*plicity functions worked properly with Vista out of the box except Order Entry. To make that work properly we had to run Vista with "individual account settings" turned off. This may not be a problem on network installations but I haven't found anyone with a Vista network to test it.

Bottom line Wincams (SIM*plicity Windows) , including our built-in exports to Office had no problems with Office 2007 but should be installed with extreme caution on Vista

Why are you giving BASICS software away for free?

Wincams (BASICS) is free to small companies who run only a single-user version. (Our primary charges are for installation and support of networked versions). The reason for this give-away can be best answered by a copy of a letter to a magazine editor who asked the same question:

Subject: -- Free Manufacturing Software

Feldman Engineering is celebrating its 25th year and we wanted to do something better than just throw a party. We looked back to see how the furniture and cabinet industries have changed and I am glad to say that most of our clients are still major players. What was most disturbing was how much more difficult it is today for small shops to grow into manufacturing companies. (The days are long gone when you simply built a company in the shadow of a lumbering dinosaur - outmaneuvering him with quick delivery and lower labor and overhead costs.)

Barriers to growth and long-term profitability have never been greater. If we just sit back we will watch the surviving dinosaurs convert themselves from manufacturers to mass-market importers, and in doing so, destroy the infrastructure and consumer demand (for specialty and individualized products) that sustains our industry.

Small shops can still get their foot in the door by finding a niche (including being a local supplier). If the owners want to do more than "buy themselves a job" they eventually need to grow their shop into a manufacturing company. The barriers to growth, however, are not equipment, space or factory flow but simply smarter competitors. To prosper, companies need to know their true costs and price products accordingly.

They need to effectively control inventories and their labor forces. In the beginning, you can do this by "hands-on" management but sooner or later you must stop operating out of your head; standardize procedures, pricing, and measure results against projections.

To help small companies in this transition, we are giving away a limited number of copies of our "Basics" manufacturing business systems. These are not "demos"! They are complete systems and include start-up support. Features include, Order Entry, Purchasing, Inventory Management, Costing and Shop Floor Control.

Our software market has always been mid-size companies. By giving our software away free to small companies we hope to help create the mid size companies that will be our future clients.

Manufacturing business software to help your company prosper:

Complete MRP / ERP software solutions customized for your exact needs

Please double-click either button for download!

These are completely free! They are not just demos. They are complete systems without time limits or other restrictions for single user systems. Our only charges are for networked installations. click here for more information.

SIM*plicity tutorials:

(Click any underlined item for more details.)

