Constraint Scheduling

This function allows you to address Assembly and Job Orders and determine Resource Requirements by taking into account any Constraints that apply to nominated Resources. Additionally this scheduling process carriers out load balancing across multiple resources, varying working patterns, efficiencies and process step overlaps.

Parameter Entry Screen

Whenever this routine is called an initial parameter entry screen is presented.

Input and Display fields

(Radio Button): You should select the required option. These are:

•	Create New Schedule - If the Constraint Schedule has never been run before then you must 'Create New Schedule'

•	Open Last Planned Schedule - If you have previously run the Schedule and are continuing with assessment of Planned results then you must use ‘Open Last Planned Schedule’

•	Open Last Firm Schedule - If you have previously run and Firmed up the Schedule and are continuing with assessment of Firmed results then you must use ‘Open Last Firm Schedule’

(Last Run Date and Time): Display only fields against 'Open Last Planned Schedule' and 'Open Last Firm Schedule' showing the Date and Time when the last run took place

Options

These Options allow you to define what is to be scheduled. The Options are:

Priority Sequencing: Three fields are available for you to define the priorities by which the Scheduling will be carried out. Priority Field 1 defines the major priority order. Within that priority you can define a lower (Priority Field 2) priority and so on with Priority 3. The available options against each Priority level are:

•	Order Sequence - The Order Number sequence

•	Required Date - The Order Required Date sequence

•	Order Date - The Order Creation Date sequence

•	Critical Ratio - The Order's Critical Ratio (I.e. is an index number computed by dividing the time remaining to the Order's due date by the work time remaining)

•	The Order Priority - The Priority Number defined against the Order

•	Order Started - If the Order has already started then this is prioritised before Orders that have not yet started

Order Classes: Two checkboxes are available for you to define which Order Classes you want included in this Scheduling run. ‘Check’ the checkbox against the required Order class from:

•	Job Orders

•	Assembly Orders

Include Status: Ostendo will always include Open and In-Progress Order statuses in the Scheduling run. You also have the option to include Orders with other statuses by ‘checking’ the appropriate checkbox. The other statuses are:

•

Planned

•

On Hold

•

Quote

Date Horizon

Horizon Type: From the drop-down list select the Scheduling Horizon Type. The Options are:

•	Required Date

•	Order Start Date

Up To - From the drop-down calendar select a date. The 'Horizon Type' date against each order will be assessed and those orders which contain a date up to this date will be extracted for scheduling.

Start Scheduling from - This is prefilled with the system date but can be amended if required from the drop-down calendar. The Scheduling run will commence the scheduling from this date

Include Firm Scheduled Orders - If this is 'checked' then Firm Scheduled Orders will be included in this run. When checked then the following date range will be used

•	From Date - From the drop-down calendar select a date. All Firm Scheduled orders that are equal to, or later than, this date will be included in the Scheduling run. If nothing is entered then all Firm Scheduled orders up to the 'To Date' will be included.

•	To Date - From the drop-down calendar select a date. All Firm Scheduled orders that are equal to, or earlier than, this date will be included in the Scheduling run. If nothing is entered then all Firm Scheduled orders from the 'From Date' will be included

Include Inventory

Include Inventory Availability: If this is 'checked' then the scheduling function will take into account the availability of Items in Inventory.

Future Supply Order Settings

Include in Shortages - ‘Check’ this checkbox if you wish to see Supply Orders in the Shortage view

Up To - All Supply Orders up to this date will be included. It is prefilled with the system date but can be amended by typing in a date or selecting it from the drop-down calendar

Restrict Options

These options allow you to restrict the Order Scheduling run to all Orders at a given Site. The entry options here are:

•	Restrict to Site - ‘Check’ this checkbox if you wish to restrict the Scheduling to all Orders linked to a specified Site

•	(Site) - From the drop-down list select the Site to be assessed

Restrict Order Sequence: ‘Check’ this checkbox if you wish to restrict the scheduling process to address a range of Order (or Product) Sequence Numbers as defined against each Assembly Order.

