SUMMARY

Summary: SEMrush data from 2024 shows that companies integrating advanced scheduling technologies experience a 25% increase in production efficiency. Getting the most out of your plant’s capacity means implementing a robust ERP that helps plan, execute, and control production while integrating these operations into other business processes. By leveraging modern production scheduling tools, you can ensure your operations are not only efficient but also adaptable to the dynamic demands of the industry. 

Does your plant run consistently at close to 100% of its capacity? Are all your resources optimized effectively?  

According to Statista, 85% of manufacturers consider production planning and scheduling software crucial for their operations in 2024. Efficient, effective production planning and scheduling involves an intricate choreography of all manufacturing elements so that they come together in a cohesive, timely fashion to speed the production process along to a successful, profitable conclusion.  

Operating at full capacity around the clock leaves little room for any unexpected challenges. This is where production scheduling plays a pivotal role. Acting as a roadmap for production activities, effective scheduling ensures that resources are allocated efficiently, orders are completed on time, and bottlenecks are minimized. 

In this article, we’ll discuss how advanced technology has made those requirements easy to implement into any packaging or print production system. By leveraging modern production scheduling tools, you can ensure your operations are not only efficient but also adaptable to the dynamic demands of the industry.

What is production planning? 

Production planning, or production preparation, is an important process that involves strategic decision-making to determine the optimal production strategy, resource allocation. It encompasses a comprehensive analysis of what products should be produced, in what quantities, and when. It involves managing the supply chain, raw materials and inventory, employees, and the physical space where the manufacturing process occurs. The goal of a production plan is to deliver on customer demand. 

Modules in an ERP system that support production preparation include Job Production Workflow, Material and Tools Availability and Material Demand. 

What is production scheduling? 

Production scheduling is a vital process that entails the creation of a comprehensive and detailed timetable outlining the specific order and timing of production activities. It involves making critical decisions on when each task or operation should commence and conclude, taking into account resource availability, constraints, and dependencies. 

This process ensures that production tasks are executed in a coordinated manner, minimizing idle time, maximizing resource utilization, and ultimately facilitating the timely delivery of products.  

Rethinking Production Planning: Why Excel Spreadsheets Fall Short 

The use of Excel spreadsheets for production planning and scheduling is surprisingly widespread in the manufacturing environment. Scheduling and planning are the starting points for successful operations. However, manual approaches, where operators leverage spreadsheets to map out production schedules or run small numbers of options sequentially, are ineffective. It is impossible to manually uncover all the different process scenarios and possibilities. 

Excel is familiar to many planners, and it can be seen as a quick and easy option when it comes to production scheduling. Over the last 20 years, Excel has often been the number one choice or a necessary supplement for production planning. It’s an easy-to-use tool, straightforward to understand, and typically already installed on company PCs. 

Excel is not the right tool for today’s manufacturing 

Spreadsheets are notoriously clunky. As they become more complex, their usability diminishes. Excel offers very little room for dynamic production planning and process automation, turning production plans into static monoliths that need manual updating whenever production capacity, resource availability, or order priorities change.  

Spreadsheets  

• Do not scale well 

• Can be prone to errors 

• Don’t offer real-time data synchronization 

• Don’t reflect changes in production schedules  

• Lack advanced analytics and optimization capabilities 

Advanced planning and scheduling software is a must have as customer demand for short runs, fast delivery, and downward cost pressures become more prevalent. Software systems help planners save time while remaining agile to reduce unplanned downtime and optimize the production process. Scheduling systems like HiFlow, provide the control required for efficient scheduling while giving companies the advantage in lean manufacturing.  

Stages of production planning and scheduling 

Demand forecasting and capacity planning 

The first production planning and scheduling stage involves demand forecasting and capacity planning. 

Material Demand, also known as material requirements planning (MRP) is a module that calculates the materials and components required to manufacture a product. This module reserves the materials required for the completion of accepted production orders. It enables users to assign any material in stock and replenish its level to the value necessary for efficient completion of production orders. It involves three primary steps: taking inventory of available materials and components, identifying additional items needed, and scheduling their production or purchase.  

