How to use outside-operations properly?

In IFS9 outside operations is called Subcontracting (Cloud now calls it Outside Operation).   Subcontracting involves setting up an outside work center representing where your vendor is performing the work, which may be outside of your plant or a space inside your plant where your vendor works.  Typically a non-inventory purchase part is setup to represent the outside service that also acts as a proxy for the material sentout and received.  Additionally, any material linked ot the outside operations on the materials tab will be included on the picklist to be sent to the vendor.  This means, whaterver you are building at the step in the process and any additional components that are connected to that operation are to be sent to the vendor.  You have a few different options on how to ship materials and report the outside operation and IFS will facilitate some fo the pruchasing process for you.

I typically recommend using outside operations when part of the process is manufactured in house and part is performed by a vendor.  An alternative to outside operation is Purchase with Structure.  In this instance, the materials to be sent to the vendor are in the purchase structure and you receive a purchased part into stock.  This works well when the entire manufacturing process is being done by the vendor and the components you send out are in inventory and you intend to receivd back into inventory tha final part. 

Goodmorning and thanks for the quick reply,

That's exactly how we use it now in our company, so that's good to know.

But what about using multiple outside-operations in one Shoporder and sending some parts to supllier 1 and some parts to supplier 1 and 2.

Is it common to combine such things and modify the material-line-op-no's while the SO is being started?

Yes that works.  You will set each of the outside operations up as a seperate operation and then on the material tab, enter the op no for where the material is consumed.  If a single SKU is used on more than one operation, then it has to be on the product structure twice so each may be associated with the correct operation.

In Report Shop Order Operation or Report Work Center Operation, you should be able to select the operation and choose the action to print the picklist.  In apps9 that would be a right mouse button to pull up the action.

Make sure to select the Send to Next Supplier option other than routing if you are not going to receive the parts back in before it goes to the next outside operation.  Don’t worry about exactly which supplier is consuming each part, instead think about it in terms of what picklist you want the material to be printed on and at what point in the process you want to ship the material.  For example, if supplier 2 is receiving a component for their operation, but you are shipping everything to supplier 1 to be forwarded to supplier 2, then just put it all on the first outside operation.  If you are sending the parts to supplier 1 for only supplier 1, and then shipping a second shipment to supplier 2, the parts that go to supplier 2 will be on the second outside operation and the parts for supplier 1 go on the first outside operation.

The only time I modifiy the material line op no’s after the shop order is created is if the decision for what to ship is being made at execution time instead of planning time.  If it always goes to supplier 1 and/or supplier 2 then set it up on the routing so no additional work is required.  If it is an operational decision when the shop order is being executed, then setup the most common use case on the routing and let them manipulate it when the decision is made.  That is perfectly fine.

My goal in solutioning is to always make it as easy as possible on the shop floor with the least possible chance of making a mistake.

Ok, but we have a third option here where we ship things to only 1 or 2, but also a selection that goes to both 1 and 2.

So then we still have to modify the SO while it is in progress.

But it's good to know that the first 2 options are normal ways to go about it in IFS.