Javelin Scheduling

Javelin provides powerful ‘What if?’ scheduling capabilities. The same work load can be run using different scenarios and manufacturing rules and the results compared either graphically or in tabular form. Based on users’ definition of their own manufacturing facilities, the system provides the key to minimising Work-in-Progress, cutting lead times, improving quality and delivery performance, as well as reducing costs.

The system’s graphical planning board allows the progress of each job to be monitored in real time. Its ‘drag & drop’ functionality enables users to respond to short term changes and produce new ‘work-to’ lists instantly, without running a complete schedule. . A series of key reports enables Javelin to compile ‘work-to’ lists capable of delivering optimum throughput against required dates.

Production bottlenecks can be easily identified and quantified, with alternative corrective actions planned and modeled off-line to ensure maximum production efficiency.

The system’s flexibility also permits critical path routes to be identified and any jobs forecast as overdue to be immediately highlighted for re-sequencing.

Javelin enables machines and labour to be scheduled independently to suit a variety of manufacturing and production cell operations.

Shift patterns can be defined for nominated machines or groups of operators. In addition, alternative shift patterns can be specified to allow scheduling to consider overtime working options. Special tooling can be defined as a constraint within Javelin to ensure its availability for specific operations.

Capacity ‘pre-allocated’ to tentative orders or sales orders yet to be released into production is easily determined and accounted for.

The system’s ability to compare finite and infinite capacity plans enables users to quickly and accurately assess capacity status. Forward and backward scheduling options are available, with simple manual over-ride of scheduling results, if needed.

Unlike many systems, Javelin undertakes internal scheduling without any additional importing or exporting of data for assured accuracy of results.

Javelin enables work to be switched automatically from fully loaded machines to ones with spare capacity, or to sub-contractors, as appropriate. Standard shift patterns can be automatically taken into account when scheduling machine set-up operations.

Family groupings allow jobs with common set-up or other manufacturing characteristics to be processed together; for maximum production throughput.

Overlapping operations can be defined and planned to enable lead times to be minimized on large batches or extended runs.