Toolbank, the UK and Ireland distributor of hand and power tools, has deployed TranSend ePOD and integrated Route Planning to manage their delivery operation across thirteen distribution warehouses.
Advanced Planning, APS, FCS, S&OP
Among the most popular software planning technologies is Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS). This is a type of software solution that sets out to ensure production capacity and the materials required for manufacture are optimally sourced and allocated to satisfy demand. Other related tools include Finite Capacity Scheduling. This approach sets out to understanding how much production capacity is possible within a specified timeframe. The aim is to manage workflow at an even and efficient pace throughout the production process. Finite scheduling tools differ from infinite capacity scheduling tools in that the latter are in the main more simple and unable to account for system issues/constraints that happen in real time.
Accenture and SAP to build and deploy extended planning systems on SAP S/4HANA
Mar 21, 2018
Accenture and SAP SE plan to co-innovate, co-develop and jointly go to market with extended planning solutions based on SAP S/4HANA for the manufacturing industry.
Pandora partners with Quintiq for implementation of a production planning solution
Mar 07, 2018
Quintiq, a Dassault Systèmes company and provider of supply chain planning and optimisation (SCP&O) solutions, has announced that its software will be used to support Pandora's capacity expansion program.
Digital supply chains mean better planning for large-scale projects
Jan 18, 2018
Digitalisation paves the way for more reliable planning when implementing complex, large-scale projects and the accompanying logistics processes.
Maxoptra polishes customer service at Flooring Specialist
Jan 16, 2018
Wood and Beyond, a London-based supplier of high quality hardwood products, is boosting customer service with a real time route planning and scheduling solution.
Optimise inventory with true multi-echelon planning
Dec 20, 2017
By Rod Daughtery, Blue Ridge.
As you reflect back on the language of retail and distribution, it is interesting to see how the description has changed over the years. While the actual functional areas change, there are also new buzzwords that come about.
Concrete company increases productivity through paperless scheduling solution
Dec 19, 2017
A concrete company has seen its productivity boosted by more than 25 per cent after switching to a paperless system for ordering and job scheduling, underpinned by telematics.
Why forecasting is damaging your business
Dec 13, 2017
The science of supply and demand is not always as clear cut as it may seem at first glance. The system of traditional forecasting is broken, and the only way to fix it is to replace it.
Logility acquires Halo Business Intelligence to expand advanced analytics
Nov 29, 2017
Logility, Inc., provider of collaborative supply chain optimisation and advanced retail planning solutions, has acquired privately-held Halo Business Intelligence, a San Diego-based supplier of advanced analytics and business intelligence solutions for the supply chain market.
QRoutes launches schools and special needs transport planning software
Nov 16, 2017
QRoutes has announced the latest version of its Transport Planning tool, which is available online as easy to use software.
Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS).
Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) refers to a manufacturing management process by which raw materials and production capacity are optimally allocated to meet demand. In manufacturing, the purpose of scheduling is to minimize the production time and costs by improving the efficiency of the operation. Scheduling is an important tool for manufacturing as it can have a major impact on the productivity of a process.
APS is especially well-suited to environments where simpler planning methods cannot adequately address complex trade-offs between competing priorities. Traditional planning and scheduling systems utilise a stepwise procedure to allocate material and production capacity. This approach is simple but cumbersome, and does not readily adapt to changes in demand, resource capacity or material availability. Materials and capacity are planned separately, and many systems do not consider limited material availability or capacity constraints. Thus, this approach often results in plans that cannot be executed. Production scheduling tools greatly outperform older manual scheduling methods.
These provide the production scheduler with powerful graphical interfaces which can be used to visually optimize real-time work-loads in various stages of production, and pattern recognition allows the software to automatically create scheduling opportunities which might not be apparent without this view into the data. Companies use backward and forward scheduling to allocate plant and machinery resources, plan human resources, plan production processes and purchase materials. Forward scheduling is planning the tasks from the date resources become available to determine the shipping date or the due date.
Backward scheduling is planning the tasks from the due date or required-by date to determine the start date and/or any changes in capacity required. Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) provides an updated forecast that leads to a sales plan, production plan, inventory plan, customer lead time (backlog) plan, new product development plan, strategic initiative plan and resulting financial plan. Variations in frequency of the plan depend on the type of manufacturing industry. Short product life cycles and high demand volatility require a tighter S&OP planning than steadily consumed products.
A properly implemented S&OP process routinely reviews customer demand and supply resources and “re-plans” quantitatively across an agreed rolling horizon. The re-planning process focuses on changes from the previously agreed sales and operations plan. While it helps the management team to understand how the company achieved its current level of performance, its primary focus is on future actions and anticipated results.
