Scheduling for Process Industry

Improved Productivity and Transparency

In process manufacturing, finished goods can have expiration times, making it hard to schedule many orders optimally, especially when a process is long or has many steps. There can be max and min wait times for work-in-process, which is especially problematic in front of bottlenecks where time-sensitive goods will compete for priority.

Variable setup times, such as equipment cleaning after a pigment change, or after an allergen ingredient is used, also present scheduling challenges, particularly when multiple orders with different recipes have high priorities or upcoming due dates.

Holistic process synchronization
Minimized lead times and inventory stocks
Flawless delivery reliability
Drastically reduced time and effort spent on planning

Challenges

Processes need to be scheduled with fixed or min/max wait times between subsequent processes. Asprova is able to do this, and track inventory expiration times, as well as batch orders so that the optimal consideration is given to due dates, expiration times, and resource utilization.
Bottleneck resources should be easily identified on the schedule, otherwise it is hard to identify where measures need to be taken.
Setup times are highly variable, and planning them optimally is a significant challenge. Asprova's built-in logic can optimize setup times, considering alternate resources, order priority, and others. Being able to easily run what-if scenarios to see the impact of changing sequences or resources is crucial for effective scheduling.

With Asprova APS

Shorter delivery times
Synchronized processes thanks to optimal sequential wcheduling
Drastic reduction in final good warehoused inventory
Increased resource efficiency

Improved transparency in factory and order status
Greater flexibility in reacting to order changes, rush orders, machine failure, etc.
Substantial reduction in planning efforts