Sequence Orders Using Sequencing Window

Explanation

This activity is used to sequence shop order operations using the Advanced Planning Board, Scheduling Client or Simulation Client window. You can choose to sequence the operations using different characteristics such as color, length, temperature and so on, connected to the part being manufactured. A given part can have more than one characteristic as well as sequencing can be based on more than one characteristic as well.

Prerequisites

To perform this activity, the characteristics that you want to use in the sequencing process must be defined in the Inventory Part/Characteristics tab.

System Effects

As a result of this activity, the operations subjected to sequence will be rescheduled to take the desired sequence once the sequencing process is completed. If sequencing is performed in the Advanced Planning Board or Scheduling Client window, the new schedule of the operations that were sequenced can be saved back to the database. In the Simulation Client window, planner can simulate sequencing and then the actual sequencing can be performed by using Scheduling Client window and save it back to the database.

Window

Advanced Planning Board
Scheduling Client
Simulation Client

Related Window Descriptions

Sequencing Window
Advanced Planning Board
Scheduling Client
Simulation Client

Procedure

  1. Open the Advanced Planning Board, Scheduling Client or Simulation Client window.
  2. Enter a value in the Site field and click OK. Use the List of Values to select a suitable value.
  3. Select the work center resource (machine) on which the operations should be sequenced.
  4. Right-click and then select Sequence workload. This will open up the Sequencing Window.
  5. Select the date criteria for which the selected group of operations for sequencing are scheduled in this machine using the Select Operations Based Upon Related group box. Possible values that can be selected for this operation are Need Date, Earliest Possible Start Time (EPST), Last Possible Start Time (LPST) and Scheduled Start/Finish Date.
  6. Select the start date and end date which will be used to select operation along with the date criteria defined in step 4.
    For example, if the need date is the date criteria and the start date is 2014-01-01 and 2014-01-31 then all the operations having the need date between those two days will be selected for sequencing.
  7. Enter Earliest Sequence Start Date which is the date from which the first operation of the new sequence should begin. Operations either has to begin later than this date or on that date, but not early.
  8. In Sequence Operations Based On group box, select the basic criteria or objective which should govern the intended sequence. There are two possible options.
    1. Based on Characteristics Values
    2. Based on Least Amount of Accumulated Operation Setup time

    If the first option is selected, characteristic sort order table is visible and planner can choose characteristics by using the list button based on one or more characteristics upon their importance when sequencing. The most important characteristic should have the sort order value equals to 1 and sequencing direction set to either ascending or descending.
    If the second option is selected, characteristic sort order table is not visible and sequencing is not based on characteristics. Sequencing logic tries to minimize the total accumulated operation setup time when creating the sequence based on the setup matrix.

  9. In the Allow Sequencing Logic to group box, select the option which you need to control sequencing.
    1. Auto Detect Sequence Start Condition: Not available when sequencing is based on characteristic values. If this check box is selected, sequencing assistant will look at the last operation scheduled before the planned sequence start time on this work center resource and will check what is the operation that is in the set of operations selected to be sequenced with which causes least schedule set up time. Set up time defined in the set up matrix or if it is not defined, operation set up time is the set up time value taken here as the schedule set up time. Once the logic found next operation which is the most suitable with the least setup time, then it will find the next operation that causes least setup with the newly sequenced one and so on. This way the logic tries to minimize the total scheduled set up time if this option is selected.
    2. Include Released Operations in Sequencing Action: If this is selected, it will include release operations for sequence.
    3. Reassign Tool Instancies: If this is selected, when sequencing the operations can be reassigned to other tool instances to achieve the desired schedule.
    4. Reassign Employees: If this is selected when sequencing, the operations can be reassigned to other employees to achieve the desired schedule.
    5. Utilize Capacity Gaps (might alter desired sequence): If this is selected, sequencing logic will use resource availability gaps and that might alter the desired sequence. But total time span for all operations could be reduced.
  10. Select Sequence to perform sequencing action. The operations will be sequenced and will be scheduled on new time slots according to the criteria's defined in step 3 to 8.
  11. If the sequence is not acceptable, repeat the steps from 3 to 8 with different criteria's until the desired sequence is achieved. It is possible to use drag and drop for insertion like other scheduling actions.
  12. If the results are desirable, and the sequencing window is activated from the Advanced Planning Board or Scheduling Client window, the schedule can be saved back to the database. If not, save it back to a file.