Part Characteristics VS Technical Classes

This is an interesting question.  

Technical classes 

The characteristics you find on the Part level is a global characteristic type that can be connected to different Logical Units (LU). This information is also shown in the characteristic tab in the attachment field at the bottom of the page.

“These technical specifications can then be used at different phases of the Asset Lifecycle. For example, Purchasing, Installation and Commissioning and Criteria Based Maintenance, among others. Technical specifications are defined by inheriting an appropriate set of Technical Attributes (technical data fields) to a design object or design part in the initial design stage. These fields could then be filled with actual values and units to complete the definition. Technical attributes such as Pressure, Temperature and Viscosity, among others, can be created for a design object. Technical Attributes are defined in Characteristics Basic Data as either Numeric or Alphanumeric in Type, and are then connected to a selected Technical Class, forming a Technical Class Template. A technical class is then applied on a per-class basis and affects all of the objects or design parts of the class”

“Technical attributes determine the field label names for technical data fields in the Attachment Panel for the Characteristics service.  For example, attributes such as pumping temperature-normal, pumping temperature-min, pumping temperature-max, among others, can be created and customized to describe the requirements of a pump object.”

So, you can think of these characteristic as technical specifications for assets. The “Best Fit Search” function can then be used to find the features you are looking for across different LUs within the same technical classes.

Some useful links:

https://docs.ifs.com/ifsclouddocs/22r2/DefineSystemBasics/AboutTechnicalClasses.htm?StandAlone=true

https://docs.ifs.com/ifsclouddocs/22r2/default.htm?openpage=https://docs.ifs.com/ifsclouddocs/22r1/ProcessModels/Process_Model/SearchForObjectInTechnicalClass.htm

Part characteristics 

The characteristics on an inventory part and sales part is used specifically to characterize parts. These characteristics are a bit more feasible since they allow for several characteristics to be added without a mandatory technical class.

Use example:

• Finding a part with specific property requested by a customer using “Find Part by Characteristics”.
• Sequencing in Constraint Based Scheduling in IFS/Manufacturing
• Describing part attributes useful in the manufacturing process  

Some useful links:

https://docs.ifs.com/ifsclouddocs/22r2/MaintainInventory/ActivityInventEnterPurchInvPartCharacteristics.htm?StandAlone=true

https://docs.ifs.com/ifsclouddocs/22r2/MaintainInventory/ActivityFindInventoryPartbyCharacteristics.htm?StandAlone=true

Characteristics X2 in inventory part

It can be somewhat confusing because the two different types of characteristics on the Inventory part Page below are not really connected with each other. We can probably do a better job of showing this then we currently are. 

Reply 

I hope that this helps you with your question. If you want your users to find parts or products; I recommend using the characteristics on the inventory part.  

Kind regards / Lukas Andersson 

Lukas wrote:

This is an interesting question.  

Technical classes 

The characteristics you find on the Part level is a global characteristic type that can be connected to different Logical Units (LU). This information is also shown in the characteristic tab in the attachment field at the bottom of the page.

“These technical specifications can then be used at different phases of the Asset Lifecycle. For example, Purchasing, Installation and Commissioning and Criteria Based Maintenance, among others. Technical specifications are defined by inheriting an appropriate set of Technical Attributes (technical data fields) to a design object or design part in the initial design stage. These fields could then be filled with actual values and units to complete the definition. Technical attributes such as Pressure, Temperature and Viscosity, among others, can be created for a design object. Technical Attributes are defined in Characteristics Basic Data as either Numeric or Alphanumeric in Type, and are then connected to a selected Technical Class, forming a Technical Class Template. A technical class is then applied on a per-class basis and affects all of the objects or design parts of the class”

“Technical attributes determine the field label names for technical data fields in the Attachment Panel for the Characteristics service.  For example, attributes such as pumping temperature-normal, pumping temperature-min, pumping temperature-max, among others, can be created and customized to describe the requirements of a pump object.”

So, you can think of these characteristic as technical specifications for assets. The “Best Fit Search” function can then be used to find the features you are looking for across different LUs within the same technical classes.

Some useful links:

https://docs.ifs.com/ifsclouddocs/22r2/DefineSystemBasics/AboutTechnicalClasses.htm?StandAlone=true

https://docs.ifs.com/ifsclouddocs/22r2/default.htm?openpage=https://docs.ifs.com/ifsclouddocs/22r1/ProcessModels/Process_Model/SearchForObjectInTechnicalClass.htm

Part characteristics 

The characteristics on an inventory part and sales part is used specifically to characterize parts. These characteristics are a bit more feasible since they allow for several characteristics to be added without a mandatory technical class.

Use example:

• Finding a part with specific property requested by a customer using “Find Part by Characteristics”.
• Sequencing in Constraint Based Scheduling in IFS/Manufacturing
• Describing part attributes useful in the manufacturing process  

Some useful links:

https://docs.ifs.com/ifsclouddocs/22r2/MaintainInventory/ActivityInventEnterPurchInvPartCharacteristics.htm?StandAlone=true

https://docs.ifs.com/ifsclouddocs/22r2/MaintainInventory/ActivityFindInventoryPartbyCharacteristics.htm?StandAlone=true

Characteristics X2 in inventory part

It can be somewhat confusing because the two different types of characteristics on the Inventory part Page below are not really connected with each other. We can probably do a better job of showing this then we currently are. 

Reply 

I hope that this helps you with your question. If you want your users to find parts or products; I recommend using the characteristics on the inventory part.  

Kind regards / Lukas Andersson 

Hi Lukas, 

Can you may explain how you did the Connection so that the technical Object Reference is synchronized automatically? We did the Object Connection and the Transformer. The Tab is there in Inventory Part but do not get Data. Can you may help us with this? Thanks Stefan

Stefan Frey Bytics Group wrote:

 

Hi Stefan. Actually, for this original question I just did the setup manually since I was just addressing the two types of characteristics. No automatic synchronization technical Object Reference between part and inventory part was set up. 
When I looked through the documentation, I can’t find the answer to your question. I recommend making a new post about this in the Framework & experience sub forum so the question can be addressed. Either the documentation on how to utilize the TechnicalObjectReference in Object Connection Transformations is missing or I just can find it.

Lukas wrote:

Stefan Frey Bytics Group wrote:

 

Hi Stefan. Actually, for this original question I just did the setup manually since I was just addressing the two types of characteristics. No automatic synchronization technical Object Reference between part and inventory part was set up. 
When I looked through the documentation, I can’t find the answer to your question. I recommend making a new post about this in the Framework & experience sub forum so the question can be addressed. Either the documentation on how to utilize the TechnicalObjectReference in Object Connection Transformations is missing or I just can find it.

Thanks you Lukas for your Quick Answer - i checked also but didnt found an answer yet. Will post here if i found one. Thanks agian - Stefan!!

@WHGSTEFAN , If your objective is to help users to find Inventory part, Sales part or Purchase part using;

• Find Inventory Part by Characteristics Assistant
• Find Purchase Part by Characteristics Assistant
• Find Sales Part by Characteristics Assistant 

then, you can use setup “Part Characteristic Template” and attaches to Inventory part, Sales part or Purchase part. Then if you give the exact Characteristic in the Assistance then you will get a an exact match.

But, Technical Class is more an object connection. You can even connect it to a Customer Order line and you can use the Best Fit Search assistance to find matching records with a Hit Ratio based on the Technical Characteristics given in the Best Fit Search assistance.