Scheduling¶

There are two ways to enable scheduling in Blindata.
The first and simplest way allows the user to enter an average manufacturing time for one location and schedules are created accordingly.
The second and more complicated way allows the user to divide the manufacturing into different processes, and allows separate times and locations for the different aspects of the process.
Separate schedules are created for each manufacturing location.
The order details that are marked as 'OOS' (Out Of Stock) will not be scheduled.

Please note that the 'Parameters' tab was changed in Blindata v10 and all of the flags that are related to the Scheduling were moved to a new tab, please check this section.

Also, don't forget that you can search the name of the flag with the 'Find Parameter' field in the 'Parameters' tab.

Initial setup
To enable scheduling, adjust the relevant parameters.

Administration > Parameters

Use Production Scheduling – set this to true to allow scheduling. This can be temporarily disabled while scheduling times are being set up.
Disable Priority Scheduling – adjust depending on the use of a priority system.
Update Required Date with Scheduled Date – if set to true, this means that when the scheduled date for an order falls after the chosen required date, the required date is put back to the scheduled date.
Set to false, this allows required dates to fall before scheduled dates.

Schedule From Day, Priority Schedule From Day – these values determine the minimum delay between the date the order is placed and the scheduled manufacture date. (Current Date + Schedule From Day)
Reduce Schedule Day – if a blind is made before the scheduled date, depending on the number of days between the scheduled date and the actual date it is made, the freed time can be refilled.
This value determines the minimum number of days required for the time to be refilled.

Start Scheduling Filter Date – this option filters all the dates in the schedule before the one provided.
Scheduled to Req. Delay – if the “Update Required Date with Scheduled Date” field is set to true, this value determines the delay between the scheduled date and the updated required date.
Add Option Time to Scheduling – this field determines whether or not the manufacturing time from individual stock items is added to the manufacturing time for the blind type.

Other parameters can be checked by the link above.

Administration > System Tables > Manufacturing Locations

The manufacturing locations entered here can be held against blind types and the various manufacturing processes used.
After a new manufacturing location is added, it is necessary to log out of and into Blindata.
Values for “Large Quantity” and “Maximum Scheduling Number” can also be added.

Large Quantity prompts a warning box to appear after an order is placed that exceeds the value provided.

Maximum Scheduling Number places a limit on the number of blinds that are processed from an individual order each day.
This then prompts the routine to schedule the manufacture of the order over several days.
For example, if the maximum scheduling number is set to 10 and an order is placed for 40 blinds, the manufacture will be spread over four days.
It is then necessary to set up each blind type with scheduling information.

Blind Details > Blind Types

For simple scheduling, requiring only one manufacturing location and an average manufacturing time, open the blind record.
In the “Blind Type Amend” menu, select a manufacturing location and an average manufacturing time:

Use Blind Type Scheduling

Previously all the criteria for scheduling were held in Parameters, but now this data is also held against the blind type record.
There is a new flag in the blind type record called ‘Use Blind Type Scheduling’ which defaults to false.
When the scheduling date is being calculated (and ‘Use Blind Type Scheduling’ = true, the program looks at the new fields in the blind type record.

Production Scheduling Stock Item
There is a new field in 'Stock Items' called 'Schedule Days' which defaults to 0.
If it is greater than 0, it is used in calculating a scheduled date for the order detail line.
The schedule is calculated as the schedule date + schedule days and scheduled as the first available schedule date after this.

Order Processing > Orders > Component Entry

It is now possible to do the scheduling of orders for component detail lines.
We will have some customers that do not want this so there is a new flag in the blind type record called ‘Disable Scheduling’ .
This new flag defaults to false (so the program will behave as it currently does).

When a component detail line is entered, it should be scheduled in exactly the same way as a blind detail line is (unless ‘Disable Scheduling’ = true).

For more complex scheduling, it is necessary to enter the various process types in the system tables.

An operator can just save the process times table against the process type and use the new button ‘Update Process Times for All Blind Types’ to overwrite Blind Types > Process Times with it for all blind types.

Then the process types are added in the “Man. Process Types” tab of the blind type record.

Times can then be added for each process in the “Process Times” tab.

Times are added by clicking the “Setup Times Button”.
Different times can be added for different sizes of the blinds.
Manufacturing time can also be added to individual stock items.

Stock Items > Defaults
Select a stock item and click the amend button.

It is then necessary to create an actual schedule.
If this is not set up, a message will appear saying orders cannot be scheduled.

Order Processing > Scheduling

Select a manufacturing location and click the “Dates and Times” button to reach that location’s schedule.
Populate the schedule by entering the relevant dates and allocating a certain amount of “Normal” and “Priority” time then clicking “Fill”.
Remove dates by following the same process, but clicking “Clear”.

Holidays and weekends can be set up in Administration > Holidays/Weekends.

After initial setup

After the initial setup, orders will be scheduled automatically.
Depending on the type of scheduling chosen (by Average Manufacture Time or by each individual manufacturing process) the schedule will be updated after each order is added.
To review the schedule, go to Orders > Scheduling and select the schedule for a particular location.

Amending a scheduled date

If you wish to reschedule an order, go to Order Processing > Orders, select the relevant order and click the “Scheduling” button. This opens the “Scheduling Update” window.

Tick the “Include” box for those blinds you wish to reschedule. By clicking “Select” you can rearrange the scheduled date. “Set Required Date” allows to you alter the required date.

Permissions

Administration > Users > Amend Permissions

To allow a user to access scheduling in Order Processing, it is necessary to set the 'Scheduling' field in the 'Permissions' tab to true.
To allow a user to amend a scheduled date, go to the “Advanced Permission” tab and set the “Scheduled Date” field to true.
To deny these permissions, simply set the above fields to false.

Manual Production Scheduling

We have a customer that wants to manually enter schedule dates against blinds ie they will not be using ‘Production Scheduling’, they just want to be able to enter a date in the ‘Schedule Date’ field.
There is a new flag called ‘Manual Production Scheduling’, which defaults to false. If true, then the user is able to edit manually the ‘Schedule Date’ against an order detail line.
There is also a column choice for ‘Schedule Date’ in the ‘Window Blind Amend’ form and the field is editable.

If ‘Manual Production Scheduling’ is switched on in Parameters > Order/Quotation Processing, it is now possible to amend the ‘Schedule Date’ in the Order Amend Enquiry’ form and this then updates the ‘Schedule Date’ in all of the detail lines for that order. A prompt appears saying ‘You are about to update the scheduled date in all the detail lines. Do you want to continue?’.
Also, if ‘Manual Production Scheduling’ is switched on, then ‘Use Production Scheduling’ is switched off in Parameters automatically, and vice versa.
It is not possible to have both these flags on at the same time.