The below provides an overview for scheduling in FactoryMaster.
Click on the Main Menu.
Click on the Production tab.
Schedule Works Orders.
In the ’Schedule Works Orders’ screen, the user can see previously created schedules.
Press F4 on the keyboard to create a new schedule.
Schedule type
ASAP - This method creates a schedule starting on the ’Schedule Start Date’. It will begin with the works order which has the highest priority and first operation in the route.
Just in Time - This method will schedule each Works Order backwards, however, if the start date occurs in the past then the operations for that Works Order will be removed and rescheduled using the ASAP method.
Backwards - This method creates a schedule allowing the days before the requirement is to be specified and work backwards in time. This may show that the user should have started work prior to the current date/time and would assume that the time could be made up by using employee overtime.
Capacity type:
As Resource - This method uses the normal capacity for that particular resource set in resource maintenance.
Finite - Uses the Max Capacity defined on the resource (accounting for overrides etc).
Infinite - Assumes the capacity is infinite i.e. it will load as many jobs onto a resource as required per day, irrespective of capacity.
Overall capacities can be increased or decreased by specific percentages if required.
Schedule SET TIME:
Only for operations with no quantity completed – If any quantity has been booked, NO SET time will be scheduled.
For ALL incomplete operations - If the operation is not finished, schedule the FULL set time again.
WIP Options:
These options can be changed according to priorities required. For instance, if a really important job comes in, that takes a higher priority than any current works orders already in progress, then they can be rescheduled later.
Take TIME ALREADY BOOKED into account when scheduling operations - When selected, this option will only schedule remaining op time. If a job is planned to run for 10 hours and 4 hours have already been booked to the job then only 6 hours will be planned. If more hours have been booked than were planned then the op will be planned with no more time required to finish them. If this option is deselected the full op time will be planned regardless of how much has already been planned.
Take account of pending SUBCONTRACT PURCHASE ORDERS - This will use the expected date of sub-contractor Purchase Orders rather than the supplier lead time.
Give priority to works order families which are already IN PROGRESS - Any operations flagged as in progress will be planned before all other jobs to ensure they are continued.
Grouping Options:
This option is not available in the standard version of FactoryMaster and has to be purchased separately.
Keep ’LIKE’ operations together - will keep all operations together e.g. if two sequential operations use the same resource then they will be kept on the same process within that resource.
Resource Options:
This option is not available in the standard version of FactoryMaster and has to be purchased separately.
Use only the RESOURCE CODE specified in the operation - This will only schedule to the resource specified on the operation, such as the default behaviour.
Use any resource code from the SAME RESOURCE GROUP - This will schedule to any resource in the same group as the one specified on the operation.
Use any resource from any SPECIFIED GROUP - This option allows the user to tell the scheduling which resource groups can be used as alternatives.
Capacity Planning:
This option uses MRP and includes pseudo Works Orders for Sales Orders that do not currently have a Works Order to cover them. Using this option means the user will not be able to apply this schedule to the Works Orders, it is for capacity planning only.
Click ’Create’:
When the schedule has been created it is can be viewed in the ’Schedule Maintenance’ screen and press F5 on the keyboard will bring up a menu for different ways to review the schedule.
by Resource.
by Works Order.
by Day.
Resource Utilisation graphs can be created and reports can be run, for example, a Capacity Planning Report.