When a manufacturer misses a deadline, it costs the company and its customers dearly. Often manufacturers are creating parts and goods for other businesses who also have customers, resulting in a trickle-down of several organizations missing deadlines. Manufacturers may have to pay penalties for late delivery, and their reputations may suffer. In addition, customers may have to go without their product or pay more for rush delivery.

To avoid these costly consequences, manufacturers must meet their deadlines. To do so, they need to clearly understand the project timeline and ensure that they allocate enough resources to get the job done on time. They also need to be realistic about what can be accomplished within the allotted time frame and build some flexibility to accommodate unexpected delays.

The Contributing Factors to Missing Deadlines

One of the biggest challenges manufacturers face when creating production schedules is ensuring that all of the necessary resources are available when they are needed. This includes everything from materials to labor to equipment. There may be instances where a particular component is not readily available, which can cause delays in the production process. In addition, some manufacturing processes are more complex than others, requiring specialized skills and training. If the necessary personnel are unavailable when needed, this can also cause delays.

Another challenge manufacturers face is managing unexpected delays. Even with the best planning, there are always going to be unforeseen circumstances that can cause delays. This could include everything from supplier issues to equipment malfunctions. Manufacturers must build flexibility into their production schedules to account for these delays.

How Some Manufacturers Build the Reputation of On-Time Deliveries

Manufacturers who employ advanced finite capacity, forward scheduling techniques will, on average, meet deadlines more consistently than those using backward scheduling.

Backward production scheduling is when manufacturers plan their production schedule based on the due date of the final product. This type of schedule can be helpful when the manufacturing process is relatively simple and there are few resource constraints. However, it can be challenging to adjust backward schedules if unexpected delays occur.

Forward production scheduling is when manufacturers plan their production schedule based on the availability of resources. This type of schedule can be helpful when the manufacturing process is more complex or there are resource constraints. Forward schedules are easier to adjust if unexpected delays occur since production can be rescheduled based on the availability of resources.

Advanced finite capacity scheduling is a manufacturing scheduling technique that uses finite capacity planning to create a production schedule. This type of schedule can be helpful when the manufacturing process is more complex or there are resource constraints. Advanced finite capacity scheduling considers the availability of resources and allows for production rescheduling if unexpected delays occur.

Why Use Advanced Finite Capacity Scheduling?

Advanced finite capacity scheduling is a more efficient way to schedule production than backward scheduling. This is because it considers the availability of resources and allows for production rescheduling if unexpected delays occur. Advanced finite capacity scheduling can help manufacturers meet deadlines more consistently and avoid the costly consequences of missing deadlines.

How to Implement Advanced Finite Capacity Scheduling?

MxAPS is an advanced finite-capacity scheduling tool that helps manufacturers meet deadlines more consistently and avoid the costly consequences of missing deadlines. MxAPS considers the availability of resources and allows for production rescheduling if unexpected delays occur. MxAPS can help optimize production so that customer orders are produced and delivered as efficiently as possible, which leads to increased satisfaction. If problems arise during production, sales managers can respond proactively instead of being surprised by unhappy customers.

Insight Works offers the MxAPS app that enables smaller job shops and machine shops to create forward finite production schedules based on today’s available resources. It creates realistic production schedules without relying on people to understand all of the scheduling details. MxAPS increases your labor and equipment utilization rates while meeting deadlines.

To learn more about forward scheduling and how to meet production deadlines with MxAPS, visit http://JobShopAPS.com.