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Working with Parts
Collectively, parts are a complex maintenance issue. iMaint is designed to pull the numerous details together in an orderly way providing thorough, convenient management. iMaint enables you to effectively track all parts inventory, suppliers, quoted costs for parts, purchasing costs, related warranty terms, shipping methods, etc.
iMaint identifies each part required for a job by the Part IDs. Typically, a unique identifier sometimes defined by the manufacturer or supplier number identifies parts. The iMaint Part ID may be any combination of numbers or letters up to 40 characters in length. Parts are grouped in common categories or classes. For example bearings, lubricants, seals, sprockets, chains, and filters could all be considered a class. Use the Part Class ID to help categorize your Parts. You can even separate your fluid inventory by marking the Part Class record as a Fluid.
Parts management is accessed through the nodes group in the Inventory module. Parts is a sub module of Inventory and includes the following data entry windows:
Before you begin working with the Parts module, check the Site form. You may find settings on the Purchasing/Inventory tab of the Site form that may affect the overall process of storing parts within iMaint. Even if you do not have permissions to change Site settings, it is always good to be aware of the settings that may a major impact on your inventory process. For example, this is where you will find the settings for Part Cost Methods, and the ability to have a negative on-hand quantity.
Duplicating a Part Record
iMaint allows you to quickly create part records for similar parts. Use the Duplicate button on the part record toolbar.
The duplicate form will bring up the Part ID and Description you wish to copy, but prompt you for a new ID if you try to save the record. Change the Part ID and Description, then select the items you wish to keep the same for your new part record. You can select to copy Suppliers, Manufactures, Substitutes, Assets, General Ledgers, Warehouse and Location, Attachments and Comments over to your new record.
The duplication process will not copy component serial numbers, MTD, QTD, YTD and LTD issues and receipts, Last Purchase Cost and Date. The Quantity on Hand, on Order, Committed and Available quantities will also be blank on your new record.
Part Locations
iMaint gives you the ability to specify numerous locations for a single part. Create and define these locations using the Warehouse form, using the Location Sub tab. A Location ID can have up to three sub locations. Enter every location for your Warehouse on this Location Sub Tab.
Use the Status ID to indicate the location is Active or Inactive. In-Active locations will not appear for use and can not be associated with a part.
You may remove a Part Location from an inventory record, if the location is not the Primary and has a zero Quantity On Hand. The Quantity On Hand can't be negative. If you have a negative On Hand quantity, and you wish to remove the part location from the record, you must enter an On Hand adjustment to zero out the quantity before you delete the location.
On the Part form, using the Warehouse tab, specify which locations within the warehouse you may store the part. You must mark one of those locations as the Primary Part Locations. On the Primary tab of the Part record, the Location ID will appear as Read Only. If you have defined the Location ID using the sub location fields, those will display in the field as well.
Change a Part Location
To change the location of a part, open the Part Quantity Search or Part Adjustment forms. Display the specific part record and use the Location Transfer button. You may transfer between locations within the same warehouse, or between different warehouses. However, the part location you plan to move your part into must be set up and linked to that part record before you can make the transfer.
When the user clicks on the Location Transfer button, the Part ID, Warehouse, and Location, based on the highlighted row on the Part Search From results grid will default as the Transfer From location.
Note: If you do not see the location you wish to select as the Transfer To Location, you will need to go make sure the location has been created, and linked to your part record.
You may not transfer a part if you selected a line item which is not in within your own site. Use the Site Transfer option. And you may not transfer a component part which has a quantity on hand of zero.
Component Parts
If you have a part that must be uniquely identified, iMaint allows you to define it as a component part. On the Part form, make sure you check the box for Component. The location of this part will always have the quantity of 1 and a serial number.
When a Part ID, defined as a component, is received into inventory you will be required to enter a Serial Number.
Order Method for Parts
iMaint allows you to set a method of automatic ordering on each part record.
Again, you will need to check the Site form, to see how the Inventory/Purchasing tab is defined. Some fields, like the Economic Order Quantity will define the calculations used in determining the Economic Order Quantity for ordering parts. There are two methods you may choose from when using the EOQ, and are defined on the Site form. You will also find the definition for Part Cost Method on the Site form. These Site settings will play a role in how your parts are purchased through the iMaint system.
When you first open the Part record, you may notice a button on the toolbar called Open PO. If the specific Part ID has a quantity on order, on a Purchase Order in iMaint, the toolbar button will become available. If not, this button will be greyed out. This feature allows you to view all the open purchase orders for the specific part record. When this window is open, you may right click on the PO to drill down to display further details. Remember the Purchase Order Status plays a big role in when these details can appear. The quantity on order must be on an Open PO.
On the Ordering sub tab of your part record, iMaint allows you to enter quantities that are used to calculate when a purchase order is needed.
Options used by iMaint Purchasing are as follows and will default to ”don’t automatically order”.
Don't Automatically Order
Always Order Usual
Order so that Available = Desired On Hand
Order so that Available = Reorder +1
If you check the box Consider min/max when ordering, you will be able to set the Minimum Order Quantity and Maximum Order Quantity. These are the minimum and maximum quantities that can be ordered on a purchase order.
The Reorder Point, One Time Order, Usual Quantity, and Desired On Hand Quantity will be used depending upon how you choose to set the Order Method.
Safety Stock is a quantity of the item that is required to be kept in the plant in order to be in OSHA or EPA compliance. For example, if this is a part that is always necessary to have on hand to repair an asset that is critical to human safety.
Again, to see more information about the setting for Economic Order Quantity, see the chapter about Setting up your Site. There you will find details about the EOQ = Economic Order Qty.
Quickly Display the Quantity On Hand
First, to see all quantities for this part, within all the locations, use the Part Quantity Search form. Search for your specific part ID and a record for each location will display.
From the Part Quantity Search form you also have access to all the inventory adjustment functions and the Cost Transaction Logs.
Deleting a Part
If you find there is a part record you need to delete, use the Delete icon on the toolbar of the Part form. If there are transactions associated with this part record you may not delete it. For instance, if there is a committed quantity, part issues, or receipts.
However, if there are no committed quantities or history records, the part record will be deleted, along with all the associated child records. This means any links to objects like attachments, assets, procedures, warranties, meters, user defined fields will be deleted. (Of course the actual attachments, assets, procedures, warranties, meters records will remain, simply the link to the deleted part will also be removed.)
Also, note that you can only delete a Warehouse record if there are no Locations attached to the record.