boatbuilder Features

Transcription

1 boatbuilder Features 1 / 13

2 Table of contents Feature Overview / 13

3 Feature Overview boatbuilder Features ( [ ] = In development ) Software as a Serv ice (SaaS) User accounts Desktop Projects [ Project T y pe Initialization ] [ Project Data Copy Utility ] Project Planning Jobs Work Breakdown Structure Gantt Chart Planning Matrix Cost Planning Cost Worksheets Part / Material Qty Discounts Project Budget Project Managem ent T asks (Work Orders) Material Lists [ Document revision levels and revision history ] $$/hours/lb reporting T ime clock Parts and Materials Part num bers Generic, equiv alent and alternate parts [ Integrated Vendor Catalogs ] Part/Material Inform ation Sheet ( Part "Bio" ) Consum ables Inv entory Managem ent Definitions & Discussion Purchasing action ('shorts') report Disposition (Scrap/Sell/Trade/Lost) Purchasing Vendors 3 / 13

4 [Integrated electronic catalogs] Adv ertising Multimedia educational tools (articles/videos) Purchase Orders Quality Managem ent - QC/QA Engineering Notes - Standard Processes Engineering Documents Libraries [Community] Workflows 4 / 13

5 Description of Features Software as a Service (SaaS) boatbuilder is deliv ered as a web serv ice to subscribers. It is free (with non-intrusiv e and relev ant adv ertising) to non-commercial users who are limited to a single project. Commercial multi-project serv ice agreements with sy stem customization are av ailable and white labeling can be arranged. Security boatbuilder is hosted in a secure data center and uses industry standard techniques to secure, preserv e and isolate account and project data. In the ev ent of inadv ertent data loss we will make every effort to recover your project. User accounts Non-commercial accounts can create a single project within the system and are subsidized by adv ertising. Adv ertising will be managed so to be minimally intrusiv e, appropriate and tasteful. Support is av ailable v ia . Commercial accounts can create multiple projects with multiple users assigned to different roles, are optionally free of adv ertising and are entitled to telephone support. Commercial Accounts also include a suite of reports which can be customized as required and the option to use significant alpha-numeric part numbers which can be imported from an existing system. We will be happy to assist with customizing the sy stem to suit indiv idual commercial customers. Desktop Each account (each user in the case of commercial accounts) has a home page which prov ides a personal planning tool ( a personal wiki ), easy access to the purchasing report, calculators and social networking features. A project summary report is displayed on the desktop showing the estimated total cost and hours required for each project, based on the task material lists, and a current total of dollars and hours invested based on completed tasks. Projects A project is the top-lev el document under a user account. Accounts cannot see or interfere with projects under a different account, Some project-independent tools are prov ided as part of the desktop. A project is defined by basic descriptive data, and is associated with a wiki "cover page" that can be utilized as desired. [Setting up for different projects] boatbuilder can be supplied with different initial datasets for projects in boat building, aviation and home construction, for example. [New project (copy tool)] Commercial accounts will be able to create new projects by copying all the data from an existing project and then editing as needed. Project Planning Jobs A project is initially broken down into jobs. A job is a unit of work that generally creates or integrates distinct substructures or sub-sy stems. On a boat project for example, a job might be "install electric bilge pump". The job will include one or more tasks, such as adding a thru-hull, creating a pump support platform, plumbing and wiring. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) 5 / 13

6 There are two way s to organize and manage the project in boatbuilder. The Gantt chart is more suited to new construction and the job priority matrix to repair/refit projects. The project is broken down into jobs which are placed on a time-line in the case of the Gantt chart or into groups in the job priority matrix. Gantt Chart Best suited for new construction or major y ard refit projects, jobs are entered onto the Gantt Chart with planned start date and duration. Dependencies are attached, i.e a job must be completed before the next is started, or the two jobs are un-related and can be carried out at the same time. Planning Matrix Appropriate for repairs, upgrades and refits carried out ov er time, jobs are entered into the sy stem via the planner and assigned a priority and a type. Jobs are display ed in a matrix structure according to priority and nature. Safety related structural jobs are shown in the top left and nice-to-hav e cosmetic jobs on the lower right. Listing Jobs created v ia the Gantt chart or the planning matrix can be listed according to input search criteria. Cost Planning A task Material List (ML) can be exported to and re-imported from a cost/weight worksheet. Using the worksheet the builder can price out a Material List, estimate the weight of the completed piece, and explore the trade-offs between weight and cost of using different materials and techniques to build or repair the item in question. Project Budget As each task is published, (generic or real parts), the estimated cost taking into account expected wastage and the quantity discount av ailable on the number of parts in the task is added to the project budget. By creating complete planning task ML's an accurate budget can be determined for the project. Qty. Discount Schedules To assist in cost planning, quantity discount pricing schedules for parts and materials can be entered into boatbuilder. When the quantity required of a particular part is entered into a Cost Planning Worksheet or Purchase Order the total cost is automatically calculated by apply ing any quantity discount from the catalog price that is available. Project Management Tasks (Work Orders, WO) A job is a group of one or more tasks (Work Orders). A Work Order includes o A header, identify ing the exact location and nature of the task. o Material List (ML) o Instructions ( notes, illustrations and references to documented best practices for the processes inv olv ed) o Quality Control checks (prior to starting work, during the task and final checks of the finished product) o Estimated and actual times to complete the task o Planned and actual start dates o A task status (New, Published, Open, Complete, Canceled) Material Lists The list of parts and materials needed to carry out a task is referred to as the Material List or ML. It 6 / 13

