FAQs

Jump To: General System Questions | Leadtec Support | Operator Payment Options | Personnel & Payroll

General System Questions

• What does "realtime" processing mean?
  • "Realtime" processing refers to the processing and response that occurs when an operator scans a bundle coupon, or any other type of card like their employee id, job card, supervisor card, etc. at one of the Leadtec realtime terminals. All necessary processing for that transaction occurs immediately upon receipt by the host system, hence the term "realtime". The operator receives a response back from the host as soon as the host is finished processing the entered transaction, generally within a second or two, depending on the current processing load on the host computer.
• What are Leadtec terminals and what are they used for?
  • Leadtec terminals are used by each sewing operator to clock in and out, scan bundle coupons, change jobs, request pay and performance information, clock off-standard, and as a "coaching device" to pace themselves and improve their performance. These terminals can also be configured as hourly time clocks (HTC's) to capture time and attendance data for hourly employees, or as Statistical Quality Control (SQC) data entry terminals to capture quality data from inspection operations.
    
    Leadtec terminals provide a completely interactive dialogue between the operator and the system. Prompts and error messages are provided in clear language (based on each operator's preferred language) and can be modified by the customer.
    
    The terminal consists of a 2-line by 16-character alphanumeric liquid crystal display and a 16-key keypad to respond to system prompts, input low volume data, or input data if a barcode coupon becomes lost or unreadable. An integrated barcode slot reader is used for most data entry, e.g. bundle scans, clock-in, clock-out, and job changes.
• What hardware platform(s) does Leadtec run on?
  • Leadtec currently runs on Windows^® and AS/400.
• What languages are supported on the Leadtec terminal?
  • The Leadtec terminal currently supports English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.
• How many operators can a Leadtec installation support?
  • The number of operators is basically unlimited within the capability of the hardware platform. We currently have installations with as few as 75 operators to as many as 2,000.
• Are the Leadtec terminals required to leverage the Leadtec solution?
  • Leadtec can be configured to operate a "batch" data entry mode in addition to realtime. In the batch mode information is not collected from Leadtec as events occur on the factory floor. Instead, batches of bundle coupons are input manually using a barcode wand. These bar coded coupons are printed by Leadtec for each job to be performed on a bundle. The responsible operator clips the coupon when the operation is done and attaches it to gummed sheets for entry by the payroll clerks. Leadtec Basic, in many ways, is identical to the Professional version. However, the batch version of Leadtec lacks features and benefits available in Leadtec Professional.
    
    Some of the most significant features which are limited or unavailable in the batch operation of Leadtec include:
    • Realtime productivity measurement and operator performance feedback
    • Line balancing
    • Realtime work-in-process tracking and bundle location
    • Limited skills history measurement
    • Limited rate performance measurement
    • Hourly time clock and bell ringing functions
    • Limited Group Incentive and Module tracking
• Can both batch and realtime data entry beu used in the same plant?
  • Yes. A system can be configured with part of the plant using the realtime features and part of the plant using the batch features. The system can even be configured by using the hourly time clock feature as the only "realtime" feature, allowing all operators to clock-in and out using the Leadtec terminals as time clocks. As the need arises the plant can gradually convert from batch to realtime by adding realtime terminals.
• Can I operat my plant remotely from the main computer?
  • Yes. Plants can be configured to be remote from the main computer in both realtime and batch modes. For realtime operation a realtime network manager is located at the remote plant and is connected to the host system via various communication options.
• Can I run multiple plants with the same Leadtec software?
  • Yes. Any number of plants can be run from a single installation of Leadtec. Each plant is treated as a totally separate database and any combination of local and remote plants can be configured.
• Can Leadtec accumulate actual production costs?
  • Yes. Leadtec can accumulate the sum of the actual rates paid for all jobs by individual cut and by style in total. This value and the Standard Labor of Work Completed should be equal if there no adjustments to rates once a cut was released for processing. This value is shown in the four columns on the Actual Cost Inquiry screen: SAH or SAM column, the AMOUNT column showing currency values, $/UNIT and % of STANDARD comparing the percentage of the actual to the standard unit value.
    
