GSInnovate Extended MRP Application Suite :: ActionDESK
Immediate and accurate communication of issues requiring expedient attention
ActionDESK, through a very easy-to-understand graphical interface, provides each employee with an up-to-date snapshot that shows how current activities in the business affect his or her daily activities and priorities. ActionDESK provides an employee with an immediate list of what he or she should work on, what can be delegated, and what issues need immediate attention. From that list, the employee can then take action necessary to avoid any delay.
Different colors are assigned to each task and are used to represent varying degrees of importance. Yellow tasks signify that you are on top or your job and there are no issues that need your attention. Red tasks signify that there are issues pending that need your immediate attention. Green indicates that you are currently handling an urgent issue.
How Does ActionDESK Work?
Each user is assigned to a team. A person can also be assigned to more than one team. Each team is assigned a list of predefined responsibilities. Each of those responsibilities is then linked to appropriate actions that need to be taken in order to handle that responsibility.
For example, an employee is assigned to the Purchasing Team. Responsibilities for the Purchasing Team include dealing with late orders, handling orders for approval, and handling requisitions for conversion. In order to perform these responsibilities, this employee must be able to do the following: approve orders, convert requisitions, and perform an inquiry on an order. This information is then used to configure that particular employee's ActionDESK.
A configured ActionDESK can also be created for a manager. Managers do not want to monitor all the details of the operation constantly; they would rather manage by exception and know which issues need their immediate and focused attention. Perhaps some of these urgent tasks need to be delegated. This can be accomplished quickly and easily with ActionDESK.
Examples
A Planner's perspective
A planner logs into ActionDESK in the morning. She sees the list of responsibilities that are assigned to her team and to her personally. This list includes: delivery problems, exception messages in GSInnovate's Master Production Scheduling, exception messages in GSInnovate's Material Requirements Planning, sales orders without supply, and shortages in production.
By reviewing the color coding, she immediately sees that there are no delivery problems, that there are four issues that need action in MPS, that there are fifteen sales orders not properly planned, and there is one production shortage. She probably decides to review the MPS exceptions first.
The planner clicks on the MPS exceptions to see the details of the four exceptions that are listed and then is presented with a list of related buttons on the right, which will allow her to take action on these exceptions and deal with the problems quickly and efficiently.
A Manufacturing Manager's perspective
A Manufacturing Manager logs into ActionDESK in the morning. He sees the list of responsibilities that are assigned to his team and to him personally. This list includes: open engineering changes, bins waiting stock replenishment, material scrap, shortages in production, work orders with outside process without purchase order, and work orders to be released.
The user immediately sees that there are four engineering changes that may need manual intervention, that there is a material shortage in production, and there are four work orders to be released. ActionDESK shows that no bins under Min-Max control need intervention, that there is no reported manufacturing scrap, and all outside process orders have been raised. The shortage is the most urgent and needs to be dealt with first.
The manager clicks on the shortages to see the details of the exceptions that are listed. They are now presented with a list of related buttons on the right that will allow him to take action on all of these exceptions and deal with the problems quickly and efficiently. One of these buttons is "inventory details." The problem appears to be that there are 600 lbs of aluminum in inspection and 400 lbs in quarantine. Before checking with QA, the manager drills into purchasing inquires to find out if there is any more aluminum already on order. The manager can open the order, review the contact details, and know immediately who to call to expedite the order.
A General Manager's perspective
A General Manager logs into ActionDESK in the morning. As a General Manager, he or she has access to a variety of information including sales, scrap, engineering, purchasing, and shortages in production. A GM can also see what needs immediate attention through the use of color-coding. The GM can then take action and follow up with the purchasing department and the sales department to find out what the problems are that need to be resolved.
Summary
With ActionDESK, GSInnovate delivers timely information about the exceptions within a business and puts the appropriate tools for resolution at the user's fingertips. The actions associated with each responsibility are user defined and can vary by the team role. Users can also have a personal set of inquiries and actions that follow them around in whatever role they are playing and whatever responsibility they are assuming. For example, even in the middle of resolving a customer complaint, a manager could temporarily switch to personal items to release an order on credit hold.
ActionDESK is flexible in design and can be set up according to a company's requirements. Users, teams, responsibilities and actions are not fixed by the system. They are all configurable to suit the business needs and the business flow of a company.