7 includes the part number, description, quantity required (including anticipated wastage), and the date the item will be needed based on the start date specified for the task. An ML provided by the designer can be populated with generic parts which are then replaced with the preferred actual parts. For example the designer might specify 100 sheets of 9mm BS1088 Marine Ply from the sy stem parts catalog, and the constructor might fulfill that by replacing the line item with an equivalent part from the project part catalog such as "Joubert 9mm Marine Ply purchased from Spruce Tree Lumber Company". A part number in the sy stem is assigned to a particular item from a particular v endor. Change either the specification of the part or the v endor, and a new part number should be assigned. [Document Revision History] Projects, Jobs and Tasks will have a revision history capability such that all previous versions of documents are av ailable. $$/Hrs/Lb report, to-date and anticipated When a task is completed, the cost of parts and materials, including consumables if on the Materials List, the weight of parts added to the structure, and the hours logged to the task are all added to the $$/Hrs/Lb report, maintaining daily running totals that an be tracked ov er time. These v alues are also projected for unfinished tasks in the sy stem to giv e insight into how the project is tracking expectations, and the commitment of time and money still needed. Note that if tools, jigs and particularly consumables are included on Material List rather than in the Engineering Document for a task, their weight in the parts catalog should be entered as zero, otherwise they will be included in the structural weight which will therefore be too high. Time Clock Accessed from the boatbuilder Desktop, the time clock allows time to be logged against tasks. When a task is closed, the total time for the task is added to the project hours total. Parts and Materials Definitions: Part Numbers: Part Numbers are assigned to a part/v endor combination. The same part from a different v endor receiv es a new part number. Each boatbuilder part number relates one-to-one with a v endor part number. The sy stem defaults to sequential part numbers, i.e parts are numbered in the order they are entered into the sy stem, but the option exists for commercial accounts to use significant alphanumeric part numbers and to import those parts from other systems. Generic, Equivalent and Alternate parts: boatbuilder includes catalogs for generic parts and specific (actual) parts. Parts that are all examples of a particular generic are termed equiv alent parts, and a subset of those, required for example by a task with particular restrictions are termed alternate parts for that specific task (work order). Generic parts are used by a designer to define a material list, and they are then substituted on the ML by the builder for one of the equivalent parts that are available to them. All the actual parts and materials entered into the boatbuilder catalog should have a generic parent in the catalog. Data such as QC checks and typical wastage are stored for the generic part, and retrieved when necessary for any equiv alent part for that generic. [Integrated Vendor Catalogs] boatbuilder allows for the integration of v endor electronic catalogs with the ability to drag and drop parts from a v endor catalog to a material list, at the same time adding the part to the sy stem parts catalog. 7 / 13

8 Part/Material Information Sheet (Part "Bio") The Part/Material 'Bio' collates information from several different areas: the parts catalog, purchasing, inv entory and manufacturer's data. The report includes the following sections. Overview Shows descriptive data from the parts/materials catalog and an image of the part. Discounts Display s the quantity discount schedule, if any Inventory (definitions here) Shows the inv entory summary data: 'on-hand', 'on-order',' tagged' (i.e. reserv ed by planned task ML's but not issued), and 'av ailable'. The low-stock alert v alue is also display ed. Equivalents Lists all the equiv alent parts in the sy stem catalog with the same generic part as the part in question. Purchasing (PO) History Lists all the Purchase Orders for the part Use (WO) History Lists all the task Material Lists that specify the part Disposition Shows any scrap/sale/trade/lost disposition records QC Checks Lists the quality control checks that should be performed on the part when it placed into inv entory and again before it is used Mfr. Data Wiki This is a multi-media document for saving manufacturers storage, handling and application / use instructions, the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) if av ailable, and any additional helpful information about the part/material. Consumables Consumables are items such as sandpaper, solv ents, protectiv e gear, rags, peel ply and temporary fasteners that are used in significant quantities and are often an unaccounted for expense. By assigning part numbers to consumables and then adding consumables to the Material List for a task the real cost of these items can be anticipated and planned for, with sav ings possible through bulk purchase from supply houses rather than as-needed retail shopping. Inventory Management Inv entory Management in boatbuilder ensures that items needed to complete published tasks are av ailable in sufficient quantity when needed, tracks items from v endor to installation, handles scrapped/sold/traded/lost items, and can also track parts between multiple warehousing locations. Currently parts are tracked in batches identified by their Purchase Order #, rather than indiv idually. Definitions Batch (PO) boatbuilder tracks parts by batch, rather than indiv idually. It is anticipated that bar-coded 8 / 13

