Flexible way to manage workflow and streamline engineering and production processes

Citation

(1998), "Flexible way to manage workflow and streamline engineering and production processes", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 70 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.1998.12770baf.006

Flexible way to manage workflow and streamline engineering and production processes

Software solutions for aerospace

Flexible way to manage workflow and streamline engineering and production processes

Fourth Shift Europe announces the Engineering Module for its Fourth Shift OBJECTS Enterprise Software Suite. This new engineering software streamlines the exchange of information between engineering and production teams during the introduction of new products. "Fourth Shift's Engineering Module offers an easy way to integrate the information that engineering and production use during the manufacturing release process," says M.M. Stuckey, chairman and CEO of Fourth Shift Corporation. "What separates us from the pack is the completeness and ease of use of this Engineering Module, and that it allows customers to develop a customised process to manage their own workflow."

The Engineering Module was designed to support configuration management, allowing users to enforce their ISO 9000-documented prototype to production release processes within their manufacturing management system. Using customisable templates, the user can designate a checklist of engineering, pre-production and production release constraints. The Engineering Module requires compliance with those processes by not allowing a product to move from engineering to production without completing the appropriate steps.

Sophisticated customisation capabilities allow users to tailor the Engineering Module to fit the specific needs of their industry, and determine how to manage their workflow.

The Engineering Module allows users to link engineering information to components of pre-production and production bills of material. The first release of the module provides a wide range of options for specifying and interactively reviewing bill and associated reference designator information. Users can enumerate reference designator detail information such as component positioning, orientation or detailed insertion instructions. Additionally, multi-level bills of material are presented in an easy-to-use and understand graphical tree format.

The Engineering Module allows for the customisation of bill of material screens and reports to satisfy users' requirements. Screen modifications include column layout, sorting, reference designator range format, and the inclusion of a reference designator count by component. All reports are supplied as Crystal Reports Pro-compatible templates allowing user customisation. Reports may be reviewed on-screen prior to printing or routeing via e-mail.

In addition to robust database search and reporting capabilities, the module enables users to easily enter, review, copy and validate information for each component on a bill of material through the use of an intuitive, Windows-based graphical user interface. For maximum ease of use, online documentation offers in-depth instruction for completing tasks within the module. The Engineering Module is a component of MSS for OBJECTS, part of the OBJECTS Enterprise Software Suite.

Details from Fourth Shift Europe Limited, Fourth Shift House, 11 Worton Drive, Reading RG2 0LX. Tel: +44 (0) 118 975 4000; Fax: +44 (0) 118 975 4011; E-mail: FionaT@fourth-shift.co.uk; Internet: http://www.fs.com