Supply chain disruptions and shifting demands in 2020 affected many manufacturers—both positive and negative. Some were nimble enough to adjust output based on supply and demand. Those who were nimble were able to cut costs due to declining demands or supply shortages and then were able to ramp up production to meet increased demands without creating unnecessary inventory. Others struggled. Some may still be struggling today. It is difficult to gauge how long the events of 2020 and now 2021 will impact manufacturing and whether supply and demand will shift unexpectedly again. If it does, are you ready?

Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) software has features to assist in managing supply and demand in a fast-changing environment. APS schedules with a finite capacity to manage resource capacity while taking into consideration supply, demand, and scheduling constraints. Without an APS system, shifting supplies and shifting demands are difficult to manage.

Manufacturing operations are greatly impacted by sudden shifts in supply and demand, but production schedules must change to prevent excess inventory, downtime, or high costs.  An APS system like PlanetTogether enables planners to determine a schedule that adjusts to sudden changes in supply and demand. A planner can build multiple scenarios in PlanetTogether to anticipate problems and decide the best schedule to minimize disruption to manufacturing operations while balancing supply and demand.

In early 2020 environmental circumstances yielded extreme shifts for many manufacturers. It is too early to know if the impacts of 2020 and now 2021 will forever change how manufacturers manage their business. It does beg the question: Is your organization prepared to handle today’s fluctuations and future disruptions?

Contact Scheduling Solutions to learn more about APS and how it can help you with uncertain supply and demand: Info@schedulingsolutions.net.