Frequently Asked Questions

Is it necessary to create labels and use them for attributes? Why not simply use the attribute description instead of a label for the attribute?

Labels are not required, but when there are many attributes with different datatypes and/or formats for a characteristic, such as ‘Protein’, the description can be used to help distinguish between the different attributes. Labels enable the translation of attribute names.

What are the advantages of having the system automatically assign identifiers for item attributes instead of entering it manually with a more meaningful identifier?

The need for meaningful or significant identifiers is not required because functions are supported by browses that allow people to search and sort for attributes by label or description. Significant identifiers are only effective when there are relatively few instances. The disadvantage of using a scheme with meaningful or significant identifiers is that the system quickly breaks down when the number of attributes increases.

When maintaining attributes for an item using Maintain Item Profile, why is it important to leave the Site field blank?

By creating attributes for an item with a blank site, the attribute parameters that you define apply across all sites within a domain. Therefore, you only need to create profile attributes for an item and site only when there are exceptions or deviations to the basic item profile.

Are the attribute profiles, test specifications, and item lot attribute values visible across domains?

No. Like items, item attribute and quality control data is specific to a domain.

How can I avoid record locks when viewing or modifying data within a collection, such as Maintain Item Profile or Maintain Quality Order?

To avoid record locks, the following is recommended:

• When opening a window to add or modify data for a browse line at one level of a collection, that window should be closed before opening another window at a different level for the same collection.

The old and new modules can be used in parallel but do not use the modules for the same item. For example, use the new Quality Control module for most activities and the old Quality Management module for a few low volume items.

Security is based on a combination of a person having access to the top-level browse in a collection and the programs that are used to create and modify browse data in a collection. Use menu level security for each of those programs to determine who can maintain data for any of the programs for each collection. Information to support this activity is included in the Item Attributes and Quality Control Training Guide.

How can the test result or quality order be ‘Conforming’ when one or more of the attributes are ‘Non-conform’?

When an attribute has a specification and a value, the result of the attribute is either conforming or non-conforming. The result of a test record is determined by the test specification attributes, if those attributes have a specification, a value, and Validation = True. When the Validation parameter = False, the result for the attribute is not considered. This allows you to set up an attribute to collect historical data that does not determine the conformance of a test or lot.

There are many parameters when adding an attribute to an item. Which parameters are important for an item attribute versus a lot attribute?

The principal parameters for item attributes that have Level = ‘Item’ are:

The principal parameters for item attributes that have Level = ‘Lot’ are:

Yes. An item can have item or lot attributes only or a mix of item attributes and lot attributes.

An attribute is a characteristic. An attribute specification is the specification for that characteristic.

What is the difference between an attribute specification if the same attribute specification appears on an item profile and a test specification?

The specification for a lot attribute on an item profile appears as the attribute specification on a lot attribute order and not a quality order. The specification for a test specification attribute applies to a corresponding test record and to the attribute when it appears on a quality order.

A test specification represents a formal document to collect attribute specifications. A test specification is analogous to an attribute profile. A test record is the document that contains the values and results from having applied a test specification.

In a lot attribute order, you can update all of the lot attributes for an item and lot. In a quality order, you can record the results of one or more tests for an item and lot, as well as update the lot attributes.

Why would using lot attributes for expire date, grade, and assay percent be better than using inventory detail attributes?

There are several important advantages when using lot attributes.

Does MRP determine the current and/or future availability of material based on the values for item lot attributes?

No. Lot attributes are only evaluated by MRP to verify that operational activities, such as allocating, picking, issuing, and shipping inventory can be executed. Item lot attributes are not evaluated for either scheduling or planning activities.

Do the available-to-promise (ATP) calculations determine the current and/or future availability of material based on the values for item lot attributes?

What is the function of sublot attributes? Why are there special considerations when using sublot attributes?

Sublot attributes use the Reference field, which appears on inventory detail records. When using sublot attributes, the value for the Reference field needs to be consistent when an inventory quantity for the lot and sublot move from one location to another.

When would you want attributes, which appear on test specifications for an item, to also appear on the item profile?

The following are two scenarios when you would want to copy the attributes on a test specification to an item profile:

1 When one or more attributes on a test specification also need to appear on a certificate of analysis.

2 When you want to have the values for one or more test attributes to be visible as lot attributes on functions such as View Item Lots and the Lot Trace Workbench.

For an attribute value to appear on a certificate of analysis, the Certification parameter for the attribute must be set to True when the quality order is created.

The system determines that an item lot is conforming or non-conforming for a specific order because the specifications that apply to a lot can vary from order to order, depending on whether there are deviations. Use the Monitor Materials for Sales and Monitor Materials for Production to determine what lots are conforming or non-conforming.

Inventory allocations depend on a number of additional factors, such as the values for the inventory status code.

The value for an attribute result is blank when a value has been entered for a lot attribute and ‘Specification Type’ is ‘None’.

What do I do with the quality orders that are created if it is not necessary to inspect every lot?

If there is a quality order that is not required, change the status to ‘Canceled’.

What do I do with a quality order that includes a test if it is not necessary to complete the test?

If it is not required to perform a test, you can change its status to ‘Canceled’.

How do the ‘Value Required’ and ‘Validation’ settings for attribute parameters work together?

These parameters work independently.

• When ‘Value Required’ = True for a lot or test record attribute, you must enter a value for that attribute.

• When ‘Validation’ = True, the value is not required. When a value is entered, that value is used to determine if the result for a quality record is conforming or non-conforming.

The value for the ‘Edit Specification’ parameter for an item profile attribute determines whether deviations can be created for that item and attribute. Set ‘Edit Specification’ to True to allow a deviation to be created for a higher-level profile, such as an item and supplier or PO line. Set ‘Edit Specification’ to False to lock the specification for the item profile attribute.

The ‘Print’ parameter determines whether the attribute is printed on supported functions. Set ‘Print’ to False to exclude an attribute from being printed.

When an item has lot attributes and no test specifications, why is a lot attribute order not always created when a PO is received?

A lot attribute order is created when there is at least one lot level attribute with ‘Value Required’ = True and an attribute value has not been entered. To reduce the steps that are required to complete the processing of item lots, lot attribute orders are not created when all the values have been entered.

When an attribute appears on an item profile and a higher-level profile, such as the Item and Supplier or PO Line Profile, what is the best practice for the ‘Default Value’ parameter?

The ‘Default Value’ and specification data should be set for the specific profile. For example, if there is a lot level attribute for ‘Supplier’ or ‘Item Revision’, the Default Value for an item profile might be left blank. For an Item Supplier Profile, the default value should be set for that supplier.

Can the value for an item lot attribute be determined by the lot attribute values from one or more of its components?

The value for an item lot attribute cannot be calculated from another lot attribute.

The capability to print attributes has initially been provided for reports that are supported by the QAD Report Framework.

Can the information for item profiles and test specifications be bulk loaded, or do they have to be entered manually?

Yes. Data can be loaded by using QXtend Inbound schema and receivers together with Excelerator documents.