It involves evaluating the production capacity and capabilities of the organization to determine if it can meet the projected demand. The ultimate goal is to have a responsive production environment that enhances overall operational performance and meets business objectives. 

Raw materials 

The management of raw materials is a critical phase that directly impacts the efficiency and continuity of manufacturing processes. Frequent stalls in production due to inadequate raw material planning can lead to costly downtime, where team members and machines are left idle. 

When raw materials are managed effectively, every team member always has something to do as they work with the available materials. This continuous workflow is crucial for maintaining high productivity levels. Integrating a comprehensive material management system ensures that the required raw materials are always available when needed. 

An Automatic Material Issuing module can significantly enhance the raw materials stage in production scheduling. This system automates the process of material requisition and issuance, ensuring that materials are available precisely when needed. 

Material planning  

The next stage focuses on inventory, including material planning. In this stage, organizations identify the raw materials, components, and resources required for production. The quantities needed are determined based on the manufacturing schedule and demand forecast. 

Establishing strong supplier relationships is essential during this stage to ensure a reliable supply chain. Organizations collaborate with suppliers to coordinate delivery schedules, negotiate pricing, and maintain consistent quality standards. A software system that integrates with suppliers can be invaluable at this step. Effective material planning and procurement help optimize production flow and prevent disruptions in the supply chain. 

Scheduling and resource allocation 

Next, what’s involved is creating a comprehensive production timeline and sequence of activities to ensure smooth operations. Scheduling involves assigning tasks to different workstations or production lines, considering factors such as equipment availability, setup times, and dependencies between jobs. 

Resource allocation is another crucial aspect of this stage. It entails determining the optimal allocation of labor, equipment, and other resources to specific production tasks. Balancing workloads, considering skill levels, and maximizing resource utilization are key considerations during resource allocation. 

It’s much easier for the scheduler to change the schedule in HiFlow because all information is already there, and any change will show him how it affects all other jobs. All without the need of updating those other jobs manually. They can just make the changes, optimize the schedule, and then review the Gantt chart and built-in schedule review reports. That means it takes a lot less time to put a job in the schedule and make sure the job is scheduled in a feasible manner with all operations in correct order, without exceeding due dates. 

The goal, again, is to create an efficient schedule that minimizes idle time, bottlenecks, and unnecessary delays. For Wausau Container Corp, this was key. In making the decision about an ERP solution, Amy Plier, owner, believed that HiFlow had the scheduling system that would help the company optimize machines and equipemnt on its shop floor. “It’s a comprehensive, integrated, and automated Industry 4.0 solution,” she adds. “It uses smart scheduling to best utilize machine time and includes Scada monitors to track plant productivity and operator performance in real time.” 

Production control and monitoring 

The last stage of production scheduling revolves around production control and monitoring. Once production is underway, it is essential to track work progress, ensure adherence to the planned schedule, and maintain quality standards. Production control is all about monitoring the production process, identifying deviations or bottlenecks, and taking corrective actions as necessary.  

Efficient production control relies on real-time data collection, performance measurement, and analysis. It enables organizations to identify issues, make adjustments, and optimize the production flow. This stage also includes quality control measures to ensure the final output meets the required standards and customer expectations. An ERP can facilitate production control with modules such as Shop Floor Data Control, Production Tracking and Quality Control.  

A future-orientated & scalable technology: Using the right tool for production planning and scheduling 

The role of MES in scheduling – real time production data 

By providing real-time data, dynamic scheduling capabilities, enhanced visibility, and seamless integration with other systems, an MES ensures that production schedules are executed efficiently and effectively. The MES ensures that production schedules are executed efficiently and effectively by providing real-time visibility, control, and optimization of manufacturing processes. An MES improves transparency allowing managers and operators to see the status of each job, machine, and resource, facilitating better decision-making.  

