This chapter covers the following topics:
Production Scheduling uses a constraint-based approach to automated scheduling. Unlike traditional automated scheduling tools that are limited to simple dispatch rules and have known bottlenecks, constraints in Production Scheduling can be assigned to every element-resource, operation, and due date in a schedule. Through advanced solver technology, feasible solutions can be found for virtually any constraint.
Production Scheduling is a finite scheduling product that addresses discrete batch processing with floating multistage problems. Production Scheduling can process an almost limitless number of variables and constraints. Using the Windows NT operating system, the total cost of ownership decreases.
Using the advanced scheduling capabilities of Production Scheduling you can:
Create a model.
Solve a model.
Publish a production schedule.
Dispatch schedule information.
Production Scheduling is designed to schedule discrete manufacturing environments that have the following characteristics:
Many components comprise each product.
Few final products exist in relation to the large number of components.
Subassemblies can be out-sourced to third-party manufacturers.
Many production stages exist.
Multistage, floating production bottlenecks exist.
Large numbers of customer orders exist, often make-to-order as opposed to make-to-stock.
Products are produced in discrete batches or consistent lot sizes.
Multiple operations and routings can exist for the production of an item, and the user is able to specify a preference.
Minimum and maximum delays exist between work center operations.
Setups, changeovers, and cleanups are required.
Capacity constrained resources exist in production routings.
Unlike other scheduling systems, Production Scheduling has a self-configuring solver. This technology enables the solver to adapt as the model changes. It also includes item propagation, which immediately determines item feasibility; adaptive propagation, which starts and stops propagation only as it is needed; and effective backtracking.
Through the seamless integration of Production Scheduling (PS) with Oracle Value Chain Planning (VCP) suite, you can create high level supply chain plans and refine these plans to create optimal production schedules that can be implemented using Oracle transaction systems.
Using data from Oracle transaction systems and, if available, demand forecasts from Oracle Demand Planning, Oracle Advanced Supply Chain Planning (ASCP) can create planned orders with a granular horizon and detailed multi-level pegging of supply and demand. Production Scheduling can then take planned orders from ASCP and produce an optimized production schedule. You can then review and release the production schedule to Oracle transaction applications for implementation.
Using data from Oracle transaction systems and forecasts from Oracle Demand Planning, you can balance the conflicting objectives and limitations of supply, production, and distribution in your supply chain to determine how to meet demand with the least cost or with the most profit. You can also determine which facilities should be opened or closed, and in what order, throughout the horizon of a model.
Production Scheduling business processes are a part of the Oracle Value Chain Planning Plan to Produce business process. The Value Chain Planning Plan to Produce business process fulfills an organization's requirements for planning, deploying, producing, and assessing production. Production Scheduling is a part of the manufacturing execution phase of Plan to Produce. Production schedules produced by Production Scheduling are used as a basis for production deployment. To create a production schedule used to deploy production in an enterprise, this application relies on a series of interactive and non-interactive events.
Production Scheduling business processes rely on non-interactive events to extract enterprise data from an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system and import it into the application. As a result of these non-interactive events, Production Scheduling is kept up to date with enterprise data in order to produce a production schedule that will be reviewed each morning to determine the daily production.
The following non-interactive events typically occur overnight or after the daily production shift has ended:
Enterprise data is automatically extracted from an ERP system.
Enterprise data is translated into an acceptable format for Production Scheduling.
Enterprise data is loaded into Production Scheduling.
The initial production schedule is produced and awaits review.
After non-interactive events are complete for the scheduling cycle, interactive scheduling tasks can be performed to modify or streamline the schedule according to business needs. Interactive scheduling tasks begin with the initial production schedule that is created as a result of the non-interactive events that occur overnight.
Review the production schedule.
Decide if it is acceptable or not acceptable.
Perform manual scheduling and simulations that enable you to evaluate different scenarios (for unacceptable initial schedules).
Run a repair solve to incorporate the manual scheduling changes (for unacceptable initial schedules).
Perform simulations that represent the introduction of priority orders or extra production capacity into the schedule.
Publish the production schedule to the shop floor using the web dispatch list.
Publish the schedule to an ERP system.
The creation of a production schedule requires a model of your production process to be either created or imported from an external system. The model represents the production capacity of your enterprise. A working model is the first step towards creating a feasible production schedule. It consists of the resources, operations, and routings that combine to form a representation of your production process.
An accurate production schedule requires up-to-date model data, including starting item levels, safety stocks, work orders, and supply and demand information. Model data is often updated on a daily basis.
The steps for building models, which are explained in more detail throughout the rest of this document, are only suggestions. You might find a different sequence that is better suited to your organization's needs.
Solving the model produces a production schedule. You can make changes to the model and solve the model until a schedule that meets your requirements is produced. You can resolve scheduling problems by making changes to the data model including changing order priorities, increasing capacity, or by making manual changes to operations using what-if scenarios.
Additional information from the shop floor or other sources can also be reflected in the schedule. For example, real-time capacity changes, maintenance requirements, or supply and demand changes can exist.
Production Scheduling can be called as a service - the solver and application have been decoupled such that the import and solve process can optionally be run on the server - this includes Windows, Linux, Sun Solaris, HP-UX, and AIX platforms.
This feature enables Production Scheduling users to have their models pre-solved on the server - saving time and improving efficiency. It also allows for batch solving of multiple plans (for example, automation of the "what if" process).
The server-side functionality creates a deployable solved model which includes import and solver statistics in log files. The log files are all downloaded to the client desktop on planner request. This feature also includes improved application status logging and filtering - including access to various event statuses and solver statistics log from within Production Scheduling for events that took place on the server.
See Integrating Production Scheduling, Oracle Advanced Supply Chain Planning Implementation and User's Guide.
Once you are satisfied with a production schedule, you can publish it for use on the shop floor. Once the schedule has been committed and published, Production Scheduling enables you to export operation schedules and reports to external systems.
The Production Scheduling implementation can be divided into the following phases:
Install Production Scheduling.
Define production data.
Import enterprise data.
Deploy production schedules.
To install Oracle Production Scheduling on Microsoft Windows, refer to the Production Scheduling Installation Guide. This installation guide is for installing a standalone, nonintegrated version of Oracle Production Scheduling on your client.
To define production data, perform the following:
Define resources.
Define operations.
Define routings.
See Creating Production Scheduling Models, Production Scheduling.
Data can be imported into Production Scheduling in various formats.
See Integrating With Oracle Value Chain Planning Suite, Production Scheduling.