Scheduling Software

Must Have Qualities Of Any Good Planning Scheduling Software

Manufacturing planning involves the assessment and allocation of available resources, estimation of delivery times and ensuring that delivery commitments are met. In addition, the planning function should also pay attention to the cost aspect while scheduling so that the delivery commitments are met at the least possible cost. All this involves the jugglery of a number of variables and the determination of priorities, which makes the process quite complicated. In the days prior to widespread computerization this process was carried out manually, involving a considerable amount of manual labor and time. The results were almost always sub-optimal and entailed higher costs and high failure rates in terms of missed delivery schedules. Last minute surprises could not be absorbed in the system because that would involve more time and effort. Ironically, under the manual system the data on which the scheduling was based was almost always old, as the time required for working out the schedules were high. This generated more surprises and necessitated last minute changes that the manual system was ill equipped to handle. Thus the schedules were worked out with data that did not reflect the current status while at the same time being less amenable to changes midway. The advent of computers has changed all that.

Today a number of ready-made scheduling and capacity planning software packages are available to take care of planning scheduling. The advantage of these packages is that the schedules can be quickly worked and re-worked any number of times. Many packages support some kind of what-if analysis so that alternatives can be evaluated. Last minute changes can be easily accommodated and the schedules can be made optimal.

The actual planning and scheduling process varies depending on the nature of the industry. For example, in the case of made-to-order type of production, each order is individually scheduled. This also usually requires quotation of rates and delivery times to the customer. As against this, the made-to-stock production is a continuous process where the stock levels are maintained as close to predetermined levels as possible. Most software packages support different types of production scenarios. These packages generally include Master scheduling in which the overall scheduling of product and required quantities are worked out for a larger time frame which is most times a month. The scheduling also checks for available capacity for the overall plans. Detailed scheduling at work center level is the third level of scheduling that works out the day-to-day loading of various machines along with quantities to be produced. Almost all software packages come with good graphical capabilities so that the process becomes more intuitive and easy to operate.

With so many packages in the market, how does one go about selecting a particular product? It all depends on what you want and how much you are willing to pay for it. To start with, not all packages do all things. You may find that only some of the packages meet your requirements, narrowing the search considerably. Next you can look at the features and "extras" such as graphical capabilities, analysis tools and outputs. After you have done this, you should look at the price and rank the products on the basis of all the features as well as the price. Once you have ranked the products and short-listed a few, you can ask for demonstrations of the software. Finally, don't forget to check up with existing users or obtain references from a vendor you can verify.

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