Jeremy Wiegman
Do you ever find yourself wondering what the ramifications are of seemingly small and simple changes to the production schedule? Any change that is made has repercussions or what I like to refer to as a domino effect. When dominoes are lined up next to each other from point A to point B, the simple act of tipping over one domino sets in motion a series of events. The simple act of tipping one domino leads to all of the associated dominoes tipping over. As a scheduler, understanding the results of the domino effect before they happen is a critical part of the job. There is a simple way to understand the domino effect as it relates to your environment.
What If Scenarios
Planet Together’s “What If” functionality is a powerful tool that allows the scheduler to see the domino effect before it happens. Planet Together allows the scheduler to make an exact copy of the “live” schedule. In the copy of the live scenario, the scheduler has the ability to move operations and jobs without affecting the live scenario. The “What If” copy also allows the scheduler to test different settings. The results of these changes can be visualized on the gantt chart, through the use of customized alerts that populate automatically, and also through predefined KPI’s. As many “what if” scenarios can be created as desired. If a specific scenario accurately reflects the desired changes, the scenario can then replace the existing “live” scenario.
Practical Application
As a planner/scheduler in a machine shop environment, I was often faced with the challenge of optimizing the schedule to reduce the number of setups while at the same time maintaining on-time delivery. In an effort to gain efficiencies or address management pressure, operators and shop floor leads would often request changes based on running more efficient, reducing setup times, etc. I would look at the schedule and then give my response. My response was based on calculations, intuition and experience. Sometimes my response was well received, other times however, my response was not so well received. The result was tension and frustration. After implementing Planet Together, I began utilizing the “What If” functionality and it made all the difference in responding to suggestions and questions.
As the functionality of Planet Togethers, “what if” capability was applied, the requested changes were presented, and answers to the request were no longer subjective to personal interpretation and gut feel. The result was empowering and unifying. Rather than experience the “cuss and discuss” dynamic, all parties involved could see the domino effect of potential decisions and also understand the indirect ramifications of those decisions.
There are many different applications for using “what if” scenarios. How would it work best in your environment? Contact Scheduling Solutions to learn more about PlanetTogether. We can show you how the software works and how it can be helpful in your environment.
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