Method and apparatus for scheduling work orders in a manufacturing process

• US 6,801,820 B1
• Filed: 06/14/2000
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Infor (Amersfoort) BV (Infor Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lilly Software Associates, Inc. (Infor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lilly, Richard T., Layne, David V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rao, Sheela S.
• Application Number:
  US09/593,336
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 700/100, 700/101, 700/99, 700/95, 700/106, 705/9, 705/8, 705/28, 705/29
• US Class Current: 700/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A computerized system is provided for scheduling a plurality of work orders in a manufacturing process. Each work order to be scheduled specifies a set of operations to be performed using a plurality of resources and materials. Data including resource availability information for each resource used in the manufacturing process, material availability information for each material used in the manufacturing process, and work order information is received and stored in a computer. The work order information includes a release date for the work order, a want date for the work order, operations information, and material requirements information. The operations information includes the identity and sequence of operations to be performed for the work order, the identity of the resources needed to perform each operation, a minimum resource capacity needed to perform each operation, and the time needed to perform the operation. The materials information includes the identity of the materials needed to perform each operation and the quantity of each material needed for the operation. Resource capacity and a start date/time and a finish date/time are assigned to each operation based upon the resource availability information, the material availability information, and the work order information. The assigned resource-capacity, the assigned start date/time, and the assigned finish date/time for each operation are displayed on a computer screen in a graphical format.

Claims

1. A method of scheduling work orders for manufacturing products, the method comprising:

(a) determining a sequence of operations to be scheduled in a first work order, the sequence starting with a first operation;

(b) selecting a date/time to begin scheduling the first operation in the sequence of operations;

(c) determining a start date/time at which both the resources and the materials required for the first operation are concurrently available;

(d) assigning resources, the start date/time, and a finish date/time for the first operation; and

(e) repeating steps (b), (c), and (d) for the next operation in the sequence of operations.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

prioritizing a plurality of work orders to create a sequence of work orders to be scheduled; and

repeating steps (a), (b), (c), (d), and (e) for the next work order in the sequence of work orders.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of work orders are prioritized by entry.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of work orders are prioritized by want dates.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of work orders are prioritized by want dates and designated priorities.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of work orders are prioritized by designated priorities.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the date/time in step (b) is a finish date/time for the first operation;

and

wherein step (c) further comprises selecting a start date/time for the first operation based on availability of the resources required for the first operation; and

checking that the materials required for the first operation are available at the start date/time.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein, in step (b), the finish date/time of the first operation is a want date of the first work order.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein, in step (e), the finish date/time of the next operation in the sequence of operations is the start date/time that was last assigned.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein step (c) comprises searching for a first interval in which the resources required for the first operation are continuously available for a run time.

11. The method of claim 7, the method further comprising skipping step (e) if step (d) assigns a start date/time prior to a date of scheduling;

and

(f) erasing the resources, the start date/time, and the finish date/time that were last assigned.

12. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising;

(g) reporting a scheduling problem.

13. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising:

(g) determining a revised sequence of operations to be scheduled, the revised sequence starting with a first challenge operation;

(h) selecting a start date/time for the first challenge operation in the revised sequence of operations based on availability of the materials required for the first challenge operation;

(i) assigning resources, a start date/time, and a finish date/time for the first challenge operation based on a determination that the resources required for the first challenge operation are available before the finish date/time; and

(j) repeating steps (g), (h), and (i) for the next challenge operation in the revised sequence of operations.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the date/time in step (b) is a start date/time for the first operation and wherein the selection is based on availability of the materials required for the first operation;

and

wherein step (c) comprises checking that the resources required for the first operation are available at the start date/time.

15. The method of claim 14, the method further comprising:

identifying a non-determinative operation.

16. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising:

erasing the resources, the start date/time, and the finish date/time that were assigned to the non-determinative operation;

selecting a finish date/time for the non-determinative operation;

determining a start date/time for the non-determinative operation based on availability of the resources required for the non-determinative operation; and

assigning resources, a start date/time, and a finish date/time for the non-determinative operation based on a determination that the materials required for the non-determinative operation are available at the start date/time.

17. An apparatus for scheduling work orders for manufacturing products, the apparatus comprising:

a sequencing module, the sequencing module determining a sequence of operations to be scheduled in a first work order, the sequence starting with a first operation;

an assignment module in signal communication with the sequencing module, the assignment module assigning resources, a start date/time, and a finish date/time for the first operation based on a determination that both the resources and the materials required for the first operation are concurrently available at the start date/time; and

a first repeater in signal communication with the sequencing module and the assignment module, the first repeater sending a next operation in the sequence of operations to the assignment module for processing.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, the apparatus further comprising:

a prioritizing module in signal communication with the sequencing module, the prioritizing module prioritizing a plurality of work orders to create a sequence of work orders to be scheduled; and

a second repeater in signal communication with the prioritizing module and the sequencing module, the second repeater sending a next work order in the sequence of work orders to the sequencing module for processing.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the prioritizing module prioritizes the plurality of work orders by entry.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the prioritizing module prioritizes the plurality of work orders by want dates.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the prioritizing module prioritizes the plurality of work orders by want dates and designated priorities.

22. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the prioritizing module prioritizes the plurality of work orders by designated priorities.

23. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the assignment module selects a finish date/time for a first operation in the sequence of operations, determines a start date/time for the first operation based on availability of the resources required for the first operation, and assigns resources, a start date/time, and a finish date/time for the first operation based on a determination that the materials required for the first operation are available at the start date/time.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the assignment module selects a want date of the first work order as the finish date/time for the first operation.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the assignment module selects the last start date/time that was assigned as the finish date/time for the next operation in the sequence of operations that is sent by the first repeater.

26. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the assignment module determines a start date/time by searching for a first interval in which the resources required for the first operation are continuously available for a run time.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, the apparatus further comprising an erasing module, the erasing module erasing the resources, the start date/time, and the finish date/time that were last assigned by the assignment module if the assignment module assigns a start date/time prior to a date of scheduling.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the erasing module reports a scheduling problem after erasing the resources, the start date/time, and the finish date/time.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, the apparatus further comprising:

a second sequencing module in signal communication with the erasing module, the second sequencing module determining a revised sequence of operations to be scheduled, the revised sequence starting with a first challenge operation;

a second assignment module in signal communication with the second sequencing module, the second assignment module selecting a start date/time for the first challenge operation in the revised sequence of operations based on availability of the materials required for the first challenge operation, and assigning resources, a start date/time, and a finish date/time for the first challenge operation based on a determination that the resources required for the first challenge operation are available before the finish date/time;

a second repeater in signal communication with the second sequencing module and the second assignment module, the second repeater sending a next challenge operation in the revised sequence of operations to the second assignment module for processing.

30. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the assignment module selects a start date/time for a first operation in the sequence of operations based on availability of the materials required for the first operation, and assigns resources, a start date/time, and a finish date/time for the first operation based on a determination that the resources required for the first operation are available before the finish date/time.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, the apparatus further comprising:

an operation identification module in signal communication with the first repeater, the operation identification module identifying a non-determinative operation.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, the apparatus further comprising:

a re-assignment module in signal communication with the operation identification module, the reassignment module erasing the resources, the start date/time, and the finish date/time that were assigned to the non-determinative operation by the assignment module, selecting a finish date/time for the non-determinative operation, determining a start date/time for the non-determinative operation based on availability of the resources required for the non-determinative operation, and assigning resources, a start date/time, and a finish date/time for the non-determinative operation based on a determination that the proper materials are available at the start date/time.