    Actual production costs can differ from the engineered rate by:
    1. Changes to rates for individual bundles or entire cuts that are not reflected in the style.
    2. Changes to style rates over time.
    3. Award Pay (payments base on employee base rates instead of the base rate used for the engineered operation).
    4. Payment by substitute or additional operations.
    5. Use of a "pay factor". All "factored" pay is applied directly to the coupon value.
    6. Use of bundle handling. Engineered rate for style bundle handling is based on the standard bundle size; for a cut it is based on the total number of bundles divided into the cut total units. The actual bundle handling coupon value could be different.
    7. Use of certain forms of bundle handling payments where all bundle handling appears as excess coupon value.
• What type of external interfaces does leadtec support?
  • Leadtec can import and export operations, styles, cuts and bundles using the Central Cutting option. Gross payroll information may be exported using the standard Leadtec gross payroll interface, or the optional ADP® interface. Employee data may be downloaded to Leadtec to initialize and/or update the Employee Master file. Additional interfaces are available for interfacing with unit production systems (UPS), and other systems that require daily information pertaining to bundle movement and production. And, of course, any required interface that does not exist can be created from any data stored in the Leadtec database.
• Can operators share Leadtec terminals?
  • The Leadtec Shared Terminal Option (STO) allows multiple operators to share a single Leadtec terminal. Without shared terminals, each operator requires a dedicated individual terminal to clock in and out, scan bundles, and query earnings and performance. With STO, a group of operators can share a single terminal to perform these functions. Transactions at shared terminals are processed in real-time, just like those entered at individual terminals.
    
    STO should not be confused with the Group Incentive Terminal option (GIT). STO provides individual operator functionality, totally separate from other operators using the same terminal. The group incentive terminal option treats all operators clocked into a GI terminal as working as a single group or unit. What affects one operator affects all operators equally.

Leadtec Support

• What type of support is available for Leadtec?
  • CGS offers standard problem resolution, end-user and administrator training as well as assistance with implementing new releases. 24-hour telephone support is offered as part of the Leadtec Maintenance Agreement.
• Do customers have to pay for new releases?
  • Customers who maintain their Maintenance Agreement are entitled to all version upgrades at no additional charge.
• How frequently does CGS issue Leadtec updates?
  • Interim fixes to problems are transmitted directly to the user's site. Approximately once a year a full version update is also provided to each site with a valid maintenance contract. The package includes a Version Change Notice and installation instructions.
• Can Leadtec be customized?
  • Yes. Leadtec can be customized to meet the individual needs of each customer. The results of these changes either become part of the standard Leadtec software suite or are kept separate as custom user modules.

Operator Payment Options

• What types of operator payment options are available?
  • Operator payment options cover the gamut from the ability to pay coupon value, any one of four separately computed averages (on-demand, rolling, weekly, etc.), guarantee, base rate, split incentives (see separate split incentive question), bonuses, training curves calculations, earnings limits, etc. Plus, Leadtec will implement any non-existent pay type that is needed for new installations.
• What is a split incentive?
  • A split Incentive is a pay rate calculation that computes a pay rate by the sum of the following optional parts plus various other parameters that can be applied to the result. Each different split incentive formulation is stored in a file using a 3-character COX identification code.
    
