Jeremy Wiegman
The manufacturing industry has been in a constant evolution process since the early 1900s when Ford Motors introduced the assembly line. During the mid-sixties, in order to facilitate the manufacturing process, and with the introduction of computers, companies began using database management software to help them plan and cost materials needed for the manufacturing process. This software solution became known as MRP or Material Resource Planning. MRP consists of monitoring/tracking material, inventory, accounting and limited scheduling capabilities.
MRP software paved the way for the introduction of Enterprise Resource and Planning (ERP). In the early 1990’s, just over 20 years later, manufacturers recognized a need to be more efficient with their time and resources. One method used to accomplish this was the introduction of Enterprise Resource and Planning software (ERP). ERP software utilizes MRP functionality and expands it to include human resources, warehousing, customer relationship management as well as other modules that can be added to the original ERP suite.
Now, approximately 20-30 years later, manufacturers all over the globe are experiencing the need to have better visibility of orders, processes, and flow. An effective tool to help manage shop floor visibility is software referred to as Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) software. APS can be integrated into most if not all ERP systems to determine and visualize the most effective schedule for the shop floor.
The evolution of the software and technology industry has increased in such a way that manufacturers can now know real-time what the status of each order in production is, whether material is readily available or not, what employees are operating what equipment as well as the profitability of each product. Since production and sales information is available, the question quickly becomes how to access that information in a meaningful way, which helps drives decisions and profitability. APS systems are very useful for this application.
In an era where many software companies choose to add APS modules to their core competency of MRP and ERP, Planet Together has focused its service offerings on planning and scheduling. Planet Together’s sole focus is on creating and maintaining the best planning and scheduling software available on the market. This laser-like focus has allowed Planet Together to become a major player in the APS industry. Planet Together is constantly improving product performance, creating enhancements based on customer feedback, and in short, constantly evolving. With the constant evolution of software, customers can be assured that Planet Together will be at the forefront, providing the latest and greatest options for retrieving and presenting information which is key to giving their customers the competitive advantage needed in today’s markets.
Contact lsi-scheduling.com for more information.