MES collects real-time data from various production processes, machines, and operators. Continuous monitoring of production activities ensures accurate tracking of progress against the schedule. 

HiFlow Production Scheduling is coupled with a Manufacturing Execution System.  Production schedule is also automatically sent to the MES  to the shop floor. That means that anytime the job is started or finished this information is automatically updated and visible in scheduling.  

That means:   

• Schedule and production managers save a lot of time because they don’t have to update their schedule manually and always have an updated schedule 

• Shop floor workers spend much less time on tracking and updating job information 

• Job information then is always available for the whole company (Shop floor, Material handlers, CSRs, Management) in real-time. 

Again, Wausau Container Corp. “The Machine Execution System (MES) module offers real-time data exchange with machines and devices. The overall goal is to have a system that gives us a full 360-degree view of our business, allowing us to both react in real time if issues arise, and to better plan our workload, staffing and more. That also means that we will be able to get more work out the door with the same or fewer staff members and that has had a very positive effect on our bottom line.” 

The role of analytics in scheduling – towards continuous improvement 

In the realm of production scheduling, analytics play a transformative role, driving continuous improvement and operational excellence. Analytics are indispensable in a production scheduling system, providing the insights needed for continuous improvement. By leveraging the vast amounts of data generated in a manufacturing environment, analytics enable the optimization of operator performance, maintenance schedules, process efficiencies, and overall production visibility. 

A solid production schedule requires comprehensive monitoring and well-defined protocols. Analytics enable the tracking of key performance indicators (KPIs) in real-time, ensuring adherence to schedules and identifying deviations early. By analyzing data on operator performance, you can identify strengths and areas for improvement. By analyzing workflow data, you can pinpoint bottlenecks and streamline operations, leading to improved throughput and reduced cycle times.  

The importance of having a visible scheduling system 

A visually intuitive production scheduling solution will do more than make the plant and operations managers job easier. Getting visibility of each step of the production process — and collecting data along the way — makes it easy to understand the current state of production. Modules like Production Tracking, Shop Floor Monitor and Schedule Viewer keep jobs in the forefront, relaying important information on job status at a glance. Also, if any job has errors (not available materials, exceeded due date) it will be automatically highlighted in red on the Gantt chart. 

A visual scheduling system allows for real-time monitoring of production activities. Managers can see up-to-the-minute statuses of all processes on dashboards enabling them to make immediate course corrections as needed. Team members from different departments—and shop floor workers–can easily understand the production plan, leading to better coordination and fewer misunderstandings.  

Advantages of Production Scheduling Software 

1. Generate Accurate Forecasts and Plan Inventory  
2. Prevent Idle Time on the Shop Floor 
3. Significantly Reduce Scheduling Errors  
4. Generate Accurate, Realistic Deadlines. 
5. Minimize Inventory Transport and Storage Costs. 
6. Identify Inefficiencies That Could Lead to Production Bottlenecks  
7. Ensure On-Time Delivery to Customers  
8. Enhance Collaboration Across Departments  
9. Improve Resource Allocation  
10. Facilitate Continuous Improvement  

HiFlow ERP/MIS: Industry 4.0 for Production Scheduling 

HiFlow, a leading advanced production planning and scheduling solution, empowers Production Managers with real-time visibility and control over the entire production process. Its advanced algorithms optimize schedules, considering resource constraints, lead times, and demand fluctuations. HiFlow’s Production system, including Production Preparation and Production Planning offers visibility and data driven metrics ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently, orders are completed on time, and bottlenecks are minimized. 

What drives YOUR production scheduling system? 

SEMrush data from 2024 shows that companies integrating advanced scheduling technologies experience a 25% increase in production efficiency. Getting the most out of your plant’s capacity means implementing a robust ERP that helps plan, execute, and control production while integrating these operations into other business processes. In this era of ever advancing technologies, leveraging modern production scheduling tools can ensure operations are not only efficient but also adaptable to the dynamic demands of the industry.