Create a Flow Manufacturing Work Definition Associated with a Production Line

Flow manufacturing is a method of manufacturing characterized by running a continuous flow of similar products (often single piece flow) on a production line at a steady rate to align with customer demand. The production workflow is designed with lean manufacturing and just-in-time principles in mind, where consistent and standardized operations are executed with streamlined cycle time, built-in quality, and minimal waste and changeovers.

Using a Redwood user experience, you can create and update a work definition to make a standard item or Assemble to Order model (ATO) item using flow manufacturing on a specific production line. A work definition models the production process as the combination of the product structure with the set of operations, and equipment and labor resources used in the production line. A flow manufacturing work definition is subsequently used in creating flow schedules that can be sequenced for execution and completion of multiple products on a line.

  • Search and filter work definitions – Use keywords and filters to quickly find an item's work definition to review and manage.
  • Efficiently manage work definitions – Use actions like copy, delete, deactivate, and reactivate on a work definition. Manage versions and edit priorities in change management scenarios.
  • Create a work definition for an item in a few steps – Enter the product information with a reference to its item structure and production line. Use the placeholder operation as a starting point.
  • Edit work definition's operations, operation items, and operation resources using a grid experience:
    • Provide spreadsheet-like interfaces that allows to enter, access, or edit large volumes of data with high efficiency
    • Navigate through the data relationships in a work definition using tabs and grids
    • Add, copy, or delete rows in the grid
    • Search for specific data in the grid to narrow down the dataset
    • Enter data using keyboard shortcuts or mouse-driven interactions including cut, copy, paste, and autofill
  • Personalize pages for create, edit, copy work definition, manage work definitions, edit priorities, and manage versions. You can use business rules in Oracle Visual Builder Studio (VB Studio) Express mode to do the following:
    • Make the fields and regions on a page required or optional
    • Make the fields and regions on a page read-only or editable
    • Show or hide fields and regions depending on specific criteria
    • Control which actions are visible on the page
    • Set the default value of fields on the page

Create a Flow Manufacturing Work Order

Create a Flow Manufacturing Work Definition

Work Definition Operations

Work Definition Operations

If you use standard cost method to value your inventory, in the Rolled-up Costs page, the Production Line information is available for reference after you calculate the costs of your products.

Production Line information in Rolled-up Costs

Production Line Information in Rolled-up Costs

Work definitions for running flow manufacturing on a production line align manufacturing activities with the product produced to meet customer demand.

Here's the demo of these capabilities:

Steps to Enable

To use this feature, enable the 24B feature, Search for, Create, and Edit a Standard Item Work Definition Using the Redwood User Experience.

Follow these steps to enable or disable this feature:

  1. Enable the Profile
  • In the Setup and Maintenance work area, search for and select the Manage Administrator Profile Values task.  
  • On the Manage Administrator Profile Values page, search for and select the ORA_WIS_WORK_DEFINITIONS_REDWOOD_ENABLED profile option code. 
  • In the Profile Values section, set the Site level to Y or N. The default value of the profile option is N. 
    • Y = enables the feature 
    • N = disables the feature 
  • Click Save and Close. Changes in the profile value will affect users the next time they sign in.

Profile Option for Accessing Work Definition Using Redwood User Experience

Profile Option for Accessing Work Definition Using Redwood User Experience

You'll have the option to enable or disable this feature.

Tips And Considerations

  • You can watch the following demos:

    • Create a Production Line for Flow Manufacturing

    • Create a Flow Manufacturing Work Definition Associated with a Production Line

    • Manage Flow Schedules for Manufacturing Execution on a Production Line

    • Execute flow schedules on a production line

  • You can follow these recommended practices for flow manufacturing work definitions:
    • You can model a flow manufacturing work definition for each production line by using a different work definition name.
    • You can associate the same work center across the operations in a flow manufacturing work definition to facilitate future scheduling of line workstations in the work center based on the line rate and capacity.
    • You can model a flow manufacturing work definition as a buildable level in the entire product structure. The work definition contains the operations, materials, and resources requirements for producing an item, including the line operations, activities, and resources.
    • You can include the full set of line operations in a flow manufacturing work definition. However, you can only complete the product of a flow schedule at the last operation, which represents the end of the line.
    • You can set the operation materials with a supply type of assembly pull or operations pull for backflushing and operation resources with a charge type of automatic for auto-charging to simplify the production reporting required by production operators.
    • You can optionally define work instruction tasks for operations within a flow manufacturing work definition. However, you can't use the Operator Workbench to execute a flow schedule and its work instruction tasks at this time.
  • You can refer to these related features for additional information and tips and considerations:
  • You can use the existing work definition REST services to create a work definition, then view or edit a work definition using a Redwood page based on the user privileges.
  • You can't add a production line to a work definition for discrete manufacturing or process manufacturing work methods at this time.

Key Resources

Access Requirements

Users who are assigned a configured job role that contains these privileges and codes can access this feature:

  • Manufacturing Privileges :
    • Manage Work Definitions (WIS_MANAGE_WORK_DEFINITIONS_PRIV)
    • View Work Definitions (WIS_VIEW_WORK_DEFINITIONS_PRIV)
    • Get Work Definitions by Service (WIS_GET_WORK_DEFINITIONS_SERVICE_PRIV)
    • Manage Work Definitions by Service (WIS_MANAGE_WORK_DEFINITIONS_SERVICE_PRIV)
    • Get Manufacturing Plant Set Up Data by Service (WIS_GET_MFG_PLANT_SETUP_SERVICE_PRIV)
    • Get Standard Operations by Service (WIS_GET_STANDARD_OPERATIONS_SERVICE_PRIV)
    • Get Production Lines by Service (WIS_GET_PRODUCTION_LINES_SERVICE)
  • Other Privileges:
    • View Subinventory and Locator List of Values by Web Service (INV_VIEW_SUBINVENTORY_LOCATOR_LOV_WEB_SERVICE)
    • View Inventory Organizations List of Values by Web Service (RCS_VIEW_INV_ORG_LOV_WEB_SERVICE_PRIV)
    • View Units Of Measure List of Values by Web Service (RCS_VIEW_UNITS_OF_MEASURE_LOV_WEB_SERVICE_PRIV)
    • Get Item Rest (EGP_GET_ITEM_REST)
    • Create Item Structure (EGP_CREATE_ITEM_STRUCTURE_PRIV)
    • Use REST Service - Talent Model Profiles Read Only (HRT_REST_SERVICE_ACCESS_TALENT_MODEL_PROFILES_RO_PRIV)
    • View Qualification Profiles (MNT_VIEW_QUALIFICATION_PROFILES_PRIV)
    • View Supplier List of Values Using REST Service (POZ_VIEW_SUPPLIER_LOV_REST_SERVICE_PRIV)
    • Manage Subinventory and Locator (INV_MANAGE_SUBINVENTORY_AND_LOCATOR_PRIV)
    • View Unit Of Measure Conversion List of Values by Web Service (RCS_VIEW_UNITS_OF_MEASURE_CONVERSION_LOV_WEB_SERVICE_PRIV)
  • Guided Journeys : Role Codes
    • Use REST Service - Guided Journeys Read Only (Role Code ORA_PER_REST_SERVICE_ACCESS_GUIDED_JOURNEYS_RO)
    • Use REST Service - Guided Journey Responses (Role Code ORA_PER_REST_SERVICE_ACCESS_GUIDED_JOURNEY_RESPONSES)

These privileges were available prior to this update.