Item specifications describe how to build or repair items you manufacture.

When you're creating item records for an item you manufacture or repair, you create the item specification after you create the item.

Work orders use item specifications as the basis for manufacturing and repairing items.

MRP looks at item specifications to determine what components to order.

Before you create item specifications, you must have the following set up: 

• An item record for this item
• Item records for component items used in this item specification
• Item specifications for subassemblies you manufacture
• Resources, Work Centers, and Work Center Resources (if you plan to add routings)

To create a new item specification, follow these steps:

1. Click All Tabs (plus sign), then click Item Specifications.
   
2. Click New.
3. Fill out (or check) the following required fields: 
   • Item
     The item you manufacture or repair using this item specification.
   • Company
     Make sure the default company in this field manufactures this item.
   • Type
     Choose one of the following:
     • Assembly
     • Repair
   • Revision
     Enter a revision number for this item specification. For example, if this is the third revision of the spec for this item, name the revision A-3.
   • Start Date
     The date you plan to start using this item specification on your manufacturing floor.
   • Specification UOM
     The UOM for this item specification.
     For example, if you're creating an item specification for a case of 12 finished goods, the Quantity per Assembly = 12 and the Specification UOM = CS (case).
     
   • Default Work Order Packaging UOM
     The default packaging UOM used for work orders to manufacture this item.
     For example, the Specification UOM = EA (eaches). But when you complete work orders for this item, you package it in CS (cases). So the Default Work Order Packaging UOM = CS.
     
4. Fill out the following optional but useful fields:
   • Item Specification
     The name of this item specification.
   • Facility
     The facility in which you manufacture or repair this item specification.
   • Model
     The model number of the item you manufacture or repair with this item specification.
   • Notes
     
5. Select or clear the following checkboxes: 
   • Costing
   • Production
   • Copy Phantom Routings

   To learn more about these fields and checkboxes, see Item Specification Field Descriptions.

6. Click Save.

The item specification record is created.

Kenandy creates an Expanded BOM for the item specification that contains only the item to be manufactured using this item specification. After you add components to the item specification, the Expanded BOM expands to include those components.

What Comes Next

Go on to add components and routings to this item specification.

Routings define specific tasks or chunks of work you do to manufacture an item. When you release a work order for an item specification that has routings, Kenandy converts each routing to an operation. You can then record completion of each operation separately.

Routings are optional.

We recommend using routings if your business needs to track every step of your manufacturing process, and every movement of your inventory. Use routings to track standard hours per task, to issue components for each task in your manufacturing process, and to record completion of each task.

To add routings to an item specification, follow these steps: 

1. From the Item Specification Detail page, click Manage Routings/Components.
2. To add whatever routings you want to, follow these steps:
   1. In the Routings section, click Add New.
   2. Enter a Resource Sequence number to define where in the manufacturing process this routing happens.

      Tip: To make it easy to add unexpected operations to work orders later, use a numbering system that leaves unused numbers between each routing. For example:

      • 10
      • 20
      • 30
      • 40
   3. Enter information into the following required fields: 
   • Work Center
   • Work Center Resource
   • Resource Quantity
   4. Enter information into the following optional fields if needed: 
      • Description
      • Standard Hours
      • Notes
   5. Select or deselect the following optional checkboxes as needed: 
      • Backflush Resource
      • Fixed Hours
   6. Click Save Changes.
3. To add routings from an item specification template, follow these steps: 
   1. In the Routings section, click Add Standard Routings.
   2. In the Template Item Specification field, choose the template you want to use.
   3. Click Search.
      Kenandy shows all the routings available in the template you chose.
   4. Select the checkbox to the left of each routing you want to add to this item specification.
      Or
      Select the checkbox at the top left corner of the grid to select all the routings in the list.
   5. Click Add Selected.
   6. Make changes to any routing fields if you need to.
   7. Click Save Changes.
      

The routings are saved to the item specification.

What Comes Next

Add components to the item specification and if needed, tie them to the routings you created.

To enter the component items you expect to use to manufacture your assembly item or to repair your item.

1. From the Item Specification Detail page, click Manage Routings/Components.
   
2. To add whatever components you want, follow these steps:
   1. From the Components section, click Add New.
   2. Enter information in the following required fields: 
      • Component Item
      • Quantity per Assembly
      • Type
   3. Enter information in the following optional fields: 
      • Component Sequence
      • Routing
        Enter the number of the routing that uses this component.
      • Supplier
      • Reference
   4. Select or deselect the following checkboxes: 
      • Allocate on Receipt
      • Allocation Required
   5. Click Save Changes.
3. To add standard components from an item specification template, follow these steps:
   1. From the Components section, click Add Standard Components.
   2. In the Template Item Specification field, choose the template you want to use.
   3. Click Search.
      Kenandy shows all the components available in the template you chose.
   4. Select the checkbox to the left of each component you want to add to this item specification.
      Or
      Select the checkbox at the top left corner of the grid to select all the components in the list.
   5. Click Add Selected.
   6. Make changes to any component fields if you need to.
   7. Click Save Changes.
      

