What's new in AX 2012, Flash news - 6

Product information management

Products and product variants
Products and product variants (previously called items and item dimensions) now originate at the enterprise level and are then released to the company level, where they can be further maintained. If you choose to create a product at the company level (legal entity), the system creates the product in the enterprise level and then immediately releases that product to the company where it is originated.

Product variants, on the other hand, can only be created at the enterprise level. Storage and tracking dimensions (previously part of the item dimension group) can be maintained at the enterprise level and then released to the companies for enterprise-wide consistency, or they can be maintained uniquely at the company level too.

To accommodate these changes, the size, color, and configuration dimensions in the Item dimension group definition have moved to the enterprise level and are now called Product dimension group. 

Product dimensions (previously called inventory dimensions) are now split into three distinct groups to support product definitions at the enterprise level. The three groups are:

1.       Product dimension group (color, size, and configuration)

2.       Storage dimension group (site, warehouse, location, and pallet)

3.       Tracking dimension group (batch and serial number)

Assigning dimension groups to individual products:

ü  Product dimensions get assigned to individual products at the enterprise level. If it is assigned to the product and released to the individual legal entity, the product dimension group cannot be changed.

ü  Unique storage and tracking dimensions can be set up for individual companies. These dimensions can be specified at the global level (enterprise level), or they can be specified for released products at the company level. If assigned at the enterprise level, they cannot be changed at the company level. 

 Product type

Product type (previously called Item type) is no longer used to configure a product as being either manufactured or purchased. It is now used to identify whether a product is a physical item that can be stocked, or a service item (intangible, non-stock item). Because product type no longer determines how an item is acquired, a new default order type is introduced for products at the company level (legal entity level). This default order type is used to determine replenishment needs when it cannot be determined by other means, such as through item coverage settings.  (See further definition on default order type below under separate heading)

In conjunction with the product type changes, prior limitations pertaining to purchased products are removed. Products may have formulas, BOMs, and routes even if the products are not normally produced. It is also no longer necessary to delete a formula version if a product that is usually produced is changed to purchased.

Production type

Production type replaces Product type to accommodate the change in how product type is used in Process Manufacturing Production and Logistics. Production type works functionally the same as product type in prior releases. The new production types are described below:
 

1.       Co-product ─ Activates the Planning formula field (previously called Planning item) for selecting the formula or planning item to use to initiate a planned order for the co-product when a replenishment order is needed.

2.       By-product ─ Identifies the product as a by-product item, which can contribute burden to the cost of production.

3.       Planning item ─ Identifies the group of co-products and/or by-products that will be grouped together for planning and costing purposes.

4.       BOM and Formula items ─ Indicates the type of production that will produce these types of items. In prior releases, these two settings were included in the “Item type” option, which is now called Production type.

      5.       None ─ Indicates that the product is none of the above. This setting remains the default setting. All purchased items basically have the selection of Production type - “None”

 Apply product template

A product definition no longer needs to be created for each product to be released to a company. You can now release multiple products, including product variants, to multiple companies.

Once a product is released to the legal entity, you can use the Apply template feature to copy the data values in the template to a new product or to multiple products. 

In this release, you can create templates using the Create personal template and Create shared template buttons in the Templates action pane located in the ribbon area of the Released products list page.

Default order type

The default order type now indicates whether a product is produced, purchased, or a kanban. It identifies the type of order to generate to replenish inventory when it cannot be determined by other means, such as through item coverage settings.

Production orders / Batch orders will be generated for products with a default order type of Production and a Production type of BOM / Planning item / Formula. You define the default order type at the company level in the Released products list page or the Released product details form.

Global units of measure

The unit of measure definition is moved from the company level to the enterprise level. Enhancements include grouping units by class and introducing base units for easier set up of unit conversions.

I am stopping here, as I feel, it is too much for the day !