Features that help your company	Examples from SIMplicity*	Discussion and Features
Customer Orders
	Order Entry Overview	<<< Please read this introductory overview first.
	Customer Details: shipping information, history, etc.	The utmost in options and feature controls. Automatic pricing with more than 400 variables (size, color, add-on's etc.) Simple to set-up and easy to use. More than an "Order Configurator": these variables interact with dynamic (parametric) bills of materials to create complete manufacturing documentation.
	Item Details	Options to enter and display product information.
	Order Entry Tools	Because we automatically transfer all pricing variables and "engineering limits" to Order Entry, SIM*plicity eliminates the typical delay for orders to first go to Engineering and Pricing prior to Order Entry.
	Batch Order Entry	Input Customer Order details directly from Excel.
	Order-Project Costing	Display actual costs during Order Entry or during "material takeoff" -Quotations.
	Order Progress (status)	Graphics display with real-time visibility of all in-process orders.
	Product Entry Instructions	Guidance to the operator in entering complex items .
	New Product Entry	Add new customers and products on the fly.
	Zip and Postal Code Tutorial	Factors in entering address data for uniformity and to ensure automatic freight calculation
	Sales Discounts and Commissions	Information on entering discounts and sales commissions.
	SPEED-UP	Tips to increase order entry productivity.
	Invoice Details - Setting Variables Order Entry Display Variables	Variables for printing (and exporting to accounting software) invoices Order Entry variables for display and printing
	Deposits and Payments	Record and display deposits and partial payments
MRP2/ERP Planning and Shop Floor Control	Advance Plan	Customer and factory (internal) orders create inventory and labor demand for specific days. SIM*plicity schedules individual machines within each work station/cell and generates material requisitions.
	Workstation Control	Planners can control and balance workload at every machine.
	Production Planner/Scheduler	Shifting production (date or workcenter) automatically updates all related processes. Graphics displays with drill-down" information effectively links Planning to Shop Floor Control.
	MRP2/ERP Tutorial	Workstation Control allows supervisors to fine tune schedules and report production.
Purchasing and Inventory Control	Requisition/Purchasing	New orders automatically updates long-term material plans. Shop floor control module interacts with purchasing to automatically flag needs that won't be met and adjusts schedules accordingly. Buy-out items are purchased as soon as customer order is processed - including automatic pricing of options and features.
	Inventory Details	Knowing the materials "on hand" and what they cost is not enough! SIM*plicity calculates the exact date needed, where it should be stored and details of its physical characteristics.
	Vendor Information	Access complete contact information on vendors and their employees.
	Purchasing Messages Inventory Adjustments	Adding Standard and Text Messages to an individual item Requisition or to an entire Purchase Order Tools to record and adjust physical invnetories.
Accounting and Cost Control	Product Cost Summary Options & Features Overview Order/Project Costing	Know the true cost of every item that you build! Automatically calculate the cost of "work -in-process" inventory. Instantly estimate the complete cost of every Order and Quotation. Change an option or feature and the cost is automatically updated! Please also read ABC Cost Control
Product Engineering	Bill of Material Flow Chart Dynamic Bills of Material Static Bill Display Glossary	Bills of Materials are the core of true manufacturing systems. They link together customer orders, manufacturing instructions with material and labor requirements. Dynamic (parametric) Bills of Material are used for entire families of products eliminating the need at most companies for 90% of individual Bills of Material. However, Static (Conventional) Bills of Material are still valuable and our system incorporates them with a full range of Options and Features
Plan and Perform	Project Takeoff Project and/or Product Estimate	Estimate and control complex projects.
Sales Management	Sales by Customer and Product Line Marketing Program Formats	Cost of Goods Sold report for every order. Volume and margin reports for each sales rep. For each customer select default discount programs, special product discounts and choose from multiple selling companies (OEM, etc.)
SUPPORT	Getting Started FAQ's - SIM*plicity Support Why Systems Fail Favorite Story	Training, customization and 24/7 real-time support by the developers of this software. A commitment to excellence - today, tomorrow and for the past 30 years.

SIM*plicity New Features - Please call for details and installation assistance	Panel Optimization. Select most economical panel for a job
	Upcharge pricing by product length, component quantity, area, volume,
	Add vendors and customers "on the fly".
	Automatically select freight classes on Bills of Lading
	Material type (plaid fabrics, etc.) can select special labor operations
	Inventory "Multiple Location " display and transfer
	Metric Shop Floor Interface - inches for customers; metric for your team
	External Product Sourcing automatic pricing and processing of buyouts.
	Labor Reporting Integrated with Production Reporting (by ticket #)

C:\	C:\Wincams	C:\Wincams\Windata	C:\Wincams\Windata\Billmatl
			C:\Wincams\Windata\Schedule
		C:\Wincams\Winuser	C:\Wincams\Winuser\Bitmaps

labor operation	equipment	Workstation (workcell /line)	Workcenter	Department
class #11	class #D1	class #D2	class #D3	class #D4
			labor op - P1
Glue-up			Laminating
		equipment -P2
	spreader#1	Pressline A
	Press#56	Pressline A
	Spreader#21	Pressline B
	Press #88	Pressline B
			workstation -p1
		Pressline A	Laminating
		Pressline B	Laminating
				workcenter -P1
			Laminating	Panels

FUNCTION	DEFINE AS	COMMENTS
integer	INT	integer part of a real number
ceiling	CEIL	lowest integer >= to x
floor	FLOOR	highest integer<= to x
absolute	ABS	absolute value of number
fraction	FRAC	fractional part of number

Standard Record Format	Zipcode Format	Zipcode Record
Record #	Z0-nnnnnnn	Z0-0000704
Class/Key (identifier)	Z0	Z0
Code (must be unique)	Zip Code	11201
Description	City (Only)	Brooklyn
Unit Value	Country	“0”=U.S.A.
First Parent	State	“Z9 –33” N.Y.
Second Parent	Not used
Status	Not Displayed	“A”