Diane Tschida, Author at EstesGroup

Is Your Epicor ERP ID Code Schema Costing You Money?

by Diane Tschida | Jul 2, 2019 | Epicor, Epicor 10, ERP Benefits & Features

In our previous blog about ID Codes, we talked about the importance of planning which ID Code schema you might want to use and the pros & cons of non-intelligent ID Codes. Read Part 1: Defining and Setting Up ID Codes in Epicor ERP

So let’s get to the real issue… Is Your ERP ID Code Schema Costing You Money?

By establishing non-intelligent ID Codes, you eliminate the need to rework, or revamp your schema during an implementation. This saves both time and money. That’s why choosing the proper ID Code schema to reference your groups is critical to your project, implementation, and your client’s success. Now, let’s look at intelligent ID Codes and what they can offer.

Advantages of intelligent ID Codes:

Significant ID Codes offer time savings downstream, and they can help prevent data entry mistakes and improve manufacturing efficiency. Here’s how:

Search efficiency: With this type of scheme you can group similar codes in your design documentation and spreadsheets and then more easily sort and search among them. You can also create queries and reports more efficiently, by just pulling in the code, not the description.
Error reduction: This type of ID Code scheme provides a frame of reference for each group by specifying the group to which it belongs. If an employee needs to quickly verify the validity of a group of data, you can use that group ID code to pull that information, sort, filter, etc, and check to see if there is data in the wrong group.

Disadvantages of intelligent ID Codes:

While there are many benefits to using a significant ID Code scheme, this type of schema also has some shortcomings. For this type of scheme to work well in an organization, employees must be familiar with the former and current code schema structure (if there is one). Such a scheme also demands ongoing attention and can introduce delays in your processes. Here’s why:

Training and knowledge required: Since these ID Codes have some meaning and significance to the group it represents, the stakes are high if the group is not properly defined. The person assigning the ID Code must know how and when to create a new group. An incorrectly classified Class ID can be misused because of the information implied by the code itself.
Ongoing maintenance: A new Class ID that does not fit the current scheme will require an evaluation of the entire scheme and definition. The logic of the ID Code system must be understood and carefully maintained, and group sizes planned in advance. For example, if all the significant digits in a string (o 0-8) have been used before, and there’s a similar group that must be set up, now you have the. potential of two groups with similar ID Codes, and employees possibly not paying attention to the description, leading to errors. What do you do? You need to spend time upfront planning for how to avoid this type of conundrum and how to address any challenges when they arise. When mistakes do occur, how is this handled and what is the best way to fix the error(s)? You will spend significant time updating the system and training (or re-training) people on the changes.

So Which ID Code Schema Should Your Company Use? Intelligent or Non-Intelligent?

Ultimately at the end of the day, the decision is made by the customer, or end user of the product. As a consultant and trusted adviser, it is our responsibility to offer the pros and cons with each option, and to allow you to make the best decision for your organization.

Have questions as to what ID Code Schema is best for your company?

Defining and Setting Up ID Codes in Epicor ERP

by Diane Tschida | Jul 2, 2019 | Epicor, Epicor 10, ERP, ERP Risks and Challenges

Setup is Critical – Take Time to Plan First

Please Note, this is Part 1 or a 2 Part Blog.

Whether you’re a user, a seasoned Consultant, or a new Consultant, you know that setting up ID codes in Epicor ERP is critical to the basic setup and configuration to all applications in the system. You may also know, that once an ID Code is created, it becomes a Primary Key field in the database, for mapping purposes. The code is also a way to filter and group large amounts of data, for reporting. The frustration comes when there is a transaction against this, and you find out very quickly that it cannot be changed.

This is the primary reason why setting up these codes should involve some thought and planning. In Epicor ERP, you are limited to eight characters.

Part Numbering Schemes

Consultants and clients alike, typically use one of the following types of ID Code schemes:

Non-intelligent – Also referred to as “non-significant.” The ID code is generic and does not provide any information about the group. Non-significant ID Codes are typically created in a series, (typically in numerical order), regardless of the group or reference. Using this ID Code system, a code could be assigned an ID Code – T100.
Intelligent – Also referred to as “significant.” The ID code contains descriptive and informative details that provide significant information about the group. With this type of scheme, an ID Code is generated for a Part Class, might be “RES” where “RES” stands for resistors.

Which scheme should you use?

In any manufacturing organization, establishing an ID Code should be an efficient and accurate process. Consider your current and future operations when selecting which type to use. Here are some pros and cons of each:

Advantages of Non-Intelligent ID Codes:

Using this type of scheme will save your organization time upfront. You can ramp new employees quickly, avoid relying too heavily on any one person and maintain the system without much overhead. Here’s how:

Time savings: It takes little to no time to pull a sequential ID Code for a group. Moreover, most of the setup is complete before cutover, and any additional setups are added on an as needed basis. Assigning an ID Code can happen fast. You do not have to put much thought into what the code should be as it is completely generic.
Little training needed: If the organization hires new employees, they will not need to learn how to define an ID Code and can focus their attention on other tasks. Assigning a new ID Code can happen with little training.
No single point of failure: To rely on a single person who knows and understands the coding schema, which was established in the past, means you sometimes must wait to assign a new ID Code. With non-significant ID Codes, you can easily have multiple people create them. NOTE: Since this is part of “Setup” in all application of Epicor ERP, Security group settings and rules should apply.
No “back-tracking” or having to redo setup and configuration: Since the ID Code is non-intelligent, and since you cannot change an ID Code once it has been established, you can always reuse the code for a different group by simply changing the description. This also avoids the dreaded “DO NOT USE” definition description when ID codes are created and cannot be deleted.
Simple maintenance: It is easy to maintain this type of scheme, as it’s essentially a sequential list. You will not have to decide where and how a new ID Code fits into the scheme.

Disadvantages of Non-Intelligent ID Codes

Using a non-significant ID Code scheme isn’t completely error-proof; mistakes can happen, especially if data entry is involved, and managing similar parts can be difficult. Here’s why:

Potential for errors: Because it doesn’t have meaning, a non-significant ID Code does not provide any cues to help a user evaluate a group. If a ID Code is manually created, even an experienced person may fail to spot a data entry error. ID Code E100 could inadvertently be entered as E001, with no frame of reference for a user to determine if the ID Code makes sense in the context of other data, the error will likely go unnoticed.
Difficulty managing ID Codes: Without common prefixes, this type of ID Code scheme may require more work to maintain. You’ll need to track additional metadata (descriptions) to define your codes and then use that information for grouping or searching (and for reporting) since the ID Codes do not provide identifying information.

So the big question is… Is Your ID Code Schema Costing You Money?

Continue reading about Intelligent ID Codes’ pros and cons in our next blog: Is Your Epicor ERP ID Code Schema Costing You Money?