From - Enter the 'From' Sequence Number. The Scheduling routine will include all Assembly Orders who's Order contains a Sequence Number equal to, or greater than, this entered number

To - Enter the 'To' Sequence Number. The Scheduling routine will include all Assembly Orders who's Order contains a Sequence Number equal to, or less than, this entered number

Buttons

OK: This will commence the Constraint Scheduling routine. The first step will be to extract the orders that satisfy the parameter entry criteria. At the end of this activity the 'Scheduling Orders' screen will be presented

Cancel: Exits this panel without taking any action

Scheduling Orders

If you selected Create New Schedule' you are now presented with a screen titled ‘Scheduling Orders’ which displays all the orders that met the criteria from the previous parameter entry screen. From this screen you are able to adjust the following information that will be used in the next step to generate the schedule:

•	The ability to individually exclude an order from the run

•	The ability to adjust the remaining schedule hours per resource code (labour code). This is important if actual times/timesheets are not up to date

•	The ability to select an override resource code (I.e. manually swap to another resource) and also set the speed factor (in case the resource you’re swapping to is either faster or slower than the default resource)

Input and Display fields

List Tab

Order Style: Display only field showing the Style of the Order. The displayed options are Assembly Order or Job order

Order Status: Display only field showing the current status of this Order

Order Number: Display only field showing the Order Number

Order Description: Display only field showing the Order Description

Parent Order: Identity of the parent Order that this order is linked to. You have the option to amend this at this time. You should be aware, however, that no checks are made on this entry. This column facilitates filtering of the displayed records within this view.

Parent Description: The description of the parent Order that this order is linked to. You have the option to amend this at this time if required

Required Date: Display only field showing the Order's Required Date

Order Date: Display only field showing the Order's Order Date

Leadtime: Display only field showing the Order's Lead Time

Exclude Order: 'Check' this checkbox if you wish to exclude this Order from further scheduling

Minimum Start Date: If you wish to specify a date before which this Order must NOT be scheduled then enter the date in the drop-down calendar.

Generated Sequence: During this initial scheduling step Ostendo determines the Sequence in which the Order is scheduled. This will be used in the next step of the scheduling process. If you would like to amend this sequence then it can be adjusted in the next field.

Schedule Sequence: During this initial scheduling step Ostendo determines the Sequence in which the Order is scheduled. This is displayed in the previous field. If you would like to amend this prior to the final Scheduling step then it can be adjusted here.

Product/Order Sequence: Each Order contains a Product/Order Sequence identifier. This determines the sequence that a series of related Orders are loaded (For example: you may wish to control similar Orders that have varying Colours such that you load light colours first and progress through to dark colours). You may amend the Order Sequence here if required

Order Started: This is automatically 'checked' if the Order has already started. You have the option to amend this setting. Orders that have been started have priority of those that are yet to start if all other criteria are the same

Order Priority: This is prefilled with the Job or Assembly Order's Priority which may be amended here prior to generating the detailed Resource Constraint schedule in the next process step

The remaining fields are displayed only and are taken from the Order Header record

Order Lines Tab

This tab displays the current information about the Labour Code lines in the selected order. You may adjust the Remaining Hours against any line if your assessed remaining hours differ from the system evaluated hours. This adjusted value will be used in the next step of the Constraint Scheduling process

Buttons

Continue: Once you have made any changes to the orders and line click on the ‘Continue’ button. You will be presented with a ‘Please Wait’ dialog that stays on the screen while the main process of scheduling occurs (the time taken to schedule is very much dependant on the number of orders, number of resources, how many resources are constrained, and how far out the horizon is set). After the schedule process has completed you’ll be presented with the main Constraint Scheduling Board.

Scheduling Board

Within the Scheduling Board you’re presented with the following:

At the top of the screen are two Toolbars

•	Related Toolbar that displays related screens that can be accessed on clicking the various buttons

•	Filtering Toolbar that is primarily used when in the Graphical Schedule tab (displayed in a Gantt/Calendar style of view)

Under the 'Schedule' Tab there are two panels

•	The Main Scheduling Panel which shows the details of the Resources within the Schedule. The scheduling information can be amended as required

•

Loading / Utilisation Panel which is situated above the 'Main Scheduling' Panel provides a quick glance of the loading for the resource (or Department) selected in the Main Scheduling Panel over a 30 day (or week) period, colour coded to highlight potential capacity issues. The colour coding is defined in the ‘Loading Indicators’ screen (Requirements>Settings>Loading Indicators)

There are also 2 more tabs within this panel:

Graphical Schedule: This presents a graphical calendar/Gantt style of interface where you can drag & drop the Resource allocation records around when in resource mode. If in Order mode, you’re able to view the orders in a project style of interface displaying the total elapsed time for each step/task and the inter-dependant links between each, within that order.

Loading & Capacity: This is charting representation of the loading verses the capacity enabling grouping by: (Department, Resource, Year-Week, Year-Month)