Help: Product codes

Hi

Sorry this may not directly relates to SW, but I am having difficulty finding a suitable ng.

We are manufacturers of air movement and conditioning equipment. Our current product coding system is a rather a "descriptive" one. For example, FAN-BKT-MM020 is the code for fan bracket used in MM020 unit. Another example: FSU020-CASE means case for filter supplied unit model 020.

The advantage of this system is that all codes are meaningful. You know what it is as soon as you see it. However, as you can imaging, when you have thousands of products and parts, every time you create a new part you have to scratch your head. Different heads will come up with different way of coding. Some codes may be meaningful to that particular head who created them but totally confusing others....etc

So we come to the stage where we would like to adapt a modern, industry proven coding system.

What system do you use? Could you please shine some light on me? Thanks in advance.

Regards.

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The simplest solution, is to have a register of consecutive numbers and use them as a prefix for the names, eg: 123456 FAN-BKT-MM020 . They can still be searched for using windows explorer. Other alternatives are to maybe prefix the register code with a project code, eg: 789-123456 FAN-BKT-MM020, or use a PDM package with numbers, but forget the numbers, as searches can use the descriptions or numbers, this obviously require some sore of codification system.

I am sure you will get a lot more suggestion, just wait a couple of days.....

-- Tony O'Hara Melbourne, Australia..

Personally, I am opposed to putting any sort of descriptive information into a part number, as it appears you are doing. IMO, a part number is simply a unique identifier and nothing more. It should in no way be used to describe the part itself.

Descriptions, applications, and where used information can change at any time. You do not want to be changing the part number each time one of these change.

Also, what about re-using parts from other projects or assemblies? Do you think Ford has a different part number for a radio antenna commonly used in different cars? Of course not!