System and methods for scheduling manufacturing resources

• US 6,591,153 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2001
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Blue Yonder Group, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Manugistics Group Incorporated (RedPrairie Holding Incorporated)
• Inventors: Crampton, Myrick, Zdravecky, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Masinick, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US09/974,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20020107600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 700/99, 700/100, 700/103, 700/104, 700/111, 700/101, 700/102, 705/8
• US Class Current: 700/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system and method for scheduling manufacturing resources based on user defined scheduling and routing goals. Attributes and constraints may be assigned to manufacturing resources and SKUs that facilitates the planning and scheduling of the resources. Resource transitions may be restricted only to desirable transition by using product wheels. Excess work-in-process may be minimized by scheduling orders that consume the excess work-in-process.

Claims

1. A system for generating and selecting a planning route and selecting scheduling opportunities according to the selected route, comprising:

means for defining resources;

means for receiving an order having an objective;

means for generating a production method based on said objective and said defined resources;

means for generating routes based on said production method; and

means for selecting one of said routes and scheduling opportunities based on a scheduling goal and a routing goal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said scheduling goal is selected from the group consisting of maximizing resource utilization, just-in-time, minimize production cost, minimize cycle time and balance resource utilization.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said routing goal is selected from the group consisting of fast, best and fast on time.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said routing goal is selected from the group consisting of fast, best and fast on time.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a means for creating a product wheel.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said means for creating a product wheel comprises a means for defining allowed transitions for one of said resources.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a means for reviewing said selected route and scheduling opportunities to determine whether said selected route and scheduling opportunities violates said product wheel and selecting another one of said routes generated if said product wheel has been violated.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a means for packing out excess work-in-process.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said means for packing out excess work-in-process comprises the step of identifying said excess work-in-process.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said means of packing out excess work-in-process comprises a means for identifying orders that consume said excess work-in-process.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said means for packing out excess work-in-process comprises a means for scheduling said identified orders.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a means for assigning a first attribute and a second attribute to a SKU.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said first attribute indicates whether said SKU needs to be packed out when said SKU is present in excess.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said second attribute indicates a finished good that is associated with said SKU.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for defining resources comprises a means for defining said resources by identifying starting and ending SKUs, production rates and resource families.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said means for generating a production method based on said objective and said defined resources further based on said resource families.

17. A system for generating and selecting a planning route and selecting scheduling opportunities according to the selected route, comprising:

a database storing manufacturing data and receiving and storing an order, wherein said order having an objective;

a modeling module which defines resources;

a production method module which generates a production method based on said objective and said defined resources;

a routing module which generates routes based on said production method; and

a scheduling manager module which selects one of said routes and scheduling opportunities based on a scheduling goal and a routing goal.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said scheduling goal is selected from the group consisting of maximizing resource utilization, just-in-time, minimize production cost, minimize cycle time and balance resource utilization.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said routing goal is selected from the group consisting of fast, best and fast on time.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said routing goal is selected from the group consisting of fast, best and fast on time.

21. The system of claim 17, further comprising a product wheel module which creates a product wheel.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said product wheel module further defines allowed transitions for one of said resources.

23. The system of claim 22, where in said product wheel module further reviews said selected route and scheduling opportunities to determine whether said selected route and scheduling opportunities violates said product wheel and selects another one of said routes generated if said product wheel has been violated.

24. The system of claim 17, further comprising a pack out module which packs out excess work-in-process.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said pack out module packs out excess work-in-process by identifying said excess work-in-process.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said packing out module further identifies orders that consume said excess work-in-process.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said packing out module further schedules said identified orders.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said scheduling manager module assigns a first attribute and a second attribute to a SKU.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein said first attribute indicates whether said SKU needs to be packed out when said SKU is present in excess.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said second attribute indicates a finished good that is associated with said SKU.