9 individual parts tracking will become a feature of the system in a future release. For the home or limited production builder batch tracking based on purchase orders will suffice, with a bit of attention to detail, to allow a part installed on the boat to be tracked back to a particular v endor receipt v ia the task material list and the inv entory manager. By limiting Purchase Orders to a single part (one or many), a PO # identifies a batch of that part, and the receipt for the purchase is the proof-of-purchase needed to resolve any issues. In the case of single items that are likely to be under warranty and / or to carry a serial number, a field is provided on the PO to record the warranty expiration and the serial #. Parts are issued to a particular task from a particular batch, and as long as the batches are kept separate on the shelf and labeled with their corresponding batch (PO) number, the paper trail is maintained. Since a task is identified by location and system as well as description, it is a simple matter to identify the task number for a installed component at any time during the v essel's life, then v ia the inv entory manager see which batch(s) the parts were issued from and identify the corresponding v endor details and paperwork. On-order Items ordered but not deliv ered In-receiving Items delivered, awaiting inspection On-hand Items delivered, inspected and shelved Available Items in inv entory that hav e not been tagged, i.e they are av ailable to any new task requiring them. Tagged Items reserved by a published Materials List. When a task is published, the quantity of each item on the Material List is automatically tagged in inv entory. If more of a part is tagged than is av ailable, the quantity available becomes negative, and the part is 'short' the negative quantity. For example, 30 of an item is on-hand, 20 are tagged already so 10 are av ailable, and 20 are needed by a newly published task. The item is 10 short. Issued Tagged parts are issued to a published task from a batch using the inventory manager. When parts are issued, the quantity-on-hand and the quantity tagged are both decreased by the quantity issued. The quantity av ailable remains the same. Nominal / Wastage The quantity of an item on a Material List is the nominal quantity, i.e the quantity required to complete the task assuming no wastage or scrap. If the material has a ty pical 10% wastage rate, then the inv entory sy stem will already hav e tagged an extra 10%, which can be issued to the task in addition to the nominal quantity. This extra quantity is passed through to the purchasing action ('shorts') report as it reduces the quantity av ailable, and is thus added to the quantity 'short', i.e the negativ e quantity av ailable. Following the abov e example under 'Tagged', the item is 10 short. If it has 10% wastage ty pically, the system will add an extra item and report the item as 11 short. Low Stock 9 / 13

10 For items y ou don't want to run out of, such as coffee, the sy stem allows y ou to enter a minimum stock lev el and will work through the purchasing action report to maintain at least that stock lev el. Purchasing action ('shorts') report Items that hav e a negativ e quantity av ailable as discussed in the prev ious section ( 'short' items) must be purchased if all the published tasks are to be completed. Short items appear on the purchasing action ('shorts') report when the earliest start date among the tasks for which the item is required, less the lead time (amount of time expected between placing the order for the item and receiv ing it), is equal to or earlier than today. In other words, if I don't act on items on the shorts report the day they appear, it's likely I wont hav e the parts in hand for when I expect to start the task. In practice the lead time will be entered into the sy stem to allow a grace period. A Purchase Order can be created directly from the shorts report. Disposition Unused issued parts can be re-stocked, and the inv entory manager allows for parts to be tracked as scrapped/sold/traded/lost. If for example a finished component fails inspection and is scrapped, the Inv entory Manager allows the part to be re-stocked, then scrapped, and that action is recorded. A record is maintained therefore of the scrap rate for that part over the life of the project, and the total cost of scrapped parts rev ealed as a percentage of the project cost. The full cost of scrapped / lost parts is maintained on the project cost report; the receiv ed v alue of sold / traded parts is deducted from the project cost. Purchasing Vendors The sy stem maintains a v endor catalog. Wherev er a v endor field is display ed in the sy stem, rolling the pointer ov er the field display s the contact information (phone, , address). [Integrated electronic catalogs] boatbuilder has the capability to access vendor electronic catalogs and to drag and drop parts from the v endor catalog to a Material List and the sy stem parts catalog. Informational advertising Vendors are encouraged to contribute informational articles or short videos with their branding and contact information to the boatbuilder knowledgebase. Purchase Orders Quantity discount schedules and negotiated discounts directly entered. One PO, one part, one vendor. Purchase Orders in boatbuilder are restricted to a single v endor and a single part number. This enables the PO# to serv e to tie items from a particular work order to a proof-of-purchase. This can be useful in the ev ent of warranty claims, insurance or legal situations, and for simply replacing or maintaining parts for which the serial or vendor catalog # is required. When creating a PO from the shorts report any wastage for the item is already taken into account. When simply entering a part from the catalog, the sy stem will ask if y ou wish to add the wastage allowance to the order. When the quantity required is entered into the PO, the sy stem will calculate the total price based on the catalog price less any applicable quantity discounts, and the calculated total price can be ov erridden. There are separate fields for shipping and taxes. Quality Management - QC/QA 10 / 13

