Systems and methods of adjusting the order of product manufacturing and rescheduling release dates

• US 8,452,637 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2010
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Degbotse, Alfred T., Milne, Robert J., Smith, Stuart H., Ward, Jacqueline N.
• Primary Examiner(s): DIXON, THOMAS A
• Application Number:
  US12/796,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20110307087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.29
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32256 Due dates, pieces must be ready, priority of dates, deadline
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Techniques are presented for rescheduling manufacturing releases. A plurality of release information elements are identified based on a first run of a first advanced planning system. The release information elements comprise dates of planned manufacturing release and quantity. The plurality of release information elements are sorted based on associated demand-likelihood factors and a plurality of sorting criteria. Swapping candidates are selected and swaps are performed based on the demand-likelihood factors and at least one swapping constraint. The plurality of release information elements are then fixed and output as results. A second run of an advanced planning system is optionally performed before output and may include stability features.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

using a computer, identifying a plurality of manufacturing release information elements based on a first run of a first advanced planning system, said manufacturing release information elements comprising dates of planned manufacturing release and quantity;

using said computer, sorting said plurality of manufacturing release information elements based on demand-likelihood factors associated with assets used in manufacturing and a plurality of sorting criteria;

using said computer, swapping said plurality of manufacturing release information elements based on said demand-likelihood factors and at least one swapping constraint, said swapping comprising;

identifying swap candidates from bottom bills of materials which do not support daily-going-rates;

determining earliness of candidate releases;

sorting releases based on earliest releases, least demand likelihood factors, and largest number of days early;

assigning a next swapping candidate;

finding a later swapping candidate associated with a higher value of said demand likelihood factors and that satisfies said swapping criteria; and

swapping said next swapping candidate and said later swapping candidate;

using said computer, fixing said plurality of manufacturing release information elements; and

using said computer, outputting said plurality of manufacturing release information elements that have been fixed as results.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using said computer, performing a second advanced planning system run on said plurality of manufacturing release information elements that have been fixed before said outputting.

3. The method of claim 1, said first run of said first advanced planning system executing without stability.

4. The method of claim 1, said advanced planning system being based on at least one of:

linear programming and heuristic method.

5. The method of claim 1, said plurality of manufacturing release information elements being associated with demands traced through a bills of materials supply chain to underlying assets.

6. The method of claim 5, a weighted average being used when said underlying assets support multiple demands.

7. The method of claim 6, said underlying assets being split when non-lotsized underlying assets support multiple demand likelihood factors non-concurrently.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in the event that said swapping of said next swapping candidate and said later swapping candidate is a partial swap, continue finding later swapping candidates associated with a higher value of said demand likelihood factors that satisfies said swapping criteria for candidates remaining after said partial swap.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

using a computer, identifying a plurality of manufacturing release information elements based on a first run of a first advanced planning system, said manufacturing release information elements comprising dates of planned manufacturing release and quantity;

using said computer, sorting said plurality of manufacturing release information elements based on demand-likelihood factors associated with assets used in manufacturing and a plurality of sorting criteria;

using said computer, swapping said plurality of manufacturing release information elements based on said demand-likelihood factors and at least one swapping constraint, said swapping comprising;

finding capacity consumption rates of each X, where X is a candidate manufacturing release in a list of manufacturing release information elements that have been sorted;

identifying a best candidate for swapping with X based on selection of a swap candidate which supports a highest demand-likelihood-factor of candidates meeting the following criteria;

as a tie breaker, allowing X to be delayed;

as a secondary tie-breaker, allowing a quantity of X to be delayed and which meets all of the following criteria;

said swap candidate has a higher demand-likelihood-factor than X,

said swap candidate has a planned manufacturing release date which is later than X,

said swap candidate has a planned manufacturing release date which is no earlier than the latest date that X may be released without delaying its consumption from inventory,

said swap candidate consumes capacity such that if said swap candidate is swapped with X said swap candidate and X will have capacity available in their respective swapped time periods to support their release at that time, and

said swap candidate will not cause a failure to satisfy any minimum-starts constraints if X and said swap candidate are swapped, and

swapping release date of said swap candidate and X, for a quantity of X;

using said computer, fixing said plurality of manufacturing release information elements; and

using said computer, outputting said plurality of manufacturing release information elements that have been fixed as results.

