In the previous blog installments on manufacturing scheduling, we spent some time providing an overview of what the issues are with scheduling/planning, and what models might work best in specific shop situations. Incorporating enterprise resource planning software, we discovered, is an excellent way to make life a little bit easier on the scheduling/planning side. Today, we’ll look at some solutions on a point-by-point basis.

So, just how does ERP scheduling, in fact, make your life easier?

Through a variety of features and functions, ERP scheduling evolves from a hair-pulling exercise in frustration into a streamlined, low-stress process that efficiently and effectively guides and directs all the activities that need to occur on the shop floor. The most important of these features and functions include: (more…)

Most companies try to solve manufacturing scheduling problems by hiring more schedulers to manage the chaos. But all that does is increase overhead costs, add to the complexity of the scheduling process, and increases the number of schedules. Fortunately, there is an easier, better and much more cost-effective way. In Part 2 of our continuing blog series on manufacturing scheduling, we’ll examine some of these ways in greater detail.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is specifically designed to automate, streamline, and reduce the stress of scheduling work orders in a busy manufacturing environment.

ERP software serves as a highly sophisticated central communication hub for all the activities in a manufacturing business. It consists of different modules that handle everything from estimating to job scheduling to final delivery and billing, as well as the financial aspects of work generation, purchasing, inventory management, administrative overhead, and all the accounting and financial activities. (more…)