Operations

Management
Short Term Scheduling

Lecture 9

Operation Management: Benzin Dahal 1

Strategic Importance of Short-
Term Scheduling

 Effective and efficient scheduling can

be a competitive advantage
 Faster movement of goods through a
facility means better use of assets
and lower costs
 Additional capacity resulting from
faster throughput improves customer
service through faster delivery
 Good schedules result in more
dependable deliveries
OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal 2
Scheduling Issues

 Scheduling deals with the

timing of operations
 The task is the allocation
and prioritization of
demand
 Significant issues are
 The type of scheduling,
forward or backward
 The criteria for priorities
OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal 3
Scheduling Decisions
Organizati Managers Must Schedule the
on Following Operating room use
Patient admissions
Arnold
Palmer Nursing, security,
Hospital maintenance staffs
Outpatient treatments
University
of Classrooms and audiovisual
Missouri equipment Student and
instructor schedules
Lockheed Graduate and undergraduate
Martin courses
factory
Production of
Hard Rock goods Purchases of
Cafe materials Workers
Chef, waiters,
bartenders Delivery
Delta Air of fresh foods
Lines Entertainers
Opening of
dining areas Back
Forward and Backward
Scheduling
 Forward scheduling starts as soon
as the requirements are known
(hospitals, fine dining)
 Produces a feasible schedule
though it may not meet due dates
 Frequently results in
buildup of work-in-
process inventory
Now Due

Dat
5
OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal e
Forward and Backward
Scheduling
 Backward scheduling begins with the
due date and schedules the final
operation first (Catering a banquet,
scheduling surgery)
 Schedule is produced by working
backwards though the processes
 Resources may not be available to
accomplish the schedule
Now Due

Dat
OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal
e 6
Forward and Backward
Scheduling
 Backward scheduling begins with
the due date and schedules the
final operation first
he s are
 Schedule eisapproduced proac rade-oby ff working
n th es lo p at d
backwards
Oft e
d to dethough
v e
ch e duthe
le an processes
o m bine as ib le s tes
 c
Resources en a fe may d
a
unot be available to
e d
et we e r
b c u stom
accomplish the schedule

Now Due

Dat
OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal
e 7
Different Processes/
Different Approaches

Forward-looking
Process-focused
schedules MRP due
facilities
dates
Finite capacity scheduling
Work cells
Forward-looking
schedules MRP due
dates
Detailed schedule done
Repetitive facilities using work cell
priority rules (kanban)
Forward-looking schedule with
a balanced line
Product-focused Pull techniques for scheduling
facilities (JIT+kanban)

Forward-looking schedule with

stable demand and fixed capacity
Capacity, set-up, and run times
known
Scheduling Criteria

1. Minimize completion time

2. Maximize utilization of facilities
3. Minimize work-in-process (WIP)
inventory
4. Minimize customer waiting time

Optimize the use of resources so that

production objectives are met

OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal 9

Scheduling Process-
Focused Facilities
1. Schedule incoming orders without
violating capacity constraints
2. Check availability of tools and materials
before releasing an order
3. Establish due dates for each job and
check progress
4. Check work in progress
5. Provide feedback
6. Provide work efficiency statistics and
monitor times
OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal 10
Planning and Control
Files
Planning Files

1. An item master file contains information

about each component
2. A routing file indicates each component’s
flow through the shop
3. A work-center master file contains
information about the work center

Control Files
Track the actual progress made against
the plan
OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal 11
Loading Jobs
 Assign jobs so that costs, idle time, or
completion time are minimized
 Two forms of loading
 Capacity oriented
 Assigning specific jobs to work
centers

OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal 12

Input-Output Control
 Identifies overloading and
underloading conditions
 Prompts managerial action to
resolve scheduling problems
 Can be maintained using ConWIP
cards that control the scheduling of
batches

OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal 13

Input-Output Control

Options available to operations

personnel include:

1. Correcting performances
2. Increasing capacity
3. Increasing or reducing input to
the work center

OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal 14

Gantt Charts
 Load chart shows the loading and
idle times of departments,
machines, or facilities
 Displays relative workloads
over time
 Schedule chart monitors jobs
in process
 All Gantt charts need to be
updated frequently to account for
OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal 15
Gantt Load Chart Example

