In PLM the Critical Path Is Referred to As Events
Event Models.
In PLM the Critical Path is referred to as Events.
Here any tasks performed by both the Buying Office and the Supplier that are to be tracked and reported on can be listed in the Event Model.
Each Event Model can be different depending on many things such as the Country of Origin, the Delivery Terms, whether the product is a New Line or Re-Included or Resurrected etc.
Event Models will also differ by department.
It would be best to discuss which Events need to be added to each Model with the whole department. (The Buyer, Buyers Assistant, Merchandiser and QA Technologist).
This way all tasks that need to be monitored are included for the whole team.
To create a new Event Model click on the Search Menu on the left-hand side of the Dashboard.
Click Models, and then Event Models.
Click on the New Record icon
From the drop down boxes select the following:
Please select = Request
Screen level to attach Model = Detail
Enter a Model name this is usually made up of details in the match criteria eg. Menswear FOB NL.
In the Match Criteria fields select what the Event Model will look for, to attach the model to each product.
For example, Department, Delivery Term, NL/RI/RES.
Enter the values for each of the match criteria that have been selected.
Click , which will bring up a blank Event Model
You then need to decide which Milestones you want to include in the model.
Click in the first box and then click on the Magnifying Glass.
To narrow the number of events from which you can choose, click in the Explanation search box and type a full stop.
Change the Search index from “LIKE” to “EQUAL TO”.
Click on Search.
This will bring back 3 pages of the most commonly used events.
Then either search for the event description, or scroll through until you find the required event.
Click on the Blue Link of the code required.
This Event will be added to the model.
Then move onto the next milestone, you must click into the next box down before selecting the next code or the information will be over written.
Repeat until all the required milestones have been input.
If you know the code for a milestone it is possible to simply type this into the box and then once the record is saved the milestone description will be populated.
This is a much quicker way of creating Event Models, but you must know the Event Codes.
Dates can be added by clicking on the calendar and selecting the correct date for each event.
Trigger Events can be added with Trigger days, which will automatically populate the Schedule Date for that Milestone once the Trigger Event has a date input.
Once the Event Model has attached to the Buying Brief the user will then go to the Process Menu and Schedule the Model. This will look to the Trigger Dates and complete any missing dates where relevant.
Events – Best Practice Guide.
Before the next season make sure that a Pod meeting (including QA and Stock Control) is booked to discuss the Events that are needed to form a suitable critical path.
Start by completing one for your department and then if you feel that multiple Event Models would be useful in your area then start to develop more Models to suit the different situations or timescales. Don’t complicate them unnecessarily.
- Match Criteria
The Events should primarily attach to the buying brief using the Event Group or Department and the Primary indicator. If you require multiple Events as the dates differ depending on the product then match criteria can be expanded to include New/Res/RI lines or Event region, which are based on the Country of Origin. This will then give you a greater number of Models that will attach to products dependant on set criteria.
- Required Events
These Events should be included in your Events Models so that chase list reports and sealing reports can be run from MIS.
5 Key Dates – The dates for these Events are fixed. The dates for these Events need to be inserted into your Events Model so that the system can automatically schedule the rest of the critical path out.
800 – RANGE CONTROL MEETING
895 – CONDUCT SELECTION MEETING or 1050 – CONDUCT PRE SELECTION
950 – PHOTO SHOOT
956 – FINAL SEAL BY DATE
980 – CATALOGUE MAILING
Contracts – There are 5 Events needed in your Models to record when all the contract information is attached to PLM.
