Disadvantages of Production Scheduling in Manufacturing

Production scheduling is a critical component within manufacturing operations. Without adequate production scheduling, there is a lack of planning and execution that pertains to the overall production process. Many operation and production facilities rely on production scheduling as a tool to determine when products will be manufactured. This is primarily designed to provide a list of benefits for the operation. 

However, there are a few disadvantages to utilization of production scheduling within manufacturing that are important to consider before implementing the tool/software. Within this blog we are going to discuss the drawbacks pertaining to production scheduling. 

Disadvantages of Production Scheduling in Manufacturing 

The overall primary disadvantages pertaining to production scheduling include the following: 

• Complexity - For smaller manufacturers, this is a common disadvantage to their facility. Due to the amount of variables associated with production scheduling and production scheduling software, there is a fair amount of time needed in order to dive into the details of the operation. When production scheduling gets involved, it is essential that you keep track of your production crews and could potentially lead to a fair amount of work for the person in charge of production scheduling. There are a fair amount of specifics that need to be addressed when utilizing the software. 
• Cost - Another potential problem with utilization of a production scheduling system//software is the cost of implementation. When implementing a production scheduling system, it is essential to buy software and other resources that aid with facilitation of the process. There will also be a need for hiring someone that is trained to use the software. This may required you to devote an employee to training, which will cost money. Address cost of the software/implementation before carrying forward. 
• Lack of Flexibility - There are a variety of factors in the manufacturing process that can drastically change. Your business needs to be able to combat this and conform to the software as well without much issue. With a production schedule, you may not be able to adapt quickly enough to avoid problems. Once materials find themselves on their way and the staff is ready to work - it can be very difficult to stop the process and begin work elsewhere. 
• Skewed - The last potential issue with production scheduling pertains to the difficulty in scheduling processes. While you may want to attempt to stick to a specific schedule, it will not take much to throw the entire schedule off. An example of this would include if a machine were to go down for an hour, the entire production schedule will be thrown off. This is why you need to be ready at any moment for a mishap to happen. 

While there are disadvantages pertaining to production scheduling, production scheduling is a necessity for all manufacturing operations. Having an adequate and advantageous production system is an absolute must to stay ahead of the competition. A software that can greatly aid with this concept is PlanetTogether’s Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) Software. APS Software is a must for manufacturing facilities that are seeking to enhance overall productivity, efficiency, and utilization within the production process. APS Software is able to be easily integrated into operations that utilize ERP, MRP, and MPS softwares as well and can provide thorough insight on where these systems may lack. 

Advanced Planning and Scheduling Software 

Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) software has become a must for modern-day manufacturing operations due to customer demand for increased product mix and fast delivery combined with downward cost pressures. APS can be quickly integrated with a ERP/MRP software to fill gaps where these system lack planning and scheduling flexibility and accuracy. Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) helps planners save time while providing greater agility in updating ever-changing priorities, production schedules, and inventory plans.

• Create optimized schedules balancing production efficiency and delivery performance
• Maximize output on bottleneck resources to increase revenue
• Synchronize supply with demand to reduce inventories
• Provide company-wide visibility to capacity
• Enable scenario data-driven decision making

Implementation of Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) software will take your manufacturing operations to the next level of production efficiency, taking advantage of the operational data you already have in your ERP.