10. An apparatus for rescheduling manufacturing releases comprising:

a memory storing output of advanced planning systems;

a processor that identifies a plurality of release information elements from a first run of a first advanced planning system stored in said memory, said release information elements comprising dates of planned manufacturing release and quantity, said processor;

sorting said plurality of release information elements based on demand-likelihood factors associated with assets used in manufacturing and a plurality of sorting criteria;

swapping said plurality of release information elements based on said demand-likelihood factors and at least one swapping constraint; and

fixing said plurality of release information elements; and

an output circuit, connected to said processor and said memory for outputting said plurality of release information elements that have been fixed as results,

said processor swapping candidates being based on;

identifying swap candidates from bottom bills of materials which do not support daily-going-rates;

determining earliness of candidate releases;

sorting releases based on earliest releases, least demand likelihood factors, and largest number of days early;

assigning a next swapping candidate;

finding a later swapping candidate associated with a higher value of said demand-likelihood factors and that satisfies swapping criteria; and

swapping said next swapping candidate and said later swapping candidate.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, said processor storing said plurality of release information elements that have been fixed in said memory and said first advanced planning system further transforming said plurality of release information elements that have been fixed in a second run which is received and stored by said processor as said results in said memory before said outputting.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, said first advanced planning system being based on at least one of:

linear programming and heuristic method.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, said processor associating said plurality of release information elements with demands traced through a bills of materials supply chain to underlying assets.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, said processor using a weighted average when said underlying assets support multiple demands.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, said processor splitting said underlying assets when non-lotsized underlying assets support multiple demand likelihood factors non-concurrently.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, said processor determining if said swapping of said next swapping candidate and said later swapping candidate is a partial swap;

and in the event that said swapping of said next swapping candidate and said later swapping candidate is a partial swap, said processor finding later swapping candidates associated with a higher value of said demand likelihood factors that satisfies said swapping criteria for candidates remaining after said partial swap.

17. An apparatus for rescheduling manufacturing releases comprising:

a memory storing output of advanced planning systems;

a processor that identifies a plurality of release information elements from a first run of a first advanced planning system stored in said memory, said release information elements comprising dates of planned manufacturing release and quantity, said processor;

sorting said plurality of release information elements based on demand-likelihood factors associated with assets used in manufacturing and a plurality of sorting criteria;

swapping said plurality of release information elements based on said demand-likelihood factors and at least one swapping constraint; and

fixing said plurality of release information elements; and

an output circuit, connected to said processor and said memory for outputting said plurality of release information elements that have been fixed as results,

said processor swapping of said plurality of release elements comprising;

finding capacity consumption rates of each X, where X is a candidate manufacturing release in a list of release information elements that have been sorted;

identifying a best candidate for swapping with X based on selection of a swap candidate which supports a highest demand-likelihood-factor of candidates meeting the following criteria;

as a tie breaker, allowing X to be delayed;

as a secondary tie-breaker, allowing a quantity of X to be delayed and which meets all of the following criteria;

said swap candidate has a higher demand-likelihood-factor than X,

said swap candidate has a planned manufacturing release date which is later than X,

said swap candidate has a planned manufacturing release date which is no earlier than the latest date that X may be released without delaying its consumption from inventory,

said swap candidate consumes capacity such that if said swap candidate is swapped with X said swap candidate and X will have capacity available in their respective swapped time periods to support their release at that time, and

said swap candidate will not cause a failure to satisfy any minimum-starts constraints if X and said swap candidate are swapped, and swapping release date of said swap candidate and X, for a quantity of X.