Manager Set Parameters
Set Parameters
A few parameters require setting before you use Merlin MRP 2000 in earnest. First, you should enter your company name, address, phone numbers, etc. on the Company Details tab.
The Settings tab is used to store some basic data about the way you want Merlin to work.
In the top panel, select or enter the Currency Symbol, and the Date Style as appropriate.
Note: Now that Italy has joined the Euro, selecting the currency symbol L for Lira will be interpreted by the program as meaning Maltese Lira, and will show the currency symbol as Lm.IMPORTANT! The Date Style setting has a function beyond the purely cosmetic. If you select Date Styles 1 to 4, Merlin produces reports formatted for European A4 size paper (8.25"x11.75"), but if you select Date Style 5 (USA) the reports will be formatted for American Letter paper (8.5"x11").
Merlin Set Parameters will check your last Purchase Order number, and increment this by one to establish the Next Purchase Order No. You can change this if you wish, but upwards only.
There are also fields to show your next and last Job Numbers, and the Next Job Number should be set if you wish Merlin to follow a numeric sequence for you. Whenever you create a new job in Job Manager, Merlin will suggest a Job Number for you in the form of the first three letters of your company name, followed by an underscore character, followed by the next number in the running sequence. This will look something like this: MER_123456. You can change this, of course, if you do not wish to follow this scheme.
You can set your default Job Number Prefix in the Job Prefix box.
Please Note: Job Numbers can be alpha-numeric or purely numeric. In order for Merlin to track the numeric sequence when auto-generating the next job number the format should be in one of two forms:-
Either an alpha prefix followed by a numerical sequence in the form of XXXX999999 OR purely numeric without an alpha prefix.You can also choose for Merlin to print your Purchase Orders on plain paper or your own pre-printed stationery by clicking the appropriate button in the Purchase Order Format box. If you elect to print on plain paper, Merlin will generate the standard Merlin Purchase Order in landscape format.
If you elect to print on pre-printed stationery Merlin will generate portrait orientated Purchase Orders with data only on the page. You will need to pre-print your purchase order forms with company logo, information, column headers and line rules. This can, of course, be done in your DTP package, or by a commercial printer.
Please see the sample_PO Word document on the Downloads page of our website for layout guide, but since all printers a slightly different, before pre-printing any stationery you should print some test orders to establish the precise positioning of data components on the form. The sample document is a template - Merlin will print the data only - not any of the rulers or headings.
Please note that the Part No. column shows the Supplier Part No. and the Our Ref. column shows your own internal Part No.
When printing tests you should say NO when the printing dialogue asks if the Purchase Orders printed OK. This will prevent the system from updating on the basis that the orders were successfully generated.
Additionally, you can test by re-printing existing Purchase Orders.
If you have any special Purchase Order layout requirements, please contact Merlin Support.
Set your next job number. This number is the numeric part which follows any alpha prefix, and can be changed at any time, but upwards only.
The next field is for you to enter a date which defines "old" records. It will be used as the reference point when using the routines in Manager to delete old records. Closed items preceding this date will be removed.
Your Merlin DOS Import Path is shown (Standard/Server Edition only), if it is set. This is used only if you have been previously using Merlin MRP Pro or Merlin MRP Lite for DOS. You cannot run this routine from the WorkStation Edition.
However, the equivalent field in the WorkStation Edition (appropriately labelled) shows the path to your Merlin data on the server.
More information about this setting follows below.
The Costing tab has fields to allow you to set two parameters for Merlin which are used when costing assemblies in Design Office. You can opt to Round Up costs to the next whole currency unit, and/or you can enter a percentage by which you wish to Mark-up assemblies, if you wish Merlin to do this automatically. The same percentage and rounding (if set) will be used calculate a suggested value for jobs you create in Job Manager.
When Assembly Costings are run in Design Office, you are advised of the status of these settings.
Manager
Set DOS Import Path / Path to Server Data
This tab performs a different function on the Standard/Server Edition (pointing to your Merlin DOS data if you have been using Merlin MRP Pro or Merlin MRP Lite) to that which it serves on the WorkStation Edition (connecting the WorkStation to the Merlin data on you server). The screens look very much the same, but the labels indicate the different purposes of the function.
Before you can import your Merlin MRP DOS data (Standard/Server Edition) or connect with your Merlin server data (WorkStation Edition), you must pick the path on this tab. The WorkStation Edition cannot be used until this is done.
Moreover, before you can set the Merlin path to your server data, you must map a network path in Windows to the server's c: drive (or the drive upon which Merlin MRP 2000 Standard/Server Edition is installed). Do not map this path all the way to the \merwin directory.
When you first click on this tab, it will be blank apart from the big command button in the left hand panel, which will say Set DOS Import Path or Select Data Path according to which edition you are running.. Click it, and the screen will change to what you see above, although the directory details may be different.
Use the lower right hand drop down to select the drive which contains your Merlin MRP Pro data directory or which represents the server drive upon which Merlin MRP 2000 Standard/Server Edition is installed, then use the panel above to select the correct directory, double-clicking in the usual Windows way.
Typically, for DOS import you are looking for a path which will end in \merlin\data. This will probably be c:\merlin\data or c:\mlin\merlin\data. For connecting a WorkStation to the server you are typically looking for something like m:\merwin\data. If you have a problem with any of this, please contact the Merlin HelpDesk.
You can watch your Import Path or Data Path being built-up at the top of the panel. When you are confident that it is correct, click the Save Import Path or Save Data Path command button. Merlin will check that the path leads to a valid data directory, and inform you if it does not.
Beware: if you have installed more than one instance of Merlin software on the same machine, the fact that the data path is valid does not mean that it is necessarily pointing to the correct instance.