A maintenance, repair, and overhaul (CAMRO) interim order structure is created as a result of releasing a shop visit work scope definition. It is used to maintain an interim demand for maintenance, repair, and overhaul. An interim demand head represents the top of an interim demand structure. In IFS Applications, you can use two graphical outline windows to view the resulting set of pegged component orders, multi-level if necessary, and their associated operations and/or work guidelines.
A CAMRO interim order structure typically consists of disassembly, disposition, and assembly interim orders for parts that are exposed to maintenance activity based on the maintenance levels assigned in the work scope definition. As created, an MRO interim order structure consists of interim orders for only position parts. Then, depending on repair codes and operations that may have been previously defined, additional repair interim orders can be created during disposition. After the disposition process is complete, an MRO interim order structure could contain interim orders for only position parts or both position parts and 'real' parts.
The following table summarizes the interim order structure states:
| State | Description |
| Created | Initial state of the order structure when first created by the work scope release. |
| Partially Released | State when subset of interim orders in the order structure have been released. |
| Released | State when all interim orders in the order structure have been released. |
| Canceled | State when the order structure has been manually canceled. |
| Closed | State after all interim orders have been executed and the assembled part has been received. |
The interim order structure has two important functions. First, it provides the user with a means to estimate the feasibility of the overhaul before disassembly ever begins. The interim order structure provides the user with data to evaluate both the schedule and the internal costs associated with this interim order structure. Using functionality provided in the form, the user can estimate, based strictly on operation lead times specified in the maintenance level routing, how the schedule for disassembly, disposition and assembly will lay out, and whether the need date for the assembled overhaul part can be met. The user can make adjustments to the dates within the interim order structure and propagate those dates up or down the structure. In addition, the form provides the user with estimated costs to help determine whether price associated with the service agreement will generate an internal profit or loss.
Second, the interim order structure provides a pegging mechanism - lacking in shop orders - whereby disassembled components can be pegged to repair orders and repaired components can be pegged to assembly.
After the interim order structure and any additional repair interim orders have been created, you can then release the entire order structure. Releasing the structure creates a series of supply shop orders corresponding to the interim orders. Rather than release the entire structure, you can choose to release only the disassembly portion, the disposition portion, or the assembly portion of the order structure. However, the orders must be released in the order they are performed in the MRO workflow, i.e., disassembly orders first, followed by disposition orders, followed by any repair or external service orders, followed finally by assembly orders. You can also release individual interim orders, but, again, you must ensure that you release them in the proper order.
Whether a user releases the interim order structure all at once or piecemeal is the result of two factors: how the user schedules shop orders (CBS vs. the shop order loader) and the volume of shop orders the release will create. Because neither CBS or the shop order loader 'see' interim orders, the user must release the interim order structure to create shop orders before scheduling cab begin. When the number of orders generated by the release is small, neither the scheduling method nor the timing of release will matter very much. However, because CBS considers far more constraints than the loader, as the number of shop orders created by release increases, users who schedule using CBS will see a performance hit if they release the entire interim structure at once.
The order structure is essentially a snapshot of what is known about the components of the overhaul structure. Because the interim order structure is created well before disassembly is performed, the components of the overhaul structure are unknown. Therefore the interim order structure is created entirely in terms of position part numbers.
As the interim orders in the order structure are released, starting with the disassembly orders, disassembly shop orders are created. As these disassembly shop orders proceed through the execution flow (having materials issued, operations reported and parts received), the 'real' components become known. Two things occur as 'real' parts are received.
First, the interim order structure is updated. The components of the disassembly interim order, originally created as position parts, are updated to the 'real' parts received. Disassembly interim order components are analogous to disassembly shop order produced parts. Because the concept of component differs from one MRO order type to another, if the next interim order in the flow is a disposition shop order, there is no impact on its components. Components on a disposition interim order are parts that are consumed in the process of disposition and do not include the 'real' part being dispositioned. These components are all 'real' parts defined when the disposition structure is created by the user, even though the structure header part is always a position part.
Second, the produced parts and allocations associated with MRO disassembly and/or disposition shop orders corresponding to the interim order structure are updated as much as possible. As disassembly shop orders are completed, the position part produced parts associated with these disassembly shop orders are replaced by the real part numbers that are actually received on disassembly. Note that the header part of the disassembly shop order always remains a position part, to allow the use of the maintenance level disassembly structures and routings, both of which are defined in terms of position parts. In addition, where the next (disassembly or disposition) shop order in the flow already exists, its allocation records are updated from position parts to 'real' parts.
The process of disposition impacts the CAMRO workflow in several ways. Where parts being dispositioned have either modifications or discrepancies that must be addressed, the disposition process - and specifically the approval of a disposition line - generates both repair interim orders and the corresponding repair shop orders for 'real' parts.
In addition, these repair interim orders are linked into the interim order structure in such a way that the disposition interim order is linked to the repair interim order and the repair order in turn to the assembly interim order. Similar to what occurs with disposition, the components of the repair interim order will not include the 'real' part being repaired. Instead the components of the repair interim order show only 'real' parts consumed during the repair process. However, the components of the assembly interim order following the repair interim order are updated so that the position part corresponding to the part being repaired is replaced by the 'real' part.
Finally, if a supply order for the assembly interim order that follows the repair exists, the disposition process updates the appropriate allocation record on that assembly shop orders from position part to 'real' part.
After assembly interim orders have been released to create assembly shop orders, a similar process is repeated as 'real' parts are issued to assembly shop orders, initially created with position part numbers, and assembled 'real' parts are received. As each assembly shop order finishes, it updates the components of the next assembly interim order in the sequence from position to 'real' parts. If the corresponding supply order already exists, its allocations are also updated from position to 'real' parts.
It is important to recognize that both component and allocation records are always updated 'just in time' so to speak, for the next interim order or supply shop order in the progression.