Practical Production Control: A Survival Guide for Planners and Schedulers / Edition 1

by Kenneth McKay, Vincent Wiers

Overview

While other books describe production control from an idealistic perspective, this book explains the real work of successful production control. The reader will learn: how the scheduling task can be decomposed and organized; how the production control department can be structured; how to hire and train schedulers; and how software tools can be used to augment the scheduler's skill. Suggestions for setting reasonable expectations for their use and a how to avoid implementation problems are provided. Readers will discover what production control involves beyond MRP-II, Gantt Charts, and other mechanical tools. Numerous assessment tools are also provided and much more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781932159301
Publisher:	Ross, J. Publishing, Incorporated
Publication date:	08/01/2004
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Kenneth N. McKay is a professor in the Department of Management Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo. He holds an MSc and PhD in management science from Waterloo and has conducted interdisciplinary research on the scheduling problem in real factories since the mid 1980s. Professor McKay has also been involved in the development of commercial software tools for planning and scheduling since 1986. Vincent C. S. Wiers holds a MSc. and a PhD. in Industrial Engineering and Management Science from the Eindhoven University of Technology. After years of working as a supply chain management consultant specializing in implementing Advanced Planning and Scheduling systems, he started his own consultanting company in 2003.

Table of Contents

	Foreword	ix
	Preface	xi
	About the Authors	xiii
	Acknowledgments	xv
	About APICS	xvii
	Web Added Value	xviii
Chapter 1	Introduction and Reality Check	1
	The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly	1
	Contact Us1	3
	Mathematics and Software Goodies	3
	A Day in the Life of Jake	4
	Scheduling Hardness	8
	Putting Scheduling and Planning in Perspective	9
	Summary	11
Chapter 2	Production Control Concepts and Associated Systems	13
	Introduction	14
	Concepts	14
	Information Systems	18
	Job Shops and Flow Shops	20
	Gantt and Gantt Charts	21
	Summary	24
Chapter 3	Objectives and Roles	27
	Introduction	27
	Historic Perspective	28
	Production Control in Practice	29
	Realistic Production Control	35
	Planning, Scheduling, and Dispatching	36
	Intra- and Interplant	37
	Performance Measurement	39
	Production Control Supervision	41
	Minimal Production Control	44
	Summary	45
Chapter 4	The Functions of Production Control	47
	Introduction	47
	The Functions That Are Done	48
	Information Processor	51
	Special Event Coordinator	52
	Arbitrator, Moderator, and Booster	52
	Miracle Worker	54
	Summary	54
Chapter 5	The Tasks of Production Control	57
	Introduction	57
	The Seven Tasks	58
	Situation Assessment	60
	Crisis Identification	61
	Immediate Resequencing and Task Reallocation	62
	Complete Scenario Update	64
	Future Problem Identification	65
	Constraint Relaxation and Future Problem Resolution	67
	Scheduling by Rote	69
	Changes to Tasks	70
	Summary	71
Chapter 6	The Hiring and Training of Schedulers and Planners	73
	Introduction	73
	Knowledge	74
	Skills and Attributes	75
	Hiring	77
	Evaluation and Probationary Periods	80
	Training	82
	Performance Evaluation	85
	Reductions: Retiring, Firing, Downsizing	87
	Summary	88
Chapter 7	Information Used in Production Control	89
	Introduction	89
	Official Information	90
	Environmental Information	94
	Summary	96
Chapter 8	MRP and Capacity Analysis	97
	Introduction	97
	Infinite Capacity Loading	97
	Finite Capacity Loading	100
	Summary	102
Chapter 9	Advanced Planning and Scheduling Systems	103
	Introduction	103
	APS Concepts	104
	Organizational Coverage: Suites and Modules	107
	The Vendors	108
	In the Beginning	109
	APS Buzz: The Scheduling Engine	110
	Supply Chain Management	113
	Implementing APS for SCM	115
	Summary	116
Chapter 10	Acquiring a Planning and Scheduling Tool	119
	Introduction	119
	The Basic Requirements	120
	Understanding Variability	123
	Pulling the Requirements Together	127
	Turnkey, Off-the-Shelf Solutions	135
	Vendor Characteristics	139
	Rolling It Out	140
	Custom Systems	141
	Estimating Implementation Duration	143
	Role of the Information Technology Department	143
	Making Sense of Software Projects	145
	Summary	146
Chapter 11	Determining Tool Success	147
	Introduction	147
	Classes of Success	151
	Class A and B Interaction	157
	Towards A-1	158
	Summary	160
Chapter 12	Scheduling Tool Failures	163
	Introduction	163
	Pointing Fingers	164
	Technical Reasons for Failure	167
	Nontechnical Problems	168
	Supply Chain Management Projects	171
	Summary	173
Chapter 13	Excel and Visual Basic Tools	175
	Introduction	175
	Nontrivial Spreadsheet Tools	177
	Rationale for Spreadsheets	179
	Type Four: Prototypes	181
	Type Five: Production Tools	182
	Type Five: Development Approach	182
	Summary	185
Chapter 14	Consultants	187
	Introduction	187
	Large Firms	188
	Strategic Consultancies	189
	Small Firms	189
	The Consultant	190
	Summary	191
Chapter 15	Uncertainty in Production Control	193
	Introduction	193
	The Stuff That Hurts	194
	Why Worry?	195
	The Predictable and Unpredictable	196
	Taking Control	199
	Summary	202
Chapter 16	Managing Bottlenecks	205
	Introduction	205
	Bottleneck Analysis	206
	Process Bottlenecks	207
	Nine Aspects of Bottleneck Management	208
	Summary	213
Chapter 17	Naughty Things Others Do	215
	Introduction	215
	Management	216
	Supporting Actors	224
	The Doers	225
	The System Itself	227
	Out-of-Control Situations	228
	Summary	229
Chapter 18	Self-Inflicted Wounds	231
	Introduction	231
	Sinning	232
	Summary	240
Chapter 19	Production Control at Different Points in a Firm's Cycle	241
	Introduction	241
	Evolution	242
	Start-Up Mode	245
	Focus on Systemization	246
	Focus on Quality and Features	249
	Focus on High Volume and Variety	251
	Summary	253
Chapter 20	Finale	255
	Final Thoughts	255
	References and Suggested Reading	257
	Index	261