Work Da Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Center y

Metalworks Job 349 Job

350
Mechanical Job Job 408
349
Electronics Job 408 Job 349

Painting Job Job 408 Job 349

295

Processing Unscheduled Center not

available
Gantt Schedule Chart Example

OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal 17

Sequencing Jobs

 Specifies the order in which jobs should

be performed at work centers
 Priority rules are used to dispatch or
sequence jobs
 FCFS: First come, first served
 SPT: Shortest processing time
 EDD: Earliest due date
 LPT: Longest processing time

OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal 18

Comparison of
Sequencing Rules
 No one sequencing rule excels on all
criteria
 SPT does well on minimizing flow time
and number of jobs in the system
 But SPT moves long jobs
to the end which may
result in dissatisfied
customers
 FCFS does not do especially
well (or poorly) on any
criteria but is perceived as
fair by customers
 EDD
OM Session minimizes lateness
9: Benzin Dahal 19
Finite Capacity
Scheduling
 Overcomes disadvantages of rule-based
systems by providing an interactive,
computer-based graphical system
 May include rules and expert systems or
simulation to allow real-time response to
system changes
 Initial data often from an MRP system
 FCS allows the balancing of delivery
needs and efficiency

OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal 20

Finite Capacity
Scheduling
Interactive Finite Capacity
MRP Data • Routing files
Scheduling
• Master
• Work center
schedule
information
• BOM
• Inventor
y Tooling
Priority and other
rules resources

• Expert
systems Setups and
run time
• Simulation
models
Theory of Constraints

 Throughput is the number of units

processed through the facility and sold
 TOC deals with the limits an organization
faces in achieving its goals
1. Identify the constraints
2. Develop a plan for overcoming the constraints
3. Focus resources on accomplishing the plan
4. Reduce the effects of constraints by off-
loading work or increasing capacity
5. Once successful, return to step 1 and identify new
constraints
OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal 22
Bottlenecks
 Bottleneck work centers are
constraints that limit output
 Common occurrence due to frequent changes

 Management techniques include:

 Increasing the capacity of the constraint
 Cross-trained employees and maintenance
 Alternative routings, procedures, or
subcontractors
 Moving inspection and test
 Scheduling throughput to match bottleneck
capacity
OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal 23
Drum, Buffer, Rope
 The drum is the beat of the system
and provides the schedule or pace
of production
 The buffer is the inventory
necessary to keep constraints
operating at capacity
 The rope provides the
synchronization necessary to pull
units through the system

OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal 24

Scheduling Repetitive
Facilities
 Level material use (Use of frequent, high-
quality, small lot sizes that contribute to
JIT) can help repetitive facilities
 Better satisfy customer demand
 Lower inventory
investment
 Reduce batch size
 Better utilize equipment and
facilities
OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal 25
Scheduling Repetitive
Facilities
 Advantages include:
1. Lower inventory levels
2. Faster product throughput
3. Improved component quality
4. Reduced floor-space
requirements
5. Improved communications
6. Smoother production process
OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal 26
Scheduling Services
Service systems differ from
manufacturing
Manufacturing Services
Schedules Schedule staff
machines and materials
Seldom maintain
Inventories
inventories
used to smooth
demand Labor-intensive and demand
may be variable
Machine-intensive
and demand may be smooth Legal issues may constrain
flexible scheduling
Scheduling may be
bound by union contracts Social and behavioral
issues may be quite
Few social or important
27
behavioral issues
OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal
Scheduling Services
 Hospitals have complex scheduling
system to handle complex processes
and material requirements
 Banks use a cross-trained and flexible
workforce and part-time workers
 Retail stores use scheduling optimization
systems that track sales, transactions,
and customer traffic to create work
schedules in less time and with improved
customer satisfaction

OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal 28

Scheduling Services

 Airlines must meet complex FAA and

union regulations and often use linear
programming to develop optimal
schedules
 24/7 operations like police/fire
departments, emergency hot lines, and
mail order businesses use flexible workers
and variable schedules, often created
using computerized systems

OM Session 9: Benzin Dahal 29