To replace a work center in a scenario in EDGEBIC, open the quote's Scenarios view, add a step override, set the Override Type to Replace, choose the Alternative Work Center, and click Run Simulation. The step then runs on the new machine inside that scenario only. The real routing and the live schedule never change.
A scenario in EDGEBIC by User Solutions is a named what-if variant of a quote's simulation: same product and quantity, but with deliberately altered conditions. A Replace step override is the lever for testing "what if this operation ran somewhere else," whether that is a second in-house machine or an outside vendor, without disturbing anything real.
Before You Start
- A quote exists and has been simulated once. Scenarios are children of a quote, and the base simulation is your comparison baseline. See how to create a what-if scenario.
- You know which step and which machine. Replace needs the routing step and the alternative work center it should run on.
- You understand the honest limit. Replace changes the machine, not the transit or vendor lead time, unless the alternative work center carries different times of its own.
- You keep a baseline scenario. A no-override Standard scenario is what you compare the reroute against.
Step 1: Open the Scenario View
On the Quote tab, select the quote you want to explore and click Scenarios. The What-If Scenario Analysis view opens. Select an existing scenario or click Create New Scenario and name it after the lever, for example Mill step to CNC-Mill-2.
Step 2: Add a Step Override
In the Production Step Overrides group, click Add Step Override. A new override row appears.
Step 3: Pick the Step and Set Replace
Choose the Step (the routing step you want to reroute), then set Override Type to Replace. The Alternative Work Center field becomes relevant.
| Override Type | Effect in this scenario | You also fill in |
|---|---|---|
| Replace | The step runs on a different machine | Alternative Work Center |
Step 4: Choose the Alternative Work Center
Select the machine the step should run on for this scenario. This is the whole point of Replace: the operation still happens, and downstream steps still wait for it, but on the machine you named.
Step 5: Run the Simulation
Click Run Simulation. Read the Simulation Results group: Estimated Start Date, Estimated End Date, Lead Time, Total Hours, and Estimated Cost. Re-run as often as you like; each run overwrites this scenario's stored results and nothing touches the shop plan.
What Changes When You Save
| Action | What changes | What does NOT change |
|---|---|---|
| Run Simulation | The scenario's stored dates, hours, and cost | The production schedule, the quote, the real routing |
| Apply to Quote | The parent quote's estimated numbers | The product's real BOR and work centers |
How to Check It Worked
- Confirm the override row shows Replace and the alternative work center you chose.
- Click Run Simulation and note the new Estimated End Date.
- Open the Comparison Analysis tab, tick this scenario and a no-override Standard scenario, and read the Lead Time chart. The reroute should show a different bar.
- Confirm the real routing is unchanged: open the product's routing in the BOR editor and verify the step still points at its original work center.
Common Mistakes
Using Replace when the step disappears. If the operation is genuinely eliminated, use Skip instead. Replace keeps the step and its dependencies.
Expecting vendor transit for free. Replace swaps the machine only. If an outside vendor adds days of transit, model that in the real routing or lengthen the step with a ModifyTime override, or the scenario will look too fast.
Forgetting to re-simulate. The override does nothing until you click Run Simulation. A scenario that was never simulated cannot be applied to the quote.
Treating the applied scenario as a real change. Applying a winning scenario copies its numbers onto the quote. It does not edit the routing. Make the real change in the BOR editor before converting the quote.
Next Steps
Replace is one of four scenario step overrides. To eliminate a step entirely use how to skip a step in a scenario, and to add real capacity to the current routing instead of rerouting, see how to add an alternate work center to a step. When your what-ifs are ready, compare them with how to compare two scenarios side by side. More single-task recipes live in the EDGEBIC how-to hub, and the platform overview is at /edgebic.
Expert Q&A: Deep Dive
Q: Our bottleneck mill is booked solid and a customer wants a faster date. Can I test running the mill step on our slower second machine without touching the live plan?
A: Yes, that is exactly what a Replace override is for. In the quote's Scenarios view, add a step override on the mill step, set Override Type to Replace, and pick the second mill as the Alternative Work Center. Run Simulation and read the Estimated End Date and Estimated Cost. Because the override lives only in the scenario, your live schedule and the real routing do not move. Compare the result against a no-override Standard scenario on the Comparison Analysis tab, and if the second mill actually lands the date, arrange the real routing change in the BOR editor before you convert the quote.
Q: I set a Replace override to send heat treat to an outside vendor but the finish date barely moved. Why?
A: A Replace override only changes which machine runs the step; it does not add the vendor transit or lead time unless the alternative work center itself carries different times. If the outside vendor really adds days of transit, the scenario will understate the lead time. For a truthful outside-vendor test, model the transit as part of the real routing, or use a ModifyTime override to lengthen the step, and sanity check the simulated end date against what the vendor actually promises before quoting it to the customer.
Frequently Asked Questions
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