The Materials Management module is designed to help make the task of managing inventory easier and more efficient. For example, parts can be cross-referenced to multiple vendors.
Some of the related tables for the Materials Management function are:
- Vendors
- Manufacturers
- Warehouses
- Parts
Unless you plan to use a warehouse or other materials functions, it isn't necessary to set up warehouse-related records in the WebTMA software. These can be established later if needed.
If you use materials functions, you may also opt to use the Signature feature with related windows. The Action Menu for On-Hand Adjustment, Sales Order, Part Transfer, Quick Post Cost, and Quick Post Materials include a Signature link. If you edit the Work Order / Costs Tab, a Signature link is also available on the Action Menu. The separate document Help > Help Page / Common Functions describes the use of the Signature feature.
Materials Setup
When your organization uses the Materials Management module, the WebTMA System Administrator sets up various Lookup Types for Materials Management functions. The following types are required before you can save the related records:
- Hazardous Materials Types
- Part Types
- Purchase Order Types
- Refrigerant Types
- Sales Order Types
- Tool Types
- Vendor Types
Inventory Management
Inventory relates to the materials stored at your organization; however, managing inventory requires several modules to maintain complete records. The related modules allow you to track the part vendor or manufacturer, the date parts are ordered and received, and warehouses where items are stored.
Setting up inventory in WebTMA requires defining at least one warehouse. Initially, parts are added to the warehouse using the part record. Parts are identified by their SKU number, which is a combination of the part code and warehouse code separated by a hyphen. For example, part number 2200 in warehouse 001 has a SKU code of 2200-001. On many windows, the part field requires the SKU code; however, the Parts window does not show the SKU code because the part can be assigned to more than one warehouse.
Once an inventory of parts is established in WebTMA, parts can be issued to a work order and cross-referenced to vendors and maintenance-worthy items.
You can establish minimum and maximum stock levels and identify the bin location. The system displays a message when the available number is decreased to the minimum quantity. The message alerts you when you post costs from the Work Order / Costs Tab for single or multi-task Work Order windows), Quick-Post Cost, Quick-Post Materials, and Materials > On-hand Adjustments (Code 5 only).
When you create WebTMA purchase orders, existing part information is referenced for reordering and includes the last purchase price.