The components are saved in the item specification.

Kenandy adds the components to the Expanded BOM for the item specification. If you added subassembly components that you manufacture, Kenandy automatically creates multiple levels in the Expanded BOM.

If you manufacture or repair many items that use the same routings or components, you can save time creating item specifications by creating item specification templates. The template stores the routings and components you add to it, so you can choose them from a list of templates when you're creating Assembly and Repair item specifications.

Note: You can't use item specification templates to create lots of item specifications with the same detail information (for example, revision number, model number, facility, and so on) . If that's what you need to do, you can clone an existing assembly or repair item specification. To learn more, see Clone an Item Specification.

To create an item specification template, follow these steps: 

1. Click All Tabs (plus sign), then click Item Specifications.
   
2. Click New.
3. Fill out (or check) the following required fields: 
   • Company
     
   • Type
     Choose Template.
   • Revision
     Enter a revision number for this template. For example, if this is the third revision of the spec for this item, name the revision A-3.
   • Specification UOM
     
   • Default Work Order Packaging UOM
     
4. If you want Kenandy to filter available templates, fill out the following optional fields.
   For example, if you want the template you're creating to be available for item specifications tied to your California facility, enter California in the Facility field. Any assembly or repair item specifications tied to the California facility can use this template but item specifications tied to your Nevada facility can't use this template.
   • Item
     
   • Facility
     
   • Model
     
   • Start Date
     
5. Clear the following checkboxes: 
   • Costing
   • Production
6. Select Copy Phantom Routings when you want to copy routings from a phantom (manufactured) subassembly to a work order.
   
7. Click Save.

To learn more about these fields and checkboxes, see Item Specification Field Descriptions.

The item specification template is created.

What Comes Next

Add routings and components to this template.

If you need to create an item specification that uses most of the same information as an existing item specification, you can save time by cloning the existing item specification.

To clone an item specification, follow these steps: 

1. From the Item Specification page, in the View field select All and click Go.
   
2. Find the item specification you want to clone and click its name to open it.
3. Click Clone.
4. Change information in any field that's different for the new item specification.
   You must change information in at least one field or checkbox.
   [Revision and Start Date must change. The Item Specification Name will always be the same as the Item Name.]
   
5. Click Save.

The new item specification is created.

Kenandy creates an Expanded BOM for the item specification that contains only the item to be manufactured using this item specification. After you add components to the item specification, the Expanded BOM expands to include those components.

What Comes Next

Add routings and components to the new item specification.

Important: You cannot delete an item specification if it's tied to any open work orders.

To delete an item specification, follow these steps: 

1. From the Item Specification page, in the View field select All and click Go.
   
2. Find the item specification you want to delete and click its name to open it.
3. Click Delete.
4. Click OK.

The item specification is deleted.

The following table lists the fields that Kenandy provides. Your system administrator selects the fields that are displayed on your user interface.

Item Specification Detail Field Descriptions

Field	Description
Company	The company that makes this item.
Copy Phantom Routings	Select this option if you want routings in your phantom subassemblies to copy to work orders automatically. When checked, Items of type Phantom with routings (that become operations in a work order) not only transfer their item specifications (and corresponding items) to any parent item that includes them, but they also carry over their routings to the work order so that the parent item may include both the phantom items and operations defined by the phantom item.
Costing	Select Costing only if you want Kenandy to take this item specification into account in assembly cost rollups, but you do not want MRP to look at this item specification.
Default Work Order Packaging UOM	The default packaging UOM used for work orders to manufacture this item. For example, the Specification UOM = EA (eaches). But when you complete work orders for this item, you package it in CS (cases). So the Default Work Order Packaging UOM = CS.
Facility	The facility that makes this item. Enter a facility if you make this item in only one of your facilities.
Item	The item described by this item specification. Choose an item from a list of existing item records in Kenandy.
Item Specification	The name of this item specification. This is always the same as the Item Name. Kenandy changes this name automatically if you try to enter a different name.
Model	The model name or number of the item described by this item specification. If you use CPQ, Kenandy automatically populates this field. [See a CPQ topic for more information]
Notes	Informative notes about this item specification that will help other Kenandy users or your manufacturing floor understand the item specification better.
Production	Select if you want to use this item specification as part of your manufacturing process (in work orders).
Revision	The revision number for the version of the item described by this item specification. One item can have many item specifications, differentiated by Revision.
Specification UOM	The UOM for this item specification. For example, if you're creating an item specification for a case of 12 finished goods, the Quantity per Assembly = 12 and the Specification UOM = CS (case).
Start Date	The date you plan to start using this item specification for manufacturing or costing. If you plan to enter records into Kenandy from previous manufacturing runs, make sure the start date on the item specification comes before the dates of work orders or other records that use the item specification.
Type	Choose one of the following:  Assembly [add definitions of each type here] Repair Template

