1st Edition

Production Scheduling for the Process Industries Strategies, Systems, and Culture

By Peter L. King, Mac Jacob, Noel Peberdy Copyright 2023
310 Pages 85 Color Illustrations
by Productivity Press

310 Pages 85 Color Illustrations
by Productivity Press

310 Pages 85 Color Illustrations
by Productivity Press

This book is aimed at manufacturing and planning managers who struggle to bring a greater degree of stability and more effective use of assets to their operations, not realizing the degree to which production scheduling affects those objectives. It has been reported that 75% of the problems on the manufacturing floor are caused by activities outside the plant floor. Poor production scheduling... Read more

SECTION 1 – Introduction

Chapter 1  Business Imperatives – Why Scheduling Matters

The Scheduler’s World has been turned upside down

The Challenge of Scheduling

Scheduling is even more Important

Scheduling is a Foundation of Manufacturing Performance

Why Now?

Chapter 2  Characteristics of Process Operations - and Scheduling Challenges 

Changeover Difficulty 

Starting Up After A Changeover

Sanitation Cycles

Shelf Life Constraints

Multi-Step Manufacturing

Balancing Limited Resources

Divergence Vs Convergence

Product Differentiation Points

Limited Extra Capacity

Summary

Chapter 3 Overview of Production Strategies

Chapter 4 Scheduling Processes and Software

Production Planning

Scheduling

Supporting Processes

Scheduling Software

Goal Seeking Algorithms

Repetitive Scheduling

The Scheduling Process

Software Selection

 

Chapter 5 Example Process

The Process

Scheduling Information Flow – Communication Between Systems

The Products

Product Differentiating Characteristics

Cultural Challenges

 

SECTION 2 – Scheduling Strategies

Chapter 6 Repetitive Scheduling Strategies

Product Wheels

Product Wheel Design

Synergy with Lean

Benefits of Product Wheels

Repetitive flexible Supply (RfS)

Rhythm Wheels

Fixed Sequence Variable Volume (FSVV)

Summary

Chapter 7 Dealing With Disruption

The Nature Of Disruption

Ability To Deal With Disruption

An Example - The Story Of P&G Luvs Diapers

SECTION 3 – Scheduling Processes, Systems, Software

Chapter 8 The role of Forecasting

Forecast value add

Bias and Accuracy

Coefficient of Variation

Different Forecast Goals

Choice of Demand Forecasting Unit

Product Transitions

Product Segmentation and Forecasting

Summary

 

Chapter 9 The Role of Inventory

Components of Inventory

Managing Inventories

An Inventory Management Example

Cycle Stock and Safety Stock

Calculating Safety Stock

Variability in Demand

Seasonality

Variability in Lead Time

Combined Variability

Cycle Service and Fill Rate

Safety Stock and Lot Size Impact

Summary

Chapter 10 Typical Scheduling Process Steps

The Planning and Scheduling Process

Exception Management

Preparing to Plan

Creating the Production Plan

Creating the Detailed Schedule

Communicating the Plan

Preparing for Tomorrow

The Detailed Scheduling Process

Scheduling the Constraint

KPI Based Algorithms and Solvers

Resources

Evaluating and Adjusting the Schedule

Releasing Firm or Committed Orders

Chapter 11 Multi-Level Scheduling

Product mix and Moving Bottlenecks

Types of Scheduling Problems

More than Two Levels

Batch and Lot Size Restrictions

Distribution Rules

Logical Relationships between Levels

Linking Between Activities

The Multi-Level Scheduling Process

Scheduling with Inventory Constraints Between Levels

Chapter 12 Tanks, Bins, and Flow Paths

Tank and Bin Scheduling

Tank Scheduling Example

Specific Flow Paths

Simplifying the Complex

Chapter 13 The Role of ERP in Planning and Scheduling

Assumption of Infinite Capacity

Daily Time Resolution

Assumption of Independence

ERP Scheduling Modules

Repetitive Scheduling in an ERP System

Quality Management

System of Record

Chapter 14 Excel as a Finite Scheduling Tool

Business Continuity

Critical Features of Scheduling Software

Issues with Excel

Visibility of Attributes and Sequencing

Time Offsets

Lot Sizing and Multi Level Scheduling

Summary

Chapter 15 Software Designed for Production Scheduling

Supporting Processes

Scheduling Requirements

Repetitive Scheduling Requirements

Multi-Level Requirements

Software Selection

Chapter 16 Critical Ingredients, Raw Materials, and Components

Availability Checking

Critical Materials

Firm Zone Strategy

Strategy Examples

Summary

Chapter 17 Scheduling Software - Security and Privacy

Security

Privacy

SECTION 4 – Prerequisites to Good Scheduling

 

Chapter 18 The Role of the Plant Leader

Future-proof the Plant

Dealing with Disruption

Collaboration

Physical Triage Meetings

Implementing a virtual team in the plant

What is needed of the plant leader?

