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Continuous Flows#

Estimated time to read: 13 minutes

Overview#

The Continuous Flow feature improves handling of scenarios where parts of a lot (Material) gradually move to the next step while the rest of the lot finishes the previous process step.

It enables partial chunks of the lot to be processed in parallel across different steps, while preserving a single lot grouping:

  • Step execution activities like Checklists and Data Collections apply to the lot as a whole (not to each partial material individually).
  • All partial Materials must be merged back at the end of the Continuous Flow block.

Topics#

Concept#

The logic introduces a Material Rank:

  • Head: First/leading material chunk.
  • Middle: All other chunks in between.
  • Tail: Last/trailing material chunk.

continuous flows concept

Rank is automatically assigned on Partial Track-Out and recalculated when merging back.

Checklists and Data Collections can be conditioned by Rank, so that, for example, a Checklist can be triggered only for the Head material and a Data Collection can be filled only when the final Tail material passes through the step.

A step can be configured as a Merge Step, causing all partial Materials to be automatically merged together once they reach the Step.

Partial Track-Out#

  • During Track-Out, set the primary quantity below the main Material’s primary quantity to split a chunk.
  • The first split tracked out becomes Head; the remaining InProcess main material becomes Tail. Additional splits become Middle.
  • If the flow contains a Step with attribute MedDevIsPartialMatMergeStep = true, a Future Action is created/updated on Partial Track-Out to automatically merge at the merge Step.
  • Additional partial Track-Outs in subsequent steps split the then-current Head into a new Head and Middle.

Context Resolution#

  • In Steps following a Partial Track-Out, Checklists/Data Collections appear only for the configured rank(s) as defined in the context tables.

Materials Final Merge#

  • If a final merge Step is predefined:
    • Partial Materials are blocked at the merge Step waiting for the Merge Future Action to be applied.
    • Once all partial Materials arrive, the system automatically merges and releases the Material.
  • If no automatic merge is configured, users must manually merge partial Materials.
  • When recording full loss on a material, the system attempts to merge with the next material in the flow; if the merge Future Action performs the merge, AutoReEvaluationOfMaterialRanks does not execute.

Auto Partial Merge#

Supports automatically merging partial materials when they share the same conditions, reducing proliferation of partials in short cycle-time environments. The source and target materials must share the same:

  • System State (Queued/In Process/Processed)
  • Production Order
  • Manufacturer Lot Number
  • Resource (applies only to In Process)
  • Resource Lane (if it exists, applies only to In Process)

Assumptions#

To use the Continuous Flow logic, the process should follow the following assumptions:

  • The material quantity should represent a bulk of non-serialized units. If sub-materials are used, a Line-Flow based approach might be more adequate.
  • The Partial Track-Out feature is used to Split the chunks of materials for the next Step.
  • The different material chunks processing will be executed in sequence, e.g. a Tail will not surpass its Head.

Scenario#

Configuration#

To assess how this industry and production requirement is addressed, consider a simplified model:

Basic entities like Step, Resource, Flow, Product, and Material can be configured as detailed below:

  • Steps:
    • Catheter Production Order Starts
    • Assemble
    • Clean
    • After Clean
    • Dry
    • After Dry
    • Catheter Packing
    • Shipping
    • Final Packing
    • Shipping Customer
  • Flow - Flow Catheter
  • Product - Foley V Catheter
  • Material - Lot Foley V Catheter#01 (this Material represents a lot with 500 units)

Note

This is the Master Data file used to create this model.

Continuous flow should be applied to steps Clean → After Clean → Dry → After Dry → Catheter Packing:

  • Enable Partial Track-Out by setting the Use Split and Track-Out flag in step Clean continuous flows partial trackout setup
  • Configure additional Split/Track-Out options in the StepSplitTrackOutContext Smart Table
  • To auto-merge at the end of the flow block, set the MedDevIsPartialMatMergeStep attribute on the designated merge step Catheter Packing
  • If no such Step is found, the system assumes Materials will be merged manually