    Operator pay = (1st factor x Guarantee Pay Rate) +
    (2nd factor x Average Pay Rate) +
    (3rd factor x Plant Minimum Pay Rate) +
    (4th factor x Employee's Base Rate) +
    (5th factor x Coupon Value) +
    (6th factor x Job Base Rate).
• Can Leadtec calculate separate operator bonuses?
  • Yes. Leadtec can compute up to three separate daily or weekly bonuses per employee. These bonuses are paid in addition to monies earned and paid while working on- and off-standard. There are currently 20 different bonus options, some of which are very highly parameter driven so they can be used in a wide variety of situations. In addition, a separate bonus structure is utilized when the Leadtec Modular Manufacturing option (team pay) is employed.
• Can manual entries or corrections be made to an operator's earnings?
  • Yes. A wide variety of manual pay adjustments can be used and all adjustments are audited to the system audit history file. Adjustment may be made during the day while operators are still working, to any stored value in any prior day during the week, and to any stored value for any day during the prior week. The latter may be made up until any gross payroll interface is run. In addition, adjustments can be made to quarter-to-date information for those installations that compute an on-demand (sometimes referred to a quarterly) average.
• Is there a mechanism to show groups of operators current status data?
  • Yes. The Message Board Facility is an optional feature of Leadtec Professional. It uses a "message board" or "data sign" to show selected information to a team, section (department), or an entire plant. Each message board can be configured to display performance information for a single team or section, summary performance information for the entire plant, or information from multiple sections or teams. The letters on the message boards are visible from a considerable distance, so that members of a team or section can easily see the displayed information without sacrificing any work time. The Message Board feature is available for Leadtec Professional installations only. For "combined" batch and realtime installations, the message board can only display information for realtime sections.
• Does Leadtec support team earning concepts?
  • Yes. The Leadtec Modular Manufacturing option (LMM) is an optional feature of Leadtec Professional that supports team earnings. It includes the following software components:
    1. Pay calculations that support commonly used modular pay schemes to compensate operators. These pay calculations can be configured in many different ways to provide flexible forms of compensation.
    2. Provision for teams to use Leadtec terminals to capture time and attendance, track production, and monitor performance and costs.
    3. A message board display panel that can continuously show the team how well it is performing.
    4. Flex-time options providing the operators with some flexibility in establishing their work hours.
  • Companies that implement LMM usually do so quite differently, depending on their unique needs. The LMM feature is not intended to provide automated support for all of these practices. Instead, it is intended to provide the following basic support for most implementations:
    • Capture time and attendance
    • Capture production and incentive earnings
    • Calculate gross payroll by apportioning earnings among team members
    • Display production and productivity information
• Can Leadtec track which operator worked on a bundle by job?
  • Yes. The Leadtec Bundle Operation History function lists the number, name, date and the number of units done by each operator on each job for any bundle. This information is most often used by quality inspectors to return garments to the responsible operator.
• How does Leadtec track the progress of trainee operators?
  • Trainee operators can be separately identified by their employee status code and can be reported on separately on a daily and/or weekly basis. Leadtec currently provides 14 different training curve formats, each of which provide for calculating additional pay or bonuses relative to a trainee's progress a curve. In addition, operators can be tracked on separate curves for each job on which they are being trained or retrained.
• Does Leadtec track operator skills history?
  • Yes. Leadtec automatically records skills history for all operators for each job on which they work. This skills history file may be used for inquiries to locate operators that have specific job skills and it can be used in line balancing to aid in estimating the potential output of work by an operator on a given job. Inquiries show all skills that a given operator has and all operators that each have a given skill.
• How does Leadtec help increase an operator's productivity?
  • It is not uncommon to see operator productivity improvement of 5-20%, mostly attributable to the automatic operator pacing and motivational feedback mechanism of the Leadtec realtime terminals. Counters are automatically displayed on the realtime terminal to pace the operator at a preset efficiency level. The operator knows how many units must be completed in a given amount of time to maintain this efficiency. The target efficiency level can be set by the operator to pace themselves and can be automatic set as a result of training curve processing. In addition, there is substantially reduced job content for bundle ticket processing and the system provides instant access to an operator's earnings and performance information. The latter cuts down on wasted operator time often spent in counting coupons and calculating their earnings.
• How many off-standard categories can Leadtec handle?
  • Leadtec provides 24 separate off-standard categories, any grouping of which can be combined with on-standard time to compute an operator's "on-standard" efficiency. Further, the system automatically computes earned value and excesses for each off-standard category. Separate pay methods can be applied to each category and the user can specify various controls to each, e.g., inhibiting production, combining for pay calculations, use for on-standard efficiency, allow adjustments, included time for skills history, etc.

Personnel & Payroll

• Does Leadtec track employee absences?
  • Yes. The Leadtec Absence History component tracks all employee absences. Records are automatically added to the history file for any time worked which is less than an operator's shift time. Supervisors may manually add or modify absence history records to set appropriate absence reason codes for each instance. Absence information may be displayed or used by query programs for user-defined reporting.
• Can I download employee data into Leadtec?
  • Yes. One of the standard Leadtec interfaces allows employee data to be downloaded to Leadtec to initialize and/or update the Employee Master file. A separate interface is provided for external systems which compute employee averages to download those into the Leadtec database.
• Can I upload gross payroll information to an external net payroll?
  • Yes. Gross payroll information may be exported using the standard Leadtec gross payroll interface, or the optional ADP or Paychex interface.
• Does Leadtec handle a net payroll?
  • No. Gross Payroll information may be exported using the standard Leadtec gross payroll interface or the optional ADP or Paychex interface.