Production Scheduling Software

What is Production Scheduling Software?

Production scheduling software helps manufacturers track and make informed decisions about short-term and day-to-day production operations. Production scheduling software may be used as a standalone system but often is paired with production planning software, which manufacturers use to conduct long and mid-term planning for their manufacturing facilities. Both production scheduling software and production planning software in modern manufacturing operations management (MOM) solutions are offered as part of an advanced planning and scheduling (APS) software system (see also: Manufacturing Scheduling Software).

The purpose of production scheduling software is to minimize production time and costs while maximizing efficiency. These objectives are accomplished when production scheduling software determines the optimum sequence of operations in order to reduce set-up times and changeovers. Efficient production scheduling in manufacturing is accomplished in this software solution through advanced algorithms that balance demand and capacity and generate achievable production schedules.

Production scheduling software enables manufacturers to optimize the schedule of machines, production lines, and resources, and it is also used in services and logistics. Production scheduling includes daily schedules for individual machines or teams, and it enables manufacturers to quickly and intelligently respond to unexpected changes, while also satisfying customer demands with shorter lead times. Orders can be scheduled quickly using intelligent built-in rules. Production scheduling software also provides decision-making support for overtime, order prioritization, split production batches, due date negotiation, and order processing.

Production scheduling software has proven to be a successful tool in a broad spectrum of business sectors, including aerospace, automotive, engineering, food and beverages, and consumer goods.