| An e-chain Case Study - Switzer |  |
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Switzer offers a wide range of pressure, flow switches, indicators and differential pressure switches for controls. It also offers Pressure and differential pressure Indicators for measurement, portable digital manometers, and calibrator and pressure transmitters.
Switzer Manufactures Panel and field-mounted instruments such as temperature indicating controllers, Process Value indicators and Loop powered indicators. The range of products varies with the sensors used, range and condition of application.
Switzer has a 30-year track record of serving various industries such as Petroleum, Petrochemical, Chemical, Power, Steel, Cement, Sugar and Paper.
Solution
The following is the methodology handled for generation of dynamic Item:
- Item Class master is to be used for defining the parameters
- The validation rules of parameters and their inter-dependency would be maintained in the form of XML file. For each product class a separate XML file will be maintained in the server.
- A new page for capture of parameters in a sequential manner with appropriate validations based on the rules table. This will be more like a wizard with multiple pages, presenting the parameters in each page based on user-selected values.
- At the end of the wizard the Model Code (the finished Good Item Name) is provided.
- Based on the model code and based on filter parameters stored in a different table, identification of the Bill of Material components will be done and BOM are created accordingly.
- The Field value in Item class values will be used for filling in the code for the Item Name in Item Master.
Business Requirements
Switzer manufactures its components on a MAKE TO ORDER basis. Customers are offered the flexibility to choose their own parameters when ordering an item. This flexibility causes each individual component to have ‘N’ number combinations. The unique ordering flexibility Switzer offers created a unique business requirement for dynamically created item names based on the parameters. They also need to be able to generate bills of materials for those items based on the specified parameters. Additionally, the company needs to be able to track the selected combination in real time. From this point forward, a single change in component combination during item creation will be treated as a new item and will trigger the associated changes to the BOM.
Benefits
- Switzer’s customers can now personally enter item configurations to their individual specifications.
- Real-time creation of Items and BOMs are configured by system, resulting in significant reduction in the need for human interaction and time expenditure.
- Even with complicated parametric input, e•chain has made error-free output a reality for Switzer.
- Perpetual tracking of parameters for each individual item is now done automatically through e•chain.