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Foy's EPICS Events |
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Extrusion Production Information and Control Systems |
April 30, 2004 * Volume 8, Issue 2
In this issue
Corrective Action Module Introduced
Help! New and Improved EPICS Help Documentation
Other Enhancements in EPICS 2000.17 Update
Welcome to New EPICS Customers
This 2004 EPICS User Conference was a great success. We had excellent attendance with 39 extruders from 22 companies on 3 continents. This year’s session was held at the historic Pier House Resort in beautiful Key West, Florida.
In keeping with a Florida Keys theme, participants learned
how to “Unlock the Future” with EPICS, both in conference presentations and in
discussions with other users. The new EPICS Corrective Action Module was
introduced and other new features were explored in detail.
As with the previous 5 User Conferences, the greatest value in
this year’s meeting for us at Foy Inc. came from the planning and design
sessions for future EPICS modules and features. We 
always look forward
to meeting with you, our customers, face-to-face to discuss your needs and
concerns. This year, attendees provided their plants’ requirements on a number
of planned EPICS enhancements, including rack-tracking and improved tax
calculations. Another “Key” discussion addressed the requirements we will
consider long-term in developing the next generation of EPICS tools.
Notwithstanding all of this hard work, each day’s sessions still allowed time for attendees to enjoy the matchless Key West sunsets. Photos from the conference, as well as PowerPoint slides from the various sessions, are available on our web site at www.foyinc.com/Conference
Several sites for next year’s conference were proposed. Leading the list of choices were Charleston, San Juan, Las Vegas, and “anywhere with a beach.” The site selection committee (that’s Jim) will review these locations and others, and a site should be chosen by mid-summer.
On of the Conference highlights was the introduction and demonstration of the new EPICS Corrective Action Module. This module is an optional EPICS add-on that provides several new features:
- Generate and print a Return Material Authorization (RMA)
- Generate and print a Scrap Authorization document
- Easy entry of a replacement order for returned or scrapped material
- Method of highlighting a replacement workorder (bold heading, special fonts, etc.)
- Link to an EPICS Credit document, providing documentation for the credit
- One-click recall of Corrective Action history for any die, part, or customer
The EPICS Corrective Action Module provides a repository for all customer complaints using a single easy-to-use screen. Corrective Action incidents can be quickly entered by customer service reps while they are talking on the phone to your customers. Information about these incidents is immediately available to everyone that has access to the Corrective Action screen. Using the familiar EPICS control panel and QBE capability, you can easily monitor active or resolved complaints in real-time.
The Corrective Action Module also adds new options to the normal EPICS context menus. You can right-click on a die number, customer, or part number on any EPICS screen to view “Corrective Action History” pertaining to that record.
The Corrective Action database tables have been designed to be as flexible as possible. With the exception of the Corrective Action number (CANum) there are no required data fields. Consequently, you can record all customer complaints from the general to the specific on the same screen. If a customer requests corrective action about a specific sales order, you may enter this information and EPICS will automatically extract the description from this order. If, however, the customer provides you with only a die number, you can create a Corrective Action incident using only the die number or any other combination of data fields.
If it is necessary for a customer to return material for rework, credit, or replacement, the Corrective Action module allows you to create and print a Return Material Authorization (RMA.) This RMA document can be customized using Crystal Reports to include as many of the Corrective Action data fields and notes as you require. Active incident or complaint history reports can also be created using Crystal Reports.
Some customer complaints may require a replacement order to be issued to either rework returned material or extrude new pieces. The Corrective Action screen provides a button that will duplicate the original sales order item as a new item in the EPICS order entry table. You can then easily make any required quantity, pricing, or routing changes and post the replacement order using the order entry screen.
The heart of the Corrective Action Module is the screen below that allows you to quickly enter and process customer incidents requiring corrective action.
The EPICS Corrective Action Module is priced at $2500. Please contact Foy Inc for additional information.
foy INC at et '04
Please come visit us at booth 401 at ET '04. The Extrusion
Technologies conference will be held May 18-21 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center
in Orlando, Florida.
help! New and improved epics help documentation
With update 2000.17, we are implementing a new Help documentation format. The format is html based and runs in a browser. It runs faster and more smoothly and, because it requires only one file instead of two, is easier for you to install. Previously, you had been installing "EPICS Help.hlp". The file you will now use is "epics-help.chm".
This new format requires the use of Internet Explorer ver. 5 or greater. If you are using Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you already have this browser version. For your 98 and NT machines, check the version and see if it needs to be updated. The newest IE version is available for free from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.asp .
After downloading "epics-help.chm" and placing it in your EPICS 2000 directory on your server, open the Configure screen from the Files menu in EPICS and tell EPICS where it is. Expand the User Interface category and add the path in the Network column (pictured below).
You can continue using your 2000.16 help file, but of course it will not contain the newest update information.
