Tackle your production schedule head-on

Your production schedule has a direct impact on inventories, on-time delivery, and profitability

Every plant’s production schedule is a critical element to run the manufacturing business. Yet, a business system like ERP isn’t usually equipped to handle events that happen in real time on the shop floor. Everyday problems can disrupt production, drive up costs, and cause supply chain challenges:

  • New rush orders
  • Raw material shortages
  • Order cancellations
  • Shop floor workers unexpectedly out or reassigned to other areas

Focus on quick wins with your manufacturing production schedule

Transform manufacturing scheduling into a strategic competency and a source of competitive advantage

  • Easily generate and optimize production schedules that are realistic and achievable
  • Optimize allocation of raw materials and production capacity
  • Automate production schedule templates to fit production constraints
  • Quickly respond to real-time production disruptions
  • Standardize and coordinate planning and scheduling globally
  • Improve demand planning with fast, easy-to-create make/buy plans
  • Enhance strategic plans with long-term advance planning
  • Address tactical planning and scheduling concerns within a several-week horizon
  • Apply advanced scheduling algorithms to balance demand and capacity
  • Standalone solutions that also integrate real-time plant scheduling with ERP, OEE/MES, data collection, and supply chain systems

Drive business results

Focus on throughput, better on-time delivery

Manufacturers that use advanced production scheduling software can maximize throughput with real-time visibility and collaboration. These efforts enable them to:

  • Achieve on-time delivery with correct quantities
  • Control operating costs
  • Eliminate shipping rush charges
  • Optimize inventory of raw materials and finished goods
  • Improve customer satisfaction and retention
  • Make more product without adding equipment

Achieve long-term value

Take steps to ensure long-term, enterprise-wide value with manufacturing production schedule

Even within the same industry, all companies have vastly different customer requirements, strategic objectives, and operating environments.  The best approach for every company is to understand the processes already in place, the tools and systems supporting them, and the needs and concerns of the people involved.  That insight, along with consensus on the most immediate improvement priorities means your organization can take a pragmatic approach to build on existing planning and scheduling strengths.

An illustration that describes how companies can optimize the supply chain by balancing supply chain metrics and manufacturing metrics to serve the needs of the enterprise.

Step 1:  Optimize Planning and Scheduling to Achieve Quick Wins

  • Hit on-time delivery and correct quantity targets
  • Improve customer service and retention
  • Eliminate shipping rush charges
  • Improve production capacity
  • Make more product without adding equipment
  • Schedule longer runs and fewer changeovers
  • Create better maintenance schedules
  • Control operating costs
  • Reduce overtime

Step 2:  Balance Raw Material Inventory and Production Capacity

  • Reduce stock-outs
  • Optimize safety stock
  • Optimize raw material inventory (and warehouse costs)

Step 3:  Balance Finished Goods Inventory and Customer Service

  • Reduce safety stock (reduce inventory of finished goods)
  • Reduce shrink (damage, obsolescence, theft)