Hello,
We have in Epicor two different part numbers, but physically it is the same material.
Example could be:
xx-x
xx-1
As issue is when we are pulling from stock, it says that there is only two of xx-x, but physically there is maybe 10. Then the last 8 is xx-1.
Is it possible for Epicor to handle that, for example in Part tracker, in warehouses, so see that there is actually two part numbers which is the same material.
There is no out-of-the-box functionality that does this.
Why are there two separate part numbers for the same material? This happens in a lot of places, and I have yet to find what I consider a good reason for it. There needs to be a business decision to make it all into ONE part number and move on from there.
I have no idea why they made two part numbers.
And i agree. I have yet to find out how many of their materials acutally has two part numbers.
As Ernie mentions, this is a process issue rather than an ERP issue. If it’s the same form, fit, function, it’s the same part. Best practices dictate that you should never have multiple part numbers for the same material.
If you wanted to meet half way, you could setup a single part number and setup an internal part cross reference for the second number. This would give you a single part number for inventory purposes but a second “part number” that behaves like a shortcut to the first.
The only place where it may make sense is when the customer provides material that we also buy. The customer material potentially has zero cost in inventory and the plant needs a way to track when to request more material from the customer. But other than that, I can’t think of a problem it solves that is stronger than the problems it creates. 
I can see that happening when you cut something. This is a notoriously hard problem for fabricators with sheets and sticks of material. A good reason for the two part number could be one is for the full part, and the second if for cutoffs.
But no… Epicor does not have a good way to handle that.
I will add, that while part tracker out of the box won’t show alternates, you can issue whatever you want to a job as long as the units match.
What you could do it set up alternates, and on part tracker customize it to show an “Alternate parts” grid that would show you the alternate part number. Not the easiest, but it can be done, and there is some schema for it available, but it is only set up to work with order entry.
This still wouldn’t have any effect on planning (MRP, Purchase suggestions etc.) But it would at least make some things visible.
Well… we need to enhance the new Part Quantity Tracker to support this. I have added Epicor Idea: KIN-I-4964
I like that idea!
