xTuple for Service Businesses Demo Guide

Keep in mind that you must run the Constraint Management utilities (i.e., Run Buffer Status by Planner Code and Run Buffer Status by Item) for the information in the buffer status screens to be updated. Best practice would be to submit the job run buffer status by planner code to the batch manager on a nightly basis, scheduling it to run each night after midnight. In this way, you will be able to monitor the updated buffer status results when you arrive in the morning—allowing you to then set appropriate priorities for the rest of the day.

Also recall that time buffers are only calculated for make-to-order items. The appropriate buffer for items that are not make-to-order is the stock buffer. By definition, items that are not make-to-order are sold from stock. The reorder level for stock buffer items will ensure you can meet your desired service levels.

To review, in this chapter we have covered scenarios describing the three types of buffers recognized by the xTuple ERP:

If you are curious to see more displays related to constraint management, take a look at the Schedule module's Constraint Management submenu. There you will find numerous displays not covered here. These other displays provide additional ways of monitoring the results of a buffer update. As always, the goal is to provide you with a means to prioritize the actions you need to take in order to meet or exceed customer requirements for service levels and on-time deliveries.