Project goals
- To automatize production schedule with possibility apply manual changes, re-scheduling and creating different scenarios.
- To automatize scheduling process.
- To apply solution for easy access and use by employees.
Why Columbus?
- Columbus Lithuania has experience to implementation Siemens Opcenter APS (previously known as Preactor) solution and working with it, forasmuch are the only official Partner of Siemens Opcenter APS in Baltics states.
- Employees of Columbus are highly competent in Opcenter APS solution and have plenty experience of consulting and implementing solution to international customers.
Description of the solution
Siemens Opcenter APS solution was implemented as a stand-alone tool to provide Company with powerful production scheduling capabilities. For easier and convenient data management, data import procedures were implemented allowing Customer use Excel files for data import. Production schedule in Opcenter APS is updated with production status from shop-floor in order to have real-life schedule view. Additional reports in SQL Reporting Server was created to make scheduling data accessible and useful for various related departments.
The core functionality includes:
- Interactive Gantt Chart scheduling board provides visibility to overall production schedule and also lets easily have details for every particular production order;
- Possibility to schedule production orders by using customized scheduling rules or schedule project by project manually backward or forward direction;
- Links between related production orders ensures that finished product can be started only after related sub-products are produced;
- Scheduling based on resource and material constraints ensure that production can be started when there are available materials and resource capacities;
- Possibility to have several schedules with “what-if“ scenarios.
Results of the project
- Initial project results were delivered within agreed period.
- Created solution covers Customers main needs and allows to automatize production schedule creation while keeping possibility to easily apply manual changes, re-scheduling and creating different scenarios.
- Created solution allows Customer to automatize scheduling process thus saving time from manual schedule generation in Excel.
- Generated production schedule and changes are easily accessible to related people via browser reports and can be instantly viewed by responsible persons.
- Created solution allows Customer to expand it in the future by adding data flows from/to ERP system.
Efficiency estimation after Preactos AS Professional implementation:
Mati Peekma, CFO feedback
To achieve half automated more exact and more detailed manufacturing schedule for custom engineered to orders case goods. To detect in-time production overloading and bottlenecks. To achieve timely deliveries.
We prepare and issue every Friday morning for the following week daily manufacturing schedules and in parallel is presented a long-term schedule for capacity evaluation to make timely decisions on outsourcing.
We have a tight cooperation with Columbus Lithuania.
We fully recommend Opcenter APS as planning tool for manufacturing schedules and long-term planning. And we fully recommend Columbus Lithuania company as implementor.