Reinforcing Repetitive Patterns of Production

Conclusions

Chapter 19
Scheduling Readiness Criteria

Readiness and Sustainability

Project Management Prerequisites

Project Roles

Readiness Examples

Chapter 20 Accessible, Accurate, and Complete Data

Master Data and Transaction Data 

Examples of Data Accuracy and Timeliness Problems 

Data Audits or Checking Practices 

Documenting the Process 

Checking Data against a Standard 

Chapter 21 Effective Production and Capacity Planning

The Importance of Planning 

Resolving Overloads 

Automated Planning 

Planning Example 

Characteristics of a Good Production Plan 

Managing Inventory to Targets and Constraints 

Summary

Chapter 22 Workforce Engagement

Selling The Idea

Designing The New Process

Executing The New Process

Chapter 23
Changeover Reduction – SMED

SMED And Its Origins

SMED Concepts

Process Industry Changeovers

Automotive Fluids Packaging

Diaper Manufacturing

SMED Beyond Product Changes

A Non-Manufacturing Example

SMED Applied To Blue Lakes Packaging

Summary

Chapter 24 Production Stability

Total Productive Maintenance

TPM Relevance In Process Industries

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (Oee)

Non-Standard Oee Metrics

Summary

Chapter 25 Cellular Manufacturing

Typical Process Plant Equipment Configurations

Cellular Manufacturing Applied To Process Lines

Synthetic Sheet Manufacturing Example

Virtual Cell Implementation In A Synthetic Rubber Production Facility

Would Cellular Flow Apply To The Salad Dressing Operation?

Group Technology

Summary

Chapter 26
Managing Bottlenecks and Constraints

Poor Scheduling Can Cause Bottlenecks

Moving Bottlenecks

Scheduling Moving Bottlenecks

Summary

SECTION 5 – Getting to Success

Chapter 27 Leading Scheduling Improvements to Drive Value: Five Steps for Leaders

Laying the foundations for effective scheduling

Five Steps to Value for Leaders

Step 1: Layout the Improvement Goals and Plan

STEP 2: Work on the Culture

Step : Improve scheduling

Step 4: Take stock

Step 5: Sustaining the Gains

 

 

Chapter 28
Where to Begin - A Roadmap to Project Success

Initial Preparation

Scheduling System Design

Strategy Design

Final Preparation

Sustaining

Summary

Chapter 29
Critical Success Factors

Scheduling Strategy Critical Success Factors

Scheduling System Critical Success Factors

Cultural And Behavioral Critical Success Factors

Chapter 30
Success Stories – Examples Of Scheduling Best Practices

Dean Bordner – Nature’s Bounty

Mike Evans - Bellisio Foods

James Overheul –Bg Products

Ryan Scherer – Appvion

David Kaissling  - Shearer’s Snacks

Raymond Floyd – Exxon Mobil

Ethylene Co-Polymers – Sabine, Tx

Martin Fernandes - Dow Chemical

Dave Stauffer - Advanced Food Products

Biography

Peter L. King, Mac Jacob, Noel Peberdy

Don’t underestimate the revolutionary nature of the concepts described and recommended in this book. This should be required reading for leaders in operations roles. Had more of our manufacturing organizations been built on this structured scheduling methodology, I believe our [Covid] response would’ve been stronger, quicker, and far less painful to our manufacturing teams, sales teams, customers, and consumers.

-- Dave Rich, VP, Strategic Sourcing & Fulfillment, Litehouse Foods

  

Effective production scheduling is a critical tool to optimize product-to-product transitions and one of the most critical factors to achieve truly effective use of your production resources. Peter King made a significant contribution to understanding and improving production scheduling in his first book. I have personally used his concepts with great benefit. Peter, Mac, and Noel have continued that work in this fine new book that will surely be of great value to process operators.

-- Raymond Floyd, SVP Suncor Energy (Retired) Current member of Manufacturing Hall of Fame, The Shingo Academy and the Baldrige Award Board of Overseers

 

By implementing planning wheels we were able to move from fill rates of ~75% to over 99% reliably in a 3- month timeframe. The approach to working with people on the floor captured in this book is key to managing the change needed to stabilize manufacturing. Having a predictable cycle of changeovers is huge to improve performance and improve morale on the factory floor.

--David Kaissling, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Shearer’s Snacks; and head of supply chain for several fortune 500 companies.

 

… a comprehensive resource on the "how" and "why" of production scheduling and how it enables improved manufacturing performance and business success.

-- Dave Rurak, Executive VP, Integrated Operations and Supply Chain, W. L. Gore & Associates

 

In my 35+ years in supply chain, it is rare to come across such an esteemed and knowledgeable group of practitioners in the area of production scheduling. This book is an outstanding reference and step by step guide on how to plan and schedule any repetitive manufacturing operation.  … a "must-read."

-- Paul Baris, VP Planning Strategy, enVista

 

The concept in this book along with the Phenix planning tools allowed us to move very complex scheduling rules from head knowledge into a cloud-based system. It has improved our speed of scheduling and the consistency of scheduling to our established rules.  

-- Dave Stauffer, Director of Supply Chain, Advanced Food Products

 

This book is a wonderful overview of the benefits of Product Wheels including all the pressure testing our wheels have had in the most disruptive of environments. An international pandemic, labor compression, and record inflation have really made plant scheduling even more challenging than it has ever been. Product Wheels have been the backbone of which to "grab on to" for these difficult environments.

-- Mike Evans, Senior VP Operations, Bellisio Foods

 

Production scheduling has long been a massively neglected part of the equation for maximizing customer service and shop floor performance, while minimizing cost and capital. [This] is an exceptional read on the value, mechanisms and alternatives to optimize shop floor performance. Kudos! to King, Jacob and Peberdy for providing such a comprehensive and unbiased handbook to practitioners and leaders everywhere!

-- Mike Wittman, Formerly Chief Supply Chain Officer, Pinnacle Foods, now Senior Advisor, Boston Consulting Group