Much of the supply chain software
market had its start in detailed finite scheduling. So why is it that many
companies aren't using supply chain software for detailed production
scheduling?
Sometimes it just boils down to
specific industry needs: Some industries are so predictable they can hardly
justify it, while others have such unique needs that they could not find a
solution—until recently.
Batch & repetitive: Most scheduling products on the market
can improve resource utilization where some contention for resources exists,
but routings are predictable and there is at least some make-to-stock. Good
examples are Asprova (also sold by Production
Modeling and others); i2; Infor; JDA; Logility; Waterloo; Preactor
(also sold by Factivity and others); Prescient; Quintiq; RedPrairie; Supply Chain
Consultants; Taylor; and ERP providers Consona, Epicor, Lawson, Oracle, Plexus, Ross, SAP, Solarsoft, and SYSPRO. Most of these products are not
industry-specific.
Lean: Heijunka
scheduling can level load the plant as demand changes volume and mix. Support
is available in SAP's xLPO, DemandPoint's
Factory Manager and Supply Manager, and SoftBrands'
Fourth Shift Lean.
Assembly line: For high-volume lines that require very
complex sequencing rules with large numbers of interdependencies, Optessa is proven at many levels in automotive plants, from
planning to assembly- and feeder-line scheduling to sequencing out of the
buffer between paint shop and final build.
Oil & gas: Here, using assets is the key to
profits, given constant change in the status of oil rigs and exploration
equipment. Actenum offers a single product to
schedule both maintenance and production, and a specific oil rig activity
scheduler.
Liquid batch process: The complexity of managing materials
flow through tanks and vessels is extreme, and Infor's
process group has a very strong product for this need. AspenTech,
Infor, and WAM Systems have long-proven systems.
Mill products: These industries have a fundamentally
different production problem in that there are no units of production, and the
equipment runs at full capacity all the time. Greycon
focuses on sheet and roll converters; OM Partners focuses on corrugated and
solid board and metals, as well as paper, plastics, glass, and textiles.
True to-order: Companies with configure- or
engineer-to-order products often find that variability in their routings makes
scheduling extremely difficult. Optisol, nMetric, and Visiprise's
scheduler are focused on these job shops and complex routing industries;
Rockwell also has experience.
Projects: Project-based industries such as
aerospace and construction have special scheduling issues that combine project
with production scheduling. IFS; Sage (Master Builder); and Visibility can
address this combination.
Model the Unique: Wahupa is
entering the market, aiming to schedule midsize companies for which most supply
chain software does not fit. Those with unique needs are the target.
The markets that no commercial
scheduler can handle appear to be shrinking. If you have not considered this
last mile of your supply chain, it might be time. Many plants can now tame the
devil of plant scheduling, enabling further productivity as competition keeps
turning up the heat.
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Author Information |
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Julie Fraser is Principal of Industry Directions Inc., and has been an industry analyst, consultant, and marketer for more than 20 years, specializing in manufacturing value network processes and systems. Julie can be reached through Manufacturing Business Technology or e-mail at jfraser@industrydirections.com |