Advanced Planning
and Scheduling
Advanced Planning and Scheduling is essential
in optimizing the production schedule to maximize
output and minimize waste.
Especially with perishable goods or
work-in-progress (WIP) manufacturing.
What is Advanced Planning and Scheduling?
An APS system is a software-based solution that supports planning managers in scheduling labor on the production floor. It takes multiple factors such as inventory, production time, shipping deadline, quality degradation, and so on to create the most efficient and waste-avoiding schedule possible. This is especially useful in the process industry and for any make-to-order (MTO) or just-in-time (JIT) manufacturer.
The advantages of APS in manufacturing
- Save time with flexible and partly automated scheduling.
- Use resources in the most optimal way possible.
- Have an easy accessible planning that is driven by continuous improvement, as opposed to spreadsheets that get lost in the file server.
Brighteye's APS: expert scheduling
Momentum’s APS module enables optimal scheduling of customer orders. It splits each order into relevant operations and automatically plans these operations at relevant work centers. The APS module automatically adjusts schedules based on changing conditions and provides managers with real-time data regarding potential bottlenecks.
The six elements of Momentum's APS
1. Configuration constraints
-
Link plant lay-out, product structure, processes and all other masterdata (i.e. constraints) to the scheduling engine
- Add additional real-time or interfaced parameters to the constraints set
- Set relative weights for every optimization criterium
- Analyse results of feasibility tests
2. Shop Floor HR
- Assign work skills to individual employees to consider while scheduling and assigning tasks
- Establish parameters for work centers that define how many and what types of employees are needed to carry out operations
- Allow needed employees to be “reserved” when planning the production of customer orders
3. Digital twin
- Analyse impact and optimize production virtually before (real-life) production even starts
- Identify early-stage constraints
- Plan customer orders long-term, based on ‘virtual twin’ simulations
- Create and compare alternative schedules
- Simulate alternative routings and other optimization variables
4. Automated optimization
- Direct and coordinate the manufacturing execution
- Include set-up times and maintenance into scheduling
- Trigger just-in-time logistic movements
- Create semi-autonomous (lights out) plants
5. Scheduling board
- Split each scheduled order into relevant operations
- Automatically link these operations to relevant work centres
- Make adaptations in a smart (semi-)manual way
6. Real-time (re)scheduling
- Compare real-time operations with scheduled ones
- Automatically adjust scheduling, taking initial constraints into consideration
- Get real-time data regarding potential bottlenecks
- Set alerts and other triggers to be able to respond to unexpected events quickly
Momentum Application Modules
Brighteye’s Momentum software platform includes five modules that collectively constitute a comprehensive and fully integrated MOM solution.