 

Expanded BOM Field Descriptions

Field	Description
Component Item	The name of the component item.
Description	A brief description of this component item.
Item Specification	The item specification used to manufacture this component item.
Level	A component's level in the BOM hierarchy. Here's how that works:  The item described by this item specification is always level 00. Components you added directly to this item specification are level 01. Components of a subassembly component you manufacture are level 02. You can't change levels.
Quantity per Assembly	The quantity of this component required to manufacture one specification UOM of this item. For example, the specification UOM for an item specification for fishing rods is EA (eaches). A fishing rod requires 10 screws. The Quantity per Assembly of screws = 10. If the component item is part of a manufactured or phantom subassembly item, the Quantity per Assembly tells you how many of the component are required to manufacture the subassembly.
Quantity per Top Assembly	The number of this component item that you need to build one of the assembly items described in this item specification. [Liz to change this based on Specification UOM, probably use an example]
Revision	The revision of this component item.
Source	Where this component item comes from.
Yield	The amount of this component you expect to be used (not scrapped) when manufacturing or repairing this item. The Yield value is shown as a percentage. If the expanded BOM expects that a work order will use 100% of a component (no scrap expected), Yield = 100.00. When a Yield value is less than 100%, a work order using this item specification takes this into account and issues the number of components needed to complete the full work order.

 

Routings Field Descriptions

Field	Description
Backflush Resource	Select this option if the resource you entered is a backflush resource. If you want the standard hours for this routing to automatically populate when you record an operation in a work order, check this box.
Description	A description of this routing that helps other Kenandy users understand how the routing works or why it is used.
Fixed Hours	Select if the number of hours it takes to complete this routing is the same regardless of the quantity of items being manufactured. For example, if it takes the same number of hours to complete this routing for 5 items as it does to complete this routing for 500 items, select Fixed Hours.
Notes	Enter any additional information about this routing.
Resource Quantity	Required. The number of resources, either person or machine, required to complete this routing.
Resource Sequence	Defines where in the manufacturing process this routing happens. To make it easy to add unexpected operations to work orders later, use a numbering system that leaves unused numbers between each routing. For example: 10 20 30 40
Routing	A unique Kenandy-generated number that identifies each routing. You can't change the routing number.
Standard Hours	The number of hours usually required to complete this routing.
Work Center	Required. The work center where this routing is performed.
Work Center Resource	Required. The work center resource, either person or machine, required to complete this routing.

 

Components Field Descriptions

Field	Description
Allocate on Receipt	You must also check Allocation Required if you select this option. If you select this option, when you run MRP it creates a PO for the components. When you receive this PO, it automatically allocates the components to the work order.
Allocation Required	Select if you want to require this component be allocated to work orders.
Component Item	Required. The component item you choose from a list of available items in Kenandy.
Component Sequence	Optional. A number that defines where in the manufacturing process this component gets used.
Component Stocking UOM	This component's stocking UOM, used to cost this component.
Description	A brief description of this component item that helps other Kenandy users and your manufacturing floor understand what the component is and how it's used.
Quantity per Assembly	The number of this component required to manufacture one of the items defined by this item specification. [need to update based on Spec UOM info from other places in this doc]
Reference	Notes about this component that will help other Kenandy users and your shop floor understand more about this component.
Routing	The routing that uses this component. To tie this component to a routing, enter the routing number in this field.
Supplier	The supplier you use for outside processing of this assembly item. This is populated only when the Source of the assembly item is Outside Processing.
Type	Choose one of the following:  Kit Select if you want to issue this component to WIP before you use it in a manufacturing operation. Backflush Select if you want to issue this component to WIP and from WIP after you've used it in a manufacturing operation. Byproduct Select if this component is a byproduct of your manufacturing process that you want to record and track in Kenandy.
Yield	The amount of this component you expect to be used (not scrapped) when manufacturing or repairing this item. The Yield value is shown as a percentage. When a Yield value is less than 100%, a work order using this item specification takes this into account and issues the number of components needed to complete the full work order.