IMDS - MDS request for parts supplied to multiple customers

TPMB4

Quite Involved in Discussions
Quick question, if some parts are to go to multiple customers including some future customers what is needed with the IMDS?

I mean is say one part is already entered onto the IMDS, sent to and approved by one customer. Another customer, or multiple customers, then put in a MDS request for the same part. Does that mean another MDS is needed to send it to them, with the same part number and an exact copy of the existing MDS except the recipient has changed? Will this create any conflict somewhere?

Can you copy the details from one MDS to create a new MDS for another customer?

Noobie questions I am sure but any help and assistance would be great.
 

Ron Rompen

Trusted Information Resource
The short answer is yes and yes. You do need to create a new MDS for the new customer, but it will be the exact same (EXCEPT for the customer part number) as the old one. You can copy the existing one, and save it as a new MDS, and(a real time saver) you can also use an existing one as a template for new ones which vary a little bit from the existing one.

My suggestion is to experiment with the system - you can't break it, and as long as you don't save what you have done, it doesnt even really exist as far as the system is concerned.
 

TPMB4

Quite Involved in Discussions
Thanks Ron, much appreciated.

Very glad to hear you can't break it. I'm always wary about IMDS because it is done through the internet with the "work" being done on IMDS servers I believe. With limited training (and unable to get more) I was always worried about my mistakes being stuck on the system permanently.

I guess if it is done but not saved then it is not there is a good way. Glad you told me that. However I was thinking of saving the existing MDS as another MDS for the other customer then tweak it as necessary.

Would that mean there is an MDS saved on the system that might not be correct if I got interrupted in the changing of it to the new part for the new customer? Might be safer to make it anew from scratch.
 

TPMB4

Quite Involved in Discussions
Another quick question, I'm full of questions but I will keep this as my last.

What if the new customer has the same part number reference? IMDS won't allow that I am guessing. It would make the only difference being the IMDS material ID number as the only difference.

If this is right then I am guessing a subtle change to the part number to differentiate might be needed????
 

Jim Wynne

Leader
Admin
Thanks Ron, much appreciated.

Very glad to hear you can't break it. I'm always wary about IMDS because it is done through the internet with the "work" being done on IMDS servers I believe. With limited training (and unable to get more) I was always worried about my mistakes being stuck on the system permanently.

I guess if it is done but not saved then it is not there is a good way. Glad you told me that. However I was thinking of saving the existing MDS as another MDS for the other customer then tweak it as necessary.

Would that mean there is an MDS saved on the system that might not be correct if I got interrupted in the changing of it to the new part for the new customer? Might be safer to make it anew from scratch.
What if you're creating a new one from scratch and you get interrupted?

You can make one that you know is correct and save it, then identify it later by the ID number. If you do a search for your own MDSs, ones that haven't been accepted by a customer will always have a decimal suffix--123456789/0.01, for example. The suffix changes to a whole number (/1, e.g.) when the MDS has been accepted. Thus if you search for only entries that were last edited by you, you should be able to keep track of the ones you consider correct.
 

Jim Wynne

Leader
Admin
Another quick question, I'm full of questions but I will keep this as my last.

What if the new customer has the same part number reference? IMDS won't allow that I am guessing. It would make the only difference being the IMDS material ID number as the only difference.

If this is right then I am guessing a subtle change to the part number to differentiate might be needed????

When you copy an existing MDS, you are given the option of creating a new one or a new version of the existing one. If you choose to create a new MDS, it can include the same part number as other ones. It will have a new ID number and the customer ID information will be different, and that's all that matters as far as the system is concerned.
 

TPMB4

Quite Involved in Discussions
Thanks guys, it all got done nice and easy.

I don't know what you guys think but this version of the IMDS is a lot easier for a novice to navigate around than the older version. It navigates like a proper website even down to the ability to change your own password and reset it if you forget it.

I assume the 3 strikes and you're out still happens?? Used to get 3 wrong attempts before it froze the user out until the company administrator went in and changed the password. IIRC it used to remember if you had already had 1 wrong attempt and carried on counting no matter how long ago that was.
 

Jim Wynne

Leader
Admin
Thanks guys, it all got done nice and easy.

I don't know what you guys think but this version of the IMDS is a lot easier for a novice to navigate around than the older version. It navigates like a proper website even down to the ability to change your own password and reset it if you forget it.

I assume the 3 strikes and you're out still happens?? Used to get 3 wrong attempts before it froze the user out until the company administrator went in and changed the password. IIRC it used to remember if you had already had 1 wrong attempt and carried on counting no matter how long ago that was.

The new version (8.0) was a bit shaky at the start: Has Anyone had Trouble with IMDS 8.0?. Things eventually got worked out for most people, I assume, and I agree that it's generally better than the previous versions.

Version 9.0 has just been released (release notes attached) and one of the things that's changed has to do with part numbers. This is not the situation you've described, but the system will now reject a submission if it cites a part number that's been submitted to the same recipient in the past. In those cases you're supposed to create a new version of the same MDS, but I guess the system would allow for creating new ones prior to these changes.
 

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Kales Veggie

People: The Vital Few
Quick question, if some parts are to go to multiple customers including some future customers what is needed with the IMDS?

I mean is say one part is already entered onto the IMDS, sent to and approved by one customer. Another customer, or multiple customers, then put in a MDS request for the same part. Does that mean another MDS is needed to send it to them, with the same part number and an exact copy of the existing MDS except the recipient has changed? Will this create any conflict somewhere?

Can you copy the details from one MDS to create a new MDS for another customer?

Noobie questions I am sure but any help and assistance would be great.

If it is the same part, I suggest you use the propose function after you added the additional customer to the recipient list.

For each recipient there is a "recipient data" page where you enter the customer part number, customer part description and drawing information, if required.

There should be no need to use copy function or keep track of unreleased versions.

Keeping only one MDS for multiple customers is a good idea. A change to the part, only requires updating one MDS.
 

TPMB4

Quite Involved in Discussions
I spotted somewhere on the system about a new version as an option but wasn't sure it was something new or not. Seemed a new tweak to the system from the last version I looked at (8.0 IIRC).

Mind you I thought the 8.0 version was good too. I found the website feel of it an improvement that makes any of the problems others saw as less of an issue.
 
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