926 – SUPPLIER COMPLETED PRODUCT DETAIL ASSOCIATION
927 – PRODUCT DETAIL ASSOCIATION APPROVED
928 – SUPPLIER COMPLETES AND ATTACHES EA1 FORM
929 – EA1 FORM APPROVED
930 – PACKAGING SPEC ATTACHED
Labels – This will be used to track the product label forms through MIS
931 –SUPPLIER COMPLETES LABEL/WASHCARE
932 – LABEL AND WASHCARE APPROVED
QA Sealing Process – Please ask your QA which samples they require from the suppliers. The system needs a set of 3 Events per sample type
825 – SUPPLIER HAS SENT TECHNICAL SAMPLE
830 – RECEIPT OF TECHNICAL SAMPLE
840 – APPROVAL TECHNICAL SAMPLE BY QA & BUYER AND COMMENTS TO SUPPLIER
870 – SUPPLIER HAS SENT PHOTO SAMPLE/IMAGE
875 – RECEIVING PHOTO SAMPLE/IMAGE FOR PHOTO SHOOT
880 – APPROVAL OF PHOTO SAMPLE FOR TECHNICAL CHANGES
885 – SUPPLIER HAS SENT SEALING SAMPLE
890 – RECEIVED SEALING SAMPLE
955 – APPROVAL OF SEALING SAMPLE
978 – MED SENT PRODUCTION SAMPLE
976 – RECEIVE PRODUCTION SAMPLE FROM MED
977 – APPROVE PRODUCTION SAMPLE FROM MED
983 – SUPPLIER HAS SENT MAIL ORDER PACKED SAMPLE
984 – RECEIPT OF MAIL ORDER PACK SAMPLE
988 – APPROVAL OF MAIL ORDER PACK SAMPLE - QA
Events that fill in automatically – Once you complete a task the Events in the system will fill in automatically
805 – REQUEST QUOTE PRICING (Once offer is emailed to supplier)
845 – APPROVAL OF OFFER NEGOTIATION (Once supplier line is confirmed from a status of Offered)
847 – CONFIRM SUPPLIERS FOR PRODUCTION (Once you have actual dates in 840 and 845)
3.Optional Events
A decision will need to be made by each pod to see if you want to track when these Events are complete.
Lab Dips
855 – SUPPLIER HAS SENT LAB DIPS
860 – RECIEPT OF LAB DIPS
865 – APPROVAL OF LAB DIP WITH COMMENTS
Bulk Fabric
910 – SUPPLIER HAS SENT BULK FABRIC / TRIM
915 – RECEIVE BULK FABRIC / TRIM
920 – APPROVAL OF BULK FABRIC / TRIM
Swatches
933 – SUPPLIER SENDS SWATCHES
934 – SWATCHES RECEIVED FROM SUPPLIER
936 – SWATCHES APPROVED
Stock Control – Please check with your Stock Control Manager as to whether they want to report on these Events
1040 – BREAKDOWN SENT TO SUPPLIER
905 – ORDER RECEIVED FROM SUPPLIER
- Other tips when using your Events
Make sure that you fill a schedule date for the 5 key dates in your Events Model. This will then calculate your full critical path once it is attached to your buying brief
Attach your Events before you start the price negotiation process. The Events start to record information as soon as a quote is sent out to the supplier.
There are MIS reports that can be run to track any of your Events. The reports can be found in the M:\ Drive in the PLM Folder. These reports are live so the changes you make to PLM will show on the reports straight away.
When filling in the actual dates on the Contract, Sealing and Label Events please make sure that you also fill in the YES/NO indicator next to it. This will make sure that the result will show up in the MIS reports that have been created.
If the YES has not been selected with the date, the MIS report will show that the Event has not been completed.
Anything Event that has the word APPROVED in its description must have YES selected as well as the date. This means that whatever the Event was has met the standard of approval and quality required.
Late in the MIS reports runs from the SCHEDULED date in the Events Model.
Even if the date has been revised it is still classed as late.
Events can be added or deleted at product level.
To delete.
Select the Event that is to be deleted by highlighting it.
Press the Delete button.
A warning box will appear click OK to confirm that the Event should be deleted.
To Add.
Select the bottom row to ensure that any existing Events do not get over written.
Click on Code and search for the Event required by using the search boxes.
Click on the blue code of the Event to attach it to the Events Model.
If there is not a code for the Event required please speak to the Merchandising Training Department.
Do not change the description of an Event. This causes reporting issues as the reports are looking for the original Event descriptions.