You may get this more than once, email probs....
Hi, I'm a developer with an interest in SL. My interest is from a manufacturing point of view, as SL is quite close to providing a manufacturing ERP solution, due to its ability to record inventory, and a= lso the assembly facility. However It would require some extensions, in my opinion fairly easy to do. I would like some idea whether the ideas described below (1) would be supported in principle (2) would gather som= e development support. I am currently porting a software package to Linux that performs MRP*, wi= th the idea of establishing a C++ project. Tentative name is MRP Server. I= ts core function is an algorithm to generate new purchase and works orders a= t a parts level from plans and customer orders at the product level. It depe= nds on data already existing on an external database e.g. SL. By necessity i= t is quite a complicated algorithm that takes account of the current supply snapshot (inventory, purchase and works orders) to identify what incremen= tal new supply needs to be initiated. The DB interface will be ODBC. The algorithm functionality is well tested and has Windows users, so this is = not pie-in-the-sky. With the extensions proposed below, SL would call MRP Server as a separat= e process, which would compute the required new purchase and works orders a= nd place them back on the database. The main extension required to SL would be the addition of Works Order functionality. This should be quite easy by duplicating Purchase Order functionality. Also some improvement to Inventory functionality, especia= lly Stores Issue. A desirable but not initially necessary extension would be= a grid-like input for Forecast Demand at product level. With my focus on C++ development I could not myself offer Perl developmen= t for these extensions but could certainly guide them at a spec level. Any of you in manufacturing might like to consult your production and materials colleagues, and I am confident these extensions would be welcom= e in these areas. If there is enough interest I could start a separate thread = for more manufacturing focus and discussion. My reason for posting is I think SL is already an excellent system and ha= s great potential for the above. Mike Stares *MRP. Stands for Material Requirements Planning, a well known technique especially in larger companies with complex product structures (say more = than 30 parts or ingredients going into the product). Traditionally has been expensive software. Generically it's an algorithm for traversing complex product structure trees, so has potential for costing use also. -------------------------------------------------------
