Planning and scheduling tool assistant assuring high utilization of resources

• US 8,209,205 B1
• Filed: 05/24/2004
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: P&RO Solutions Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: John W. Mcelroy
• Inventors: McElroy, John W., McElroy, Sean P., Samsel, Kirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Boswell, Beth V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Folashade
• Application Number:
  US10/851,663
• Time in Patent Office: 2,955 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.12, 717/102, 700/100
• US Class Current: 705/7.12
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/418 Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible manufacturing systems [FMS], integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] or computer integrated manufacturing [CIM]
• 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 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

Schedulers, Planners, and Maintenance Supervisors in an Industrial facility can use the user interface of the present invention to extremely quickly move work order schedules, status planning, and manage resources. Additionally, key performance indicators or metrics on performance on how well the organization is doing is also cumbersome if not impossible in the current practice in these industrial organizations. The variables of this management include worker, crew, Work Order, Dates, Planning Status, planner, dates, etc. (see tech manual and summary sheets). The invention operates by interfacing with the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) database in a thoroughly interactive process. The local program constructs a parallel database and reads and feedbacks to the CMMS database frequently to stay current and accurate.

Claims

1. A planning and scheduling system running on a computing device, the system comprising:

a user interface; and

a computing device in communication with said user interface, said computing device being programmed to implement;

work week sections;

a scheduled job section;

an unscheduled job section;

a short notice outage section;

a planned outage section; and

work orders, wherein the work orders can be moved from one work week section to another work week section, from unscheduled to scheduled, to short notice outage, to planned outage, and to backlog, by dragging and dropping the work orders using said user interface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the scheduled job section and unscheduled job section are simultaneously displayed to a user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein when work orders are dropped into a work week section, real time indication of resource loading is determined.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the resource loading is determined based on whether a work group has been over loaded overloaded with too much work.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is programmed to implement color coding, and wherein said color coding indicates the status of planning the work order.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the status includes whether the work order is complete and ready to work.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein user defined rules control the color coding.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system runs on computing device is a networked computer in communication with a database server.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a wherein said computing device is programmed to control said user interface for displaying the work week sections, scheduled job section, unscheduled job section, short notice outage, planned outage, and work orders.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system computing device is programmed to be used for scheduling and planning.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a management control for executing the work week sections.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the sections are user configurable to display data that the user requires in a manner permitting the user to accomplish planning and scheduling.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the sections are user configurable through user configurations that are made available to all other users.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the work orders can be inserted into a time disconnected work week schedule preparatory to being assigned to a fixed schedule when an opportunity occurs.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is programmed to allow users to print contents utilizing filters on the work order data.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein a display is provided for a supervisor of the work executing resources for managing the work week.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein a section is provided for the assignment of specific resources to each work order scheduled for that work week on a specific day and time.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein a section is provided to track emergent work occurring during the work week that was unknown prior to schedule lock down, and wherein the emergent work includes sponsored and emergency work.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein performance indicators and metrics are calculated and trended for interpretation of the success of the execution of the work week.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein all unavailable resource time is identified whether personnel vacation, holiday, sick, training, etc. or equipment resource unavailability.