Manufacturing Schedule Display

[fhm42]

I'm trying to find out information about manufacturing scheduling display systems.

At present, my shop floor uses an old paper print-out system to deliver schedules to the workers (our MRP system is about 20 years old). Whenever there is a change, we must completely rebuild the schedule from scratch, print it, and take it back out to each work center.

At present, I'm working on a system wherein the production scheduler can edit an excel spreadsheet, save it as a comma-separated value (.csv) file on our server, and a web-based (HTML5) page displays the pertinent information in a table on a large display board (basically, computer with a HDTV as the monitor). While this will work for awhile, I want something better; I'm thinking something that can interface with my MRP system like what some of the Toyota, Volvo and Caterpillar facilities have been doing for years. I'm not seeing anything about such displays on the web.

Does anyone have information on systems available for purchase, or of your own proprietary system you're using now?

 

[ornerynorsk]

You could google airline schduling system or FIDS. This is avery dynamic environment and I would think that the system(s) they use would be very adaptable and easy to use. Just a thought. Otherwise, can you export a simple screenshot to a large monitor on the shop floor or wherever it is needed, directly from your MRP system?

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.

 

[PSE]

If you are looking for something better, it can't hurt to contact and benchmark with companies currently doing what you want to put in place. In my experience, many are happy to help. There may be some industry specific applications that can help you get there too.

Regards,

Bruce Youngman

http://www.dynamicsolutions-mi.com

 

[fhm42]

Thanks, PSE. We're encouraged to look at what our customers and vendors are doing vis-a-vis process engineering (and ask for help if they're willing), but no one thought to do that on this subject.

Box-->Outside.

Ornerynorsk: I looked at FIDS programs, but deployment is ridiculously over complicated. Good idea, tho.

 

[ShopPlanner]

Fhm42,

You said, "Whenever there is a change, we must completely rebuild the schedule from scratch." I am just curious to know how much effort and time are involved in rescheduling.

If you want a good software tool for just electronic display of schedules that your software regularly generates, then you may consider seeking a software developer to develop a custom tool. Many scheduling software usually come with such display functionality.