Parts combined - product/variable link lost

Occurs when optimising Quotes / Orders or Product requirements or in Review runs reports

This error message indicates that some parts have been combined (combine duplicates) and the information required for costing etc. is not fully available.

It typically means the Quote / Orders (product requirements) parameter: Aggregate duplicate parts is switched on (checked). This parameter causes the program to automatically combine any duplicate parts (parts with the same material and size) into a single entry in the part list / cutting list.

But if there is the same part (e.g. PART/01) in two different products and information about each product is included in the part information there is a conflict of what information to store in the combined part.

For example:-

PRODUCT/01  Small Cabinet

PART/01          CHIPBOARD-18MM      750.0 x 350.0

PRODUCT/02  Large Cabinet

PART/01          CHIPBOARD-18MM      750.0 x 350.0

If the part has, for example, an information box set to store information about the product this creates a conflict. For example, if the Information box: Product description is set the product description is passed to this information box when the part list / cutting list is created. The produces different information for each part.

Part              Material           Length  Width  Qty   Product description

PART/01          CHIPBOARD-18MM      750.0 x 350.0   2    Small Cabinet

PART/01          CHIPBOARD-18MM      750.0 x 350.0   1    Large Cabinet

The message is a warning that the Product description information (in this case) is lost when the parts are combined.

Part              Material           Length  Width  Qty

PART/01          CHIPBOARD-18MM      750.0 x 350.0   3    

This error or warning can be caused by many different sorts of part information - check the part details in the part library. This may or may not matter depending on whether the information is used later, for example, for labelling or costing.

To avoid this switch off the Quote / Orders (Product requirements) parameter: Aggregate duplicate parts

An alternative in situations where it is clear which fields are causing the problem is to consider whether that information box is needed.

A further option is to include the field in the definition of duplicate parts (then the parts are not combined). See: System parameters

The Quote / Orders parameter: Aggregate duplicate parts is set at the Quote / Orders screen or at the Product requirements screen (File - Parameters)