Advanced Planning and Scheduling for Heavy Equipment Manufacturing
When precision in production is not just a goal but a necessity, Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) software from Synchrono offers heavy equipment manufacturers a powerful solution for optimizing resource utilization, reducing waste, and increasing manufacturing throughput without compromising quality.
What is Advanced Planning and Scheduling Software?
APS software helps production planners and schedulers optimize production to meet demand and improve efficiency by aligning workflow schedules to actual demand and resource availability. Unlike traditional Material Requirements Planning (MRP) solutions, an APS system considers capacity constraints (finite capacity planning or scheduling), inventory availability, and lead times to create schedules that increase efficiency and optimize production performance. By synchronizing materials, capacity, and labor with demand, APS helps improve resource utilization and maximizes flow through the production process to meet delivery commitments while minimizing waste and costs.
Automate Production Scheduling
Automation is everywhere in the heavy equipment manufacturing market – both on the shop floor and in the products themselves. SyncManufacturing APS software automates production scheduling by leveraging advanced finite capacity scheduling algorithms. Using real-time data from materials, labor, and equipment and taking into account actual production constraints, SyncManufacturing can optimize production schedules across product lines and even across multiple locations.
Reduce Inventory
Normalizing inventory levels across product lines by aligning inventory allocation and procurement to current market demand and operational capacity helps reduce inventory levels while preventing stockouts. SyncManufacturing continuously pulls real-time data from multiple sources, such as orders, inventory levels, and production status, to ensure all decisions are based on the latest, most accurate information.
Increase Agility
The lengthy cycle times in heavy equipment manufacturing leave plenty of opportunities for change. Supply chain issues, unplanned downtime, demand changes, shifting priorities, and more can impact production schedules. Of course, an event in one area can have a ripple effect throughout the organization.
SyncManufacturing allows planners to quickly adjust production schedules in real time, keeping schedules in alignment with the current state of manufacturing by eliminating the need for manual planning, calculations, and adjustments.
Increase Manufacturing Velocity
Shortening cycle times requires synchronization of every stage of production ensuring alignment from end to end in the production process and eliminating costly delays at convergent points (sub-assembly, welding, assembly). It requires visibility into emerging disruptions that hinder factory throughput. This visibility also fosters collaboration across the organization as teams have access to reliable, real-world data to help them identify and address the root causes, e.g., equipment downtime, training deficiencies, non-conformances etc.
Improve Resource Utilization
Manufacturing equipment is a key expense, and the right manufacturing talent can be hard to find, so maximizing resource utilization is critical. SyncManufacturing finite capacity scheduling algorithms allocate production across available resources (materials, equipment, and people) within their limitations. In addition to maximizing resource utilization, finite capacity scheduling improves production throughput by minimizing idle time.
Build Customer Confidence
By leveraging real-time data, including current workflow, lead times, production constraints, and materials availability, SyncManufacturing provides reliable Capable to Promise dates that build customer trust. Manufacturers also benefit from a smoother production flow with limited disruptions, less need for costly rush orders, and a reduction in the associated stress on the system and personnel that typically comes with frequent expediting.
Power Up Your Performance
Give your continuous improvement initiatives the boost they need with these SyncManufacturing add-ons.
SyncAlert®
Monitor and manage production performance from your mobile device. Receive alerts when issues need to be addressed and assign action items to the appropriate personnel. Learn more about SyncAlert.
SyncKanban®
The ultimate in lean replenishment techniques, our eKanban application aligns replenishment signals to actual demand. SyncKanban® can even dramatically resize your Kanban loops.
SyncView®
Have targeted KPIs? SyncView® provides a real-time, visual representation of factory performance. Dashboards can be defined by user type for targeted insights and improved focus.
Synchronize Your Operations with SyncManufacturing®
Manufacturing optimization requires breaking down silos within the organization so that every department and every team can work together toward a common goal. SyncManufacturing from Synchrono gives your entire team the visibility they need for faster decision-making and alignment to the organization’s top priorities. When you’re ready to transform your organization into the highly calibrated, profit-producing engine it was meant to be, reach out to us or request a live demo.