Sourcing Materials
Once a work order is set up and approved, Material Sourcing answers one question for every material on every step: where is it coming from? Sourcing before you start production means no mid-run surprises when a component turns out to be out of stock.
Setup must be finished first; the section reminds you to finish setup to source materials otherwise.
The sourcing table
Every material across all steps is listed with:
- Item and the step that needs it
- Required: the total quantity the plan calls for
- Fulfilled: how much already has a source
- Remaining: what still needs sourcing
- Fulfill From: where you choose the source
The sources are the same five used throughout Fast2Task; see Fulfillment Sources Explained:
- From Stock: take it from a stock location
- Purchase Order: buy it in
- Work Order: make the component on a child work order
- Kit: draw kit components from stock
- Non-stock: no inventory involved
A material can be split across sources, with some from the shelf and the balance on order.
Creating a purchase order from a shortfall
Choosing Purchase Order opens the Create Purchase Order dialog:
- Pick the supplier
- Set the purchase quantity, which is what goes on the PO (often more than you need, to meet pack sizes or minimum orders)
- Set the fulfillment quantity, which is how much of it is reserved for this work order
The purchase order is created as a draft, linked to the work order. When its goods are receipted, your sourced materials are on hand.
Creating a child work order
Choosing Work Order opens Create Work Order. Pick the component’s Bill of Materials, set the work order quantity to produce and the fulfillment quantity reserved for this parent. This is how multi-level manufacturing chains together: the finished product’s work order sources a sub-assembly from its own work order, and so on down.
Dynamic products
Dynamic products (defined during setup) are resolved here: Fast2Task shows the variable taxonomies to choose from, you pick the concrete values, and it finds the matching product to source. The chosen product then behaves like any other material.
Auto-fill
Auto Fill proposes a source for every unsourced material in one pass, using stock where available and purchases where not. Review the proposal in the Auto-fill Fulfillment dialog, adjust any line, and Confirm. Use Refresh to re-check quantities after things change elsewhere (a receipt arriving, stock moving).
Next step
Materials sourced? Start the run: Production, Completion and Costing.