Scheduling

ITMS has a number of scheduling methods which are generally determined by the type of manufacturing performed. The two main Manufacturing types the scheduling methods have been developed for are:

1.	Laser/Plasma focused companies that generally have the Laser/Plasma cutting process as the first operation followed by folding /bending and sub contract operations

And

2.	General Engineering/Fabrication companies that utilise a variety of processes not always in the same order.

Within these two types are alternate methods.

1.	Laser/Plasma Scheduling

a.	Method 1 –Individual Job Scheduling - Create Job – Review Workcenter Availability, Set an issue date to start the job – Schedule – Do nesting based on schedule date for cutting.

b.	Method 2 – Nesting - Create Job – Planner/Programmer review Jobs for nesting (filters by material types) and creates nests – Unscheduled Jobs/Nest are loaded to appropriate workcenters and saved. Master schedule for each laser workcenter referred to for current schedule and shop floor clocking.

2.	General Engineering /Fabrication

Method 1 – Auto Scheduling – Create Job & Activate - Run Auto schedule to assign start dates to each individual workcenter – Use Show WC job window for each workcenter to provide list of scheduled jobs for that workcenter – Allows management of material availability and Shop Floor scheduling screens. (This scheduling is done daily to refresh new work being added and remove work being done)

Method 2 – Individual Job Scheduling – Create Job & Activate – Run Job Scheduling for that job and use parameters to set a start or finish date for the job. Once saved the start times for workcenters are locked in and the Show individual WC jobs window can be used to show scheduled start dates on each WC. The scheduling is not updated until the job is finished or the operator manually removes scheduling and re-runs for that job.

Last Revised: 16/09/2011 SJ