After a short project duration of about four months including a one month test-period for fine tuning between the systems first successes were immediately noticeable.
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.
PSI awarded follow-up contract from ThyssenKrupp Electrical Steel in France
Nov 05, 2009
PSI has been awarded by ThyssenKrupp Electrical Steel with implementing the production management system PSImetals for the rolling mill and thermal treatment in the electric strip cold rolling mill in Isbergues, France.
Ortems has launched the latest version of its Agile Planning software
Oct 29, 2009
Ortems new Agile Planning 7.40 enhances manufacturing performance and customer agility & responsiveness.
WorkPLAN Enterprise gets expert scheduling from Preactor interface
Oct 19, 2009
Sescoi, author of the WorkPLAN Enterprise ERP system, will be working in partnership with Preactor in a number of international markets in Northern Europe, Asia and the Americas.
JDA Software Offers Five Strategies for Utilising Next-Generation S&OP to Drive Maximum Benefits
Oct 14, 2009
Manufacturers industry-wide are being hard hit by an unprecedented confluence of economic conditions negatively impacting consumer spending
Preactor and advenco Consulting agree strategic partnership
Sep 07, 2009
Specialist planning and scheduling software company, Preactor International, has significantly expanded its German operations by forging a strategic alliance with advenco Consulting GmbH.
Preactor Meets Demand with Demand Planning Seminar in Munich
Sep 07, 2009
Preactor and partners to hold Demand Driven Manufacturing seminar at Munich University of Technology, 21st September.
New Release of LogiX Routing and Scheduling Software
Jul 23, 2009
LogiX5 is the culmination of several decades of software development and successful deployment by hundreds of companies worldwide.
OEM Partner Performance Management solution of the year
Jun 22, 2009
Manhattan Associates, Inc. has announced that its Supply Chain Intelligence (SCI) platform application has received the IBM Cognos OEM Partner Performance Management Solution of the Year award.
ASDA rolls back transport costs with Paragon software
Jun 17, 2009
ASDA is reducing the cost of transporting goods by using advanced map-based transport optimisation 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.
