SIMUL8-Planner Solution
Features
INPUTS
The SIMUL8-Planner is driven by a
number of Knowledge Tables, these define the operations and requirements
for the system as a whole or are specific to individual operations
or departments which are being scheduled. These knowledge tables
can be accessed and modified by users with the correct level
of security access. This ensures that the system can be updated
and adapted to changing circumstances within the plant.
| Some of the standard
inputs include: |
| • |
Products Definition, attributes |
| • |
Product Routings, timings and set-ups |
| • |
Machine Definition, operational rules, batching,
availabilities |
| • |
Resource Definition, skills, allocation, availabilities |
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|
SCHEDULING RULES
There are a number of scheduling rules and
algorithms that are applied globally and locally throughout the
scheduled area. Global rules are used to ensure that the overall
plant objectives are met and that production is synchronized
throughout the entire facility. Local rules are applied to meeting
the scheduling and operational constraints within a specific
area of the plant. This could include batching constraints, detailed
set-up requirements as well as resource requirements for different
products. Like the knowledge tables these scheduling rules can
be made accessible to the user so that the scheduler has control
over the management of the plant, especially as under differing
operational conditions, different scheduling rules will be applicable.
| Example
Scheduling Rules include: |
| • |
Set-up minimization / throughput
maximization |
| • |
Order due date conformance |
| • |
Delay minimization |
| • |
Inventory Minimization |
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SCHEDULE
OUTPUTS
The most important output
from the system is the schedule; these are provided in a
number of report formats
both tabular and graphical through the use of an Interactive
Gantt chart. Views can be customized to include information
specific to the operation of different work stations or equipment. Gantt charts provide forward visibility of all orders as they
progress through the facility, consuming resources. Drill-down
capabilities allow the scheduler to find orders, highlight them
through the system, and answer questions such as when will this
order be complete, when will it go through my major bottleneck
operation, is there any slack time on this order is we get behind
schedule?
Individual tabular schedules for each work
station can be filtered by a time horizon, viewed, and printed
for execution on the shop-floor.
| There
are three main methods for executing the schedule
to the shop-floor these include: |
| • |
Export to shop-floor systems |
| • |
Export to Level 2 automation systems |
| • |
Print and distribute |
| • |
SIMUL8-Planner Deployment licensing through
shop-floor terminals |
|
|
REPORTS:
OPERATIONAL AND ADVISORY
The
Production Model which is used to execute the scheduled can
also be used to develop
Operational reports on how the schedule will perform in the plant.
Any Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) used at the plant can be
developed to allow the scheduler to evaluate the schedule’s
performance. This KPI report can be used to assess the goodness
of fit between the schedule’s performance and the plants
operational performance.
Advisory reports can be created to ensure
that elements of the plants operation, which are not constrained
within the scheduling
system, are advised of the requirements in advance. This forward
visibility can help the facility ensure, for example, that
the correct raw materials, packaging and materials handling resources
are in place in advance of their requirement.
| Examples
of Operational and Advisory reports include: |
| • |
Work Station utilization, % idle,
% set-up |
| • |
Resources utilization |
| • |
Inventory Levels, Raw Materials, WIP and Finished
Goods |
| • |
Raw Materials Requirements Advisory |
| • |
Packaging Materials Advisory |
|
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SYSTEM
UPDATES AND TIME FENCES
After a schedule
has been sent to the shop-floor it is necessary to update the
SIMUL*-Planner system with the current conditions
of the plan before scheduling forward.
| There
are a couple of methods to achieve this requirement: |
| • |
Move the SIMUL8-Planner system
forward to a date and time in the schedule |
| |
- Modifications may be required for deviations
from the plan |
| • |
Integrate with shop-floor system to update
with the current situation |
|
|
Once the schedule’s starting place
has been defined it is possible to re-schedule forward however
for plants where there
are restrictions in terms of what can be moved onto a line-up
the SIMUL8-Planner offers time fences to block in a particular
sequence. Multiple time fences can be provided for different
areas of the plant.
| Examples
of time fences include: |
| • |
Maintain the next ‘x’ hours
of plan |
| • |
Maintain up to launch sequence ‘y’ on
the plan |
| • |
Maintain everything which has been downloaded
to a Level 2 system |
| • |
Only schedule what in the inventory for the
next ‘z’ hours |
|
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BENEFITS
The following provides an indication
of some of the standard benefits realized from the implementation
of an automated SIMUL8-Planner
scheduling system.
Reduced Planning Effort – one of
the most obvious and immediate benefits of the SIMUL8-Planner
system is the reduced
manpower requirement for the day-to-day scheduling of the plant.
This frees up resources to assist in areas such as exceptions,
priority orders, expediting, and addressing customer services
enquiries about completion dates.
Order Due Date Conformance – through
improved scheduling of bottleneck processes within the facility,
and synchronization
of the flow through the plant it is possible to imrpvode due
date conformance. Also as planning manpower is more available
to deal with the exceptions or priority orders, the correct resources
are assigned to the problems as opposed to the day-to-day requirements.
Minimization of Set-ups / Changeovers – through
effective staging of product and synchronization of the local
process rules
it is possible to reduce the overall number of set-ups at each
of the work stations defined within the scheduling system. This
will help to increase throughput from the facility and therefore
its order due date conformance.
Minimization of Inventory – Reassignment
of inventory to priority orders, as well as synchronization
of processes ensures
that the minimum amount of inventory is held while not starving
the equipment or resources throughout the plant.
“What-if” analysis / Capacity Planning – the
Production model provides the necessary environment to ask what
if questions, understand the true capacity of the plant (for
capacity planning purposes, as well as evaluate the bottleneck
processes within the facility.
Utilizes your current systems – the
SIMUL8-Planner system helps to improve return on investment
in large-scale software
systems by linking to your current systems, such as ERP and MES.
Systems Integration
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