My company currently uses the following software:
Creo
Windchill version 10.1
Oracle R12
For any given Creo part (BUY parts, not MAKES), our current link between these softwares only carries 2 parameters from Creo into Windchill and ultimately into Oracle. These parameters are "ProE Part Number" and "ProE Common Name". So when we create a Purchase Order in Oracle, our internal part number field and common name field is not enough information to describe the part to the vendor. Therefore we are required to also send a drawing of even the most simplest parts in order for our vendor to understand what we're trying to buy. We would like to provide a more detailed description on our Purchase Orders to eliminate the need for a drawing attachment for many of the items that we purchase, and have proposed to do so by sending a 3rd field from Creo to Windchill to Oracle.
Our Creo parts already include several parameters of information that fully describes the part in great detail, such as material type, size, and other physical attributes. All of these parameters are concatenated into a "Description" parameter that fully describes the part. Our I.T. department refuses to allow us to send our additional "Description" parameter to Windchill and then into Oracle as a 3rd field citing "a great deal of customization" to accomplish this. Instead, they recommend we contatenate our description with the existing common name within Creo and utilize the 2 fields existing fields (part number, common name) they provided us. However this is not suitable for engineering as the parameter fields within Creo are limited to 80 characters, and too much concatenating puts us over that limit for many of our parts.
What I need to know is if sending the 3 fields of information from Creo is truly a customization to Windchill and/or Oracle or if my I.T. department just does not want to do the work required to make the change? I find it hard to believe that all the companies out there using Windchill and Oracle cannot fully describe parts on their Purchase Orders and must also forward drawings of each and every commodity item they wish to purchase. Can someone fill me on if what we're proposing is possible without customization, and perhaps how other organizations are handling a similar issue?
To summarize the information that is being passed refer to the following examples:
CURRENT STATE:
"Part Number", "Common Name" = P123, FLANGE
FUTURE STATE (proposed by Engineering):
"Part Number", "Common Name", "Description" = P123, FLANGE, 316SS CLASS 150 SCHEDULE 80 RFWN
FUTURE STATE (proposed by I.T. department):
"Part Number", "Common Name & Description" = P123, FLANGE 316SS CLASS 150 SCHEDULE 80 RFWN <-- (limited characters!!!)
