Jeremy Wiegman
Recently, I have been involved in multiple conversations with managers from different companies in the electronic industry expressing frustration with the break down of the supply chain. In some cases, due to the lack of critical components, engineering groups and project managers have been tasked with redesigning products using older technology in order to keep projects moving forward. When procurement departments seek information regarding delivery of critical components, the answers come in a variety of ways, but the end result is later than when the product is needed.
These delays amplify the need to ensure a company is manufacturing the right product at the right time. The complexity of the manufacturing process makes it very difficult to manually plan where each component is at in the production process and when it will reach the point where it can be shipped from finished goods.
For example in the electronic industry it is common for a finished product to require multiple subassemblies to complete the product. There may also be sub assemblies supplying the before mentioned sub assemblies. This tiered dynamic may be multiple levels deep. If one component is missing from the bill of material on one of the tiered sub assemblies, the product will not be able to be completed beyond the point of the missing component.
The challenge planners and schedulers have is to know what product is ready to move forward and what product is waiting for something. Planners also need to understand the timeline of how long each product takes to produce, where the bottlenecks are and how this relates to all of the other orders in the facility.
If the planners and schedulers make the wrong decision, inventory levels can increase, over time can go up, shippable product may decrease, cash flow may become an issue and customer satisfaction may go down. There is a lot riding on the ability of planners and schedulers to be able to see the big picture and make decisions quickly based on the minute details.
Having an APS system (Advanced Planning and Scheduling) is critical in managing this ever present dynamic. A properly functioning APS system will identify bottlenecks, material shortages, labor constraints, anticipated delivery dates, and alerts based on internal KPI’s. Planners and schedulers will produce more accurate schedules quickly and have the ability to perform what if scenarios to model different alternatives to the posted schedule. This functionality is imperative in order to consistently and successfully manage through the ever changing landscape of today’s global supply chain.
Planet Together is a leading APS system on the market which has helped many manufacturers become more productive and effective in their scheduling activities. At Scheduling Solutions, we have partnered with Planet Together to implement their software solution with clients all over the United States. We have years of combined experience resolving scheduling issues and making Planet Together work for our customers.
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