Production Scheduling Software and Manufacturing Automation
An interesting aspect about Production Scheduling software is the ability for the software to interact with automation on the manufacturing lines. This is something some clients ask for from the outset of discussions with software developers. Still, even those who hear about this type of automation in later discussions are interesting simply because the information available from such interactive systems can be important from a scheduling standpoint.
It’s important to make a point about this. The automation a scheduling system would interact with doesn’t drive the manufacturing line in any manner. This isn’t a replacement for the programming in any PLCs, robotics or any other type of physical automation. The automation which interacts with Production Scheduling software, which normally includes the scheduling of personnel as well, is considerably more passive than what drives a manufacturing line.
Production Scheduling software is interested in what’s going on with the schedule it manages. It needs to know when different aspects of a manufacturing process is occuring. Barcodes, RFID tags, laser-based counters, simple photoelectric sensors … these types of devices can tell the software where various products are on the line, what part of the process they’re in, whether they’re running ahead or behind the current schedule.
The software is then capable of alerting operators and managers when processes and production are falling behind. If something’s behind an hour or two, those portions of the schedule might be outlined in yellow as an alert status. But if things get further behind, and a red outline occurs on that part of the schedule, the system might also automatically start sending emails to various managers to let them know what’s going on.
Smarter software means smarter production practices. The right kind of software allows for more useful information to be used in a more efficient manner, all across your enterprise.