11 Introduction Quality Management (Quality Control and Quality Assurance) during the build are considered separately from system commissioning checks and sea trials. Quality Control is defined as detecting defects, Quality Assurance is making sure that defects do not occur. Quality Management is built into the construction process at the following points. Parts and Materials: Upon purchase and prior to being placed into inv entory (QC) Storage (QA) Prior to use (QC) For Tools and Jigs: Prior to use (QC/QA) For Processes: During set-up (QA) While being carried out (QA) For Completed Components: Upon completion (QC) Commissioning: (QC) Engineering Notes To achieve consistent, high quality work with few defects (QA), standardized and documented "best practices" are important. By minimizing the 'learning curv e' with research, testing and documentation to make up for inexperience, high quality work can be achiev ed from the outset. As well as the builder's own collection of "how-to" notes, the community forum can be used to prompt discussions of techniques and problems. Once best practices are established they can be published to the community v ia boatbuilder. The public reference library built into the sy stem includes Engineering Notes, which are documented best practices in the form of a wiki to which community contributions can be made. The Engineering Note for a process will also include QA checks, a simple example of which is "don't paint when falling temperatures and rising humidity will cause the dew point to be reached". Another example might be "Epoxy coat warm pieces then place in cooling env ironment while setting to prev ent out-gassing of the substrate and pinholes in the coating". Engineering Document (ED) The ED is central to Quality Management. An ED is dev eloped for each task, and includes: Multi-media "how-to" instructions (hints/tips/links to articles/images/video) Links to or copies of the relev ant standard processes (EN's) as discussed in the prev ious section Copies of or links to the relev ant parts and materials QC inspections A step by step sequence to complete the task summarizing the information from the prev ious items QC checks to be carried out on the completed task. The ED is the instruction sheet ( with references ) for completing the task to the standard required 11 / 13

12 Manufacturers' data Part numbers in the system are associated with a wiki page that serves as place to record the manufacturers recommendations and information. The wiki page for each part number will ty pically note storage, usage, handling and safety information for the part / material in question. Storage Some materials hav e particular storage requirements, such as lumber used in epoxy/ply construction which is best used at a particular moisture content achiev ed by the storing the wood with an awareness of the temperature and humidity of the storage environment. Enter storage requirements onto the part / material wiki page Handling Any special handling instructions given by the manufacturer Usage Recommended usage instructions MSDS Material Safety Data Sheet From Wikipedia: "A material safety data sheet (MSDS), safety data sheet (SDS),[1] or product safety data sheet (PSDS) is an important component of product stewardship and occupational safety and health. It is intended to provide workers and emergency personnel with procedures for handling or working with that substance in a safe manner, and includes information such as physical data (melting point, boiling point, flash point, etc.), toxicity, health effects, first aid, reactiv ity, storage, disposal, protectiv e equipment, and spill-handling procedures. MSDS formats can v ary from source to source within a country depending on national requirements." Item Quality Control Inspection Lists the checks that should be carried out on the part or material before it is placed in inv entory, and again prior to use at the workbench. Knowledge Base (Libraries) boatbuilder organizes reference information into two ty pes of library. The public reference library is available to all users, and is offered as a moderated wiki. It holds user contributed information, Engineering Notes documenting "best practices", articles, links to published engineering standards and maritime authority requirements and so on. Each user account has a personal library. The account holder can copy material to and from their personal library to the public library, and dev elop their project documents (ED/QC/QA) drawing upon material from either. [Community] A forum is prov ided to encourage discussion and the dev elopment of the reference library documentation. Each user account can create their own personal 'builders blog' to share their project. Work-flows: Create project and describe project -> create jobs within the Work Breakdown Structure -> create tasks within each job ->create material lists within each task Publish tasks -> check inv entory purchasing action report -> create Purchase Orders -> submit to 12 / 13

13 vendors Receiv e parts -> inspect parts -> place in inv entory in batches -> issue parts from inv entory batches to tasks Created with the Personal Edition of HelpNDoc: Free CHM Help documentation generator 13 / 13