Other Enhancements in EPICS 2000.17 Update
In addition to the top wishlist item of 2003, the Corrective Action Module, being included in update 2000.17, a number of other enhancements and additions were made to EPICS and are listed below:
Add "Load Toolbar" and "Save Toolbar" to "Files" menu
Provides the ability to save and load multiple toolbar styles for various EPICS user tasks. An administrator can use this to easily assign a toolbar to a new user.
Add "Tools" sub-menu to main "Files" menu
Cleans up the Files menu by grouping several administrative tools into one menu. The new menu must be added by right-clicking on the toolbar and selecting customize. Select the commands tab, "Files" category, and from the Commands box drag "Tools" to your menu. Please see the EPICS online help topic on Menu Bar for more information about customizing your menus.
Add 4 user-defined submenu headings to main menu
Enables you to create up to four customized menus in EPICS. Right-click on the toolbar and select customize. Select the Commands tab, "Custom" category, and "Menu 1", "Menu 2", "Menu 3" and/or "Menu 4" from the Commands box. Drag the new menu either to the main menu area (Files, Orders, Customers, etc), or within an existing menu. Then drag items into your new menu. To change the name of the new menu (to call it something other than Menu 1), right-click on it, while in the menu Customize mode, and change the name in the fly-out menu.
Add EPICS Installation log file to "Send Diagnostics" routine
When you choose "Send Diagnostics to EPICS Administrator" from the Help menu, your email client is loaded with the following file attachments: E2KNet.ini (network ini file), EPICS2K.ini (local ini file), Trace.log (or whatever another name if you renamed it), and now Install.log. Install.log is a log file created each time you run EPICS Setup. The information contained in this log may be helpful in workstation diagnostics.
Don't show inactive ShipToCust in right-click dropdown
When you right-click on a customer number to view a lookup of all customers, inactive ship-to customers (those with the inactive checkbox checked) will no longer be found in the list.
Add SupplierNum to BilletPO and DieCopy tables
Create suppliers records in the new Suppliers table and reference them from the BilletPO and DieCopy screens. It is no longer necessary to refer to these suppliers with memorized codes. Also use the new Supplier table for freight companies and paint suppliers. You will need to add the Suppliers table to your menu by right-clicking on your toolbar and selecting Customize. Select the commands tab, "Files" category, and from the Commands box drag "Suppliers" to your menu.
Prevent packing and shipping of a lot that failed a Tensile test
If an order-item-lot has a failed test recorded on the Tensile screen, metal from that lot will not be allowed to be packed. To allow packing, either mark the test result as "Pass" or "Disregard this test".
Give Advanced Order Entry its own permission settings
The Advanced Order Entry screen and the Standard Order Entry screen now have separate permissions. They are frmSOEntryNew and frmSOEntry respectively.
Reorganize Sales Order Summary and CS Inquiry screens using Tabs
These two screens now use tabs instead of radio buttons. They are easier to read and consistent with other EPICS screens with multiple data selections.
Allow customizable highlighting of data on SO Summary and CS Inquiry screens
Add color to these data screens to make the data more easily recognizable. For example, late items in a department can be highlighted with yellow, and items really late can be red. The font colors may also be customized. From the SO Summary screen (click the Summary button on the SO screen) click the new Customize button.
Wishlist Item Retain original ticket number when pulling entire ticket from stock
This item allows for traceability of metal (and test results of that metal) through the stock department and into a new sales order.
When new packing tickets are printed, EPICS examines the sales order to see if any metal had previously been pulled from stock into the sales order being packed. If stock has pulled into the order, EPICS then looks for any Tensile test records posted against the original sales order of the stock metal. If any Tensile tests are found, you will be asked to enter the stock ticket number that was pulled from stock (the same number that is now being re-packed for shipment).
If you are re-packing material you must enter the original stock ticket number to maintain Tensile testing traceability. Once you enter the stock ticket number, EPICS will copy all Tensile tests from the original sales order to the sales order you are now packing.
Add gDefaultStockNumber setting
When sending metal to stock from the packing screen, the default behavior for EPICS has always been to automatically supply the stock number from metal previously stocked with the same description. This new configuration option allows you to turn this off so that EPICS does not automatically supply the stock number.
Sort EPICS Configuration categories alphabetically
With a growing number of Configuration items being added, the screen was becoming difficult to navigate. The categories are now organized alphabetically. The User Fields, however, are still grouped together at the bottom of the screen.
Enable right-click lookups on press schedule screen
The scheduling screen is now right-click enabled, so you can quickly jump to items, dies, etc.
welcome to New EPICS Customers
We would like to welcome Superior Extrusion of Gwinn, Michigan and Crystal Extrusion Systems of Union, Missouri to the family of EPICS users. Both companies are using Microsoft Small Business Server with a Microsoft SQL Server database.
epics customers
On any given day
EPICS is helping more than 10,000 people
at over 60 extrusion plants around the world.