Operations Scheduling and Workplace Planning

Introduction

Scheduling and workplace planning is the final step in operation planning and design. Operation’s scheduling and workplace planning is implemented during transformation of input to output. Scheduling deals with production of required quantity of product within the required time frame. Workplace planning deals with allocation of resources with priority to work job with first delivery date.

Operations Planning

Scheduling deals with both time allocations as well resource allocation for production of required quantity. Operations’ planning is done as part of short term planning.

High level objective of operation’s planning is to decide the best way of allocation of labor and equipment as to find balance between time and use of limited resources within the organization.

In modern age of competition and global market importance is given to Just In Time and the lean production concepts. This has led to importance of operation’s scheduling. There are three important task performed by operations scheduling:

• Allocation of resources
• Workforce scheduling
• Production equipment scheduling

Operations’ planning ensures that proper workflow is established by ensuring allocation of job on appropriate machines before the advent of production activities. Scheduling is production timetable highlighting sequence of job, timing and quantity for allocation of resources as to help an organization in cash flow planning. Therefore, there are three main objectives of production scheduling:

• Due importance to delivery date and avoiding delays in completion
• Reducing time of job on machines
• Proper utilization of work centers

Operation scheduling is arrived at base on the following principles.

• Ensure continuous job schedule
• End to end completion of job
• Remove the bottleneck
• Ensure feedback as to make adjustment
• Skill set of workforce
• Enhancement of product and process
• Scheduling helps in capacity planning as to reduce bottlenecks.
• Scheduling helps in streamlining order production based on due date.
• Scheduling helps in sequencing of various job works.

Scheduling is done with two approaches, and they are as follows:

• Forward scheduling is type of scheduling where the planner considers order received date as the starting point for forward planning of all the activities.
• Backward scheduling is type of scheduling where the planner considers the order delivery date as the starting point and does backward planning of all activities.

Workplace Planning

Workplace planning ensures optimum productivity by ensuring proper utilization of limited resources and priorities’ job order at different work centers. Workforce control ensures that maximum output is achieved from machines, raw material and workforce. All production-related information is recorded as to establish input-output control as to achieve overall efficiency and optimum utilization of raw materials.

The main objectives of workforce planning and control are as follows:

• Priorities various job orders
• Record data related to process quantities
• Providing status of workplace orders to control panel
• Record output data to monitor capacity control
• Provide measurement of efficiency and productivity

Therefore operations scheduling and workplace planning play an pivotal role in success of an organization.

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