  • To automatically perform merge action on this step, set the MedDevIsPartialMatMergeStep attribute

    continuous flows merge step setup

Configuration Entries#

  1. Enable Feature through /MedDev/ContinuousFlows/EnableContinuousFlows.
  2. Enable Auto-Merging through /MedDev/ContinuousFlows/EnableMergeFutureActionOnStepFeature
  3. Enable Auto Re-Evaluation of Material Rank through /MedDev/ContinuousFlows/EnableAutoReEvaluationOfMaterialRanks
  4. Set Material Rank Names:
  5. /MedDev/ContinuousFlows/HeadRankName
  6. /MedDev/ContinuousFlows/MiddleRankName
  7. /MedDev/ContinuousFlows/TailRankName

continuous flows enable features

Note

Useful documentation on how to manage Configuration Entries

Generic Tables#

  1. Update Generic Table ContextResolution with both MedDev Smart Tables to ensure the resolution includes the Material MedDevMaterialRank:
  2. MaterialChecklistResolution: MedDevMaterialChecklistContext

  3. MaterialDataCollectionResolution: MedDevMaterialDataCollectionContext

    continuous flows context resolution setup

Warning

This will override the existing MaterialChecklistContext and MaterialDataCollectionContext tables - all data from the original context tables should be copied to the new MedDev equivalent tables before switching the ContextResolution settings.

Lookup Tables#

  1. Update Lookup Table MedDevMaterialRank with new names, so that the MedDev Smart Tables are prepared to use them.

continuous flows material ranks definition

Checklists and Data Collections#

For all remaining configurations, follow these steps:

  1. Create two Parameters: continuous flows create parameter 1 continuous flows create parameter 2

Note

Useful Documentation

  1. Create a Data Collection continuous flows create data collection 1 continuous flows create data collection 2 continuous flows create data collection 2
  2. Assign both Parameters to the Data Collection created above: continuous flows assign parameter to data collection

Note

Useful Documentation

  1. Fill in the Smart Table MedDevMaterialDataCollectionContext with the Data Collection created above continuous flows material datacollections context setup

  2. Create a Checklist continuous flows create checklist

Note

Useful Documentation

  1. Fill in the Smart Table MedDevMaterialChecklistContext with the Checklist created above continuous flows material checklist context setup

Executing a Continuous Flow#

This section explores the Continuous Flows operations. To test and execute this functionality, follow the use case outlined in a step-by-step scenario.

  1. In the Step Clean, perform a Material Track In of the Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01

    continuous flows track in main material at clean

  2. Perform a partial track-out and move next on Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01

    continuous flows partial track out material 01 from clean

    • A new material Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.01 is created with:

      • Quantity: 100
      • Rank: Head
      • Manufacturing Lot Number: Lot Foley V Catheter#01

      continuous flows material 01 is head manufacturer details continuous flows material 01 is head attributes details

    • Main Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01 is updated with:

      • Future action created for future merge
      • Rank: Tail
      • Manufacturing Lot Number: Lot Foley V Catheter#01
      • Current Head: Lot Foley V Catheter#01.01
      • Current Tail: Lot Foley V Catheter#01

      continuous flows main material is tail future actions continuous flows main material is tail manufacturer details continuous flows main material is tail attributes details

  3. Dispatch and track-in Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.01 to Step After Clean

    continuous flows track in material 01 at after clean

  4. Perform a partial track-out and move next on Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01

    continuous flows partial track out material 02 from clean

    • A new material Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.02 is created with:

      • Quantity: 50
      • Rank: Middle
      • Manufacturing Lot Number: Lot Foley V Catheter#01

      continuous flows material 02 is middle attributes details

  5. Dispatch and track-in Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.02 to Step After Clean

    continuous flows track in material 02 at after clean

  6. Track-out Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.02 from Step After Clean into Step Dry

    continuous flows track out material 02 at after clean

    • Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.01 is update with:

      • Rank: Middle

      continuous flows material 01 becomes middle attributes details

    • Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.02 is update with:

      • Rank: Head

      continuous flows material 02 becomes head attributes details

    • Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01 is update with:

      • Current Head: Lot Foley V Catheter#01.02

      continuous flows material 02 becomes head main material attributes details

  7. Record a full loss on Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.02 with option Terminate Material on zero quantities and no Sub-Materials set to TRUE

    continuous flows record loss with terminate material 02

    • System doesn't allow operation since Head material cannot be terminated

      continuous flows record loss with terminate material 02 error

    • Repeat action to record a full loss on Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.02 but this time with option Terminate Material on zero quantities and no Sub-Materials set to FALSE

      continuous flows record loss without terminate material 02

    • System allows full loss record on Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.02 and material Quantity is updated to 0

      continuous flows record loss without terminate material 02 success

  8. Track-out and Move Next Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.01 from Step After Clean into Step Dry

    • Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.01 is update with:

      • Rank: Head

      continuous flows material 01 becomes head attributes details

    • Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.02 is terminated

      continuous flows material 01 becomes head material 02 terminated

  9. Perform next flow steps for Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.01 until material reachs Step Catheter Packing

    • When track-out operation is performed at Step Dry:

      • No Checklist is triggered for material with rank Head or Middle

      • Data Collection is performed for Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.01 (Head)

        *Refer to configuration in Smart Tables MedDevMaterialDataCollectionContext and MedDevMaterialChecklistContext*

        continuous flows track out material 01 at dry dc for head

    • When Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.01 reachs state Queued in Step Catheter Packing:

      • Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.01 is set to on hold for Future Action

        continuous flows material 01 hold future action

  10. Perform a partial track-out and move next on Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01

    • A new material Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.03 is created with:
      • Quantity: 150
      • Rank: Middle
      • Manufacturing Lot Number: Lot Foley V Catheter#01

  11. Perform next flow steps for Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.03 until material reachs Step Catheter Packing

    • When track-out operation is performed at Step Dry:

      • No Checklist is triggered for material with rank Head or Middle

      • No Data Collection is triggered for material with rank Middle or Tail

        *Refer to configuration in Smart Table MedDevMaterialDataCollectionContext*

    • When Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.03 reachs state Queued in Step Catheter Packing:

      • Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.03 is set to on hold for Future Action

  12. Update Step Dry to perform Auto Partial Merge

    • Set Attribute MedDevAllowAutoPartialMerge to TRUE

      continuousflows_allow auto partial merge at dry

  13. Perform a partial track-out and move next on Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01

    • A new material Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.04 is created with:
      • Quantity: 25
      • Rank: Middle
      • Manufacturing Lot Number: Lot Foley V Catheter#01

  14. Perform next flow steps for Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.04 until material reachs Step Dry

    continuous flows material 04 queued at dry

  15. Perform a partial track-out and move next on Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01

    • A new material Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.05 is created with:
      • Quantity: 25
      • Rank: Middle
      • Manufacturing Lot Number: Lot Foley V Catheter#01

  16. Perform next flow steps for Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.05 until material reachs Step Dry

    • Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.05 is merged into Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.04

      • Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.05 is terminated

        continuous flows material 05 merged into material 04 material 05 terminated

      • Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.04 quantity is updated

        continuous flows material 05 merged into material 04 material 04 updated

  17. Perform next flow steps for Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01 until material reachs Step Dry

    • Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.04 is merged into Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01

      • Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.04 is terminated

        continuous flows material 04 merged into tail material material 04 terminated

      • Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01 quantity is updated

        continuous flows material 04 merged into tail material tail material updated

  18. Track-out and Move Next Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01 from Step Dry

    • Checklist is performed for Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01 (Tail)

      *Refer to configuration in Smart Table MedDevMaterialChecklistContext*

      continuous flows track out tail material from dry checklist for tail

  19. Perform next flow steps for Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01 until material reachs Step Catheter Packing

    continuous flows track out tail material from after dry materials merged into tail material

    • Materials Lot Foley V Catheter#01.01 and Lot Foley V Catheter#01.03 are merged into Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01
      • Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.01 is terminated
      • Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01.03 is terminated

      • Material Lot Foley V Catheter#01 is updated

        • Quantity is updated after merge operation

          continuous flows track out tail material from after dry tail material updated

        • Manufacturer Lot Number is reset

          continuous flows tail material completed manufacturer details

        • Attributes are reset

          continuous flows tail material completed attributes details