31. The system of claim 17, wherein said modeling module which defines resources is by identifying starting and ending SKUs, production rates and resource families associated with said resources.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said production method module which generates a production method based on said objective and said defined resources is further based on said resource families.

33. A method for generating and selecting a planning route and selecting scheduling opportunities according to the selected route, comprising the steps:

defining resources;

receiving an order having an objective;

generating a production method based on said objective and said defined resources;

generating routes based on said production method; and

selecting one of said routes and scheduling opportunities based on a scheduling goal and a routing goal.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said scheduling goal is selected from the group consisting of maximizing resource utilization, just-in-time, minimize production cost, minimize cycle time and balance resource utilization.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said routing goal is selected from the group consisting of fast, best and fast on time.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein said routing goal is selected from the group consisting of fast, best and fast on time.

37. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of creating a product wheel.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said step of creating a product wheel comprises the step of defining allowed transitions for one of said resources.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising the steps of reviewing said selected route and scheduling opportunities to determine whether said selected route and scheduling opportunities violates said product wheel and selecting another one of said routes generated if said product wheel has been violated.

40. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of packing out excess work-in-process.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said step of packing out excess work-in-process comprises the step of identifying said excess work-in-process.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said step of packing out excess work-in-process comprises the step of identifying orders that consume said excess work-in-process.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein said step of packing out excess work-in-process comprises the step of scheduling said identified orders.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of assigning a first attribute and a second attribute to a SKU.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein said first attribute indicates whether said SKU needs to be packed out when said SKU is present in excess.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein said second attribute indicates a finished good that is associated with said SKU.

47. The method of claim 33, wherein said step of defining resources comprises the step of defining said resources by identifying starting and ending SKUs, production rates and resource families.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein said step of generating a production method based on said objective and said defined resources further based on said resource families.

49. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform the steps of generating and selecting a planning route and selecting scheduling opportunities according to the selected route, comprising the steps:

defining resources;

receiving an order having an objective;

generating a production method based on said objective and said defined resources;

generating routes based on said production method; and

selecting one of said routes and scheduling opportunities based on a scheduling goal and a routing goal.

50. The program storage device of claim 49, wherein said scheduling goal is selected from the group consisting of maximizing resource utilization, just-in-time, minimize production cost, minimize cycle time and balance resource utilization.

51. The program storage device of claim 50, wherein said routing goal is selected from the group consisting of fast, best and fast on time.

52. The program storage device of claim 49, wherein said routing goal is selected from the group consisting of fast, best and fast on time.

56. The program storage device of claim 49, further comprising the step of packing out excess work-in-process.

57. The program storage device of claim 56, wherein said step of packing out excess work-in-process comprises the step of identifying said excess work-in-process.

58. The program storage device of claim 57, wherein said step of packing out excess work-in-process comprises the step of identifying orders that consume said excess work-in-process.

59. The program storage device of claim 58, wherein said step of packing out excess work-in-process comprises the step of scheduling said identified orders.

60. The program storage device of claim 59, further comprising the step of assigning a first attribute and a second attribute to a SKU.

61. The program storage device of claim 60, wherein said first attribute indicates whether said SKU needs to be packed out when said SKU is present in excess.

62. The program storage device of claim 61, wherein said second attribute indicates a finished good that is associated with said SKU.

63. The program storage device of claim 49, wherein said step of defining resources comprises the step of defining said resources by identifying starting and ending SKUs, production rates and resource families.

64. The program storage device of claim 63, wherein said step of generating a production method based on said objective and said defined resources further based on said resource families.

53. The program storage device of 49, further comprising the step of creating a product wheel.

54. The program storage device of claim 53, wherein said step of creating a product wheel comprises the step of defining allowed transitions for one of said resources.

55. The program storage device of claim 54, further comprising the steps of reviewing said selected route and scheduling opportunities to determine whether said selected route and scheduling opportunities violates said product wheel and selecting another one of said routes generated if said product wheel has been violated.