Manufacturing Simulation Software Benefits

Production facilities are looking to enhance throughput, minimize waste, and optimize the production within their facilities. However, many are unsure of the steps to take to achieve this. This is especially challenging for manufacturers with complex production complexes. Fortunately, advances in technology have allowed manufacturers from various industries to create a digital model of their production plants.

“Factory Digital Twin” Plant Simulation with PlanetTogether

PlanetTogether’s Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) software creates a detailed constraint-based model of your factory. This is also called a “Factory Digital Twin” as it creates an in-memory simulation of your physical factory so that you can predict future production times while taking into account resource capacity, production rates, expected yields, and changeover.

PlanetTogether is a powerful and sophisticated software that will allow your manufacturing organization to first understand how their production is doing. Then, as the overall goal of most manufacturing companies is to increase profits and throughput, PlanetTogether APS can give insight into the areas that are in need of improvement and optimize the overall production process.

PlanetTogether’s “What-If” Scenarios

Once your production plant is modeled, you can use PlanetTogether's “What-If” Scenario feature to create multiple iterations of your production schedule and determine which version will be best in terms of throughput, optimization, costs, or on-time delivery. 

As Advanced Planning and Scheduling softwares account for a multitude of constraints when generating a production schedule, you can be assured that the output will be feasible. For example, if you have a machine that is slower than the rest, the software will automatically adjust the cycle time of the operations that are scheduled on the machine. This will ensure that you are creating a realistic plan of the resource capacity you will be using. 

As various types of constraints and scheduling preferences are accounted for, the production facility will have access to a model capable of running different simulations. Manufacturing plant simulations are changing the industry by facilitating the creation of a production schedule and optimizing production.

Benefits of Manufacturing Plant Simulations

There are many benefits that come with creating a digital model of your manufacturing plant and using “What-If” scenarios to simulate your production. Some of these include:

• Create Realistic Schedules - Unlike other planning and scheduling systems, PlanetTogether APS takes multiple capabilities and scheduling constraints into consideration when creating the production schedule. This includes ensuring that there is enough capacity on the eligible resources for production, enough workers with the appropriate skills available, and enough required materials in stock. This results in a production schedule that is feasible and realistic.
• Waste Minimization - Lean manufacturing techniques describe 7 types of waste, which include defects, waiting, and unnecessary motion through the facility. Simulating your production will allow you to identify underutilized capacity and coordinate operation steps so that the overall throughput is increased.
• Reduced Inventory - Overproduction is very costly for manufacturers as there are usually large costs incurred to store work-in-process items. Using “What-If” scenarios in production planning and scheduling will allow you to know exactly how much you should produce to avoid producing more than is required. This is especially important in the Food Manufacturing industry as an excess of products cannot be held in inventory for too long due to expiration dates. 
• Better Decision-Making - Advanced Planning and Scheduling softwares will allow you to test out different scenarios to see the effects on the production schedule in terms of efficiency, costs, and delivery dates. “What-If” scenarios are great to see the effects of adding a new resource or hiring another worker. You can then have a better insight into what your operation needs and make data-based decisions instead of guessing what the facility should invest in. 
• Plan for the Unexpected - One of the major benefits of using “What-If” scenarios with PlanetTogether is that you can prepare contingency plans for any situation that might arise. This will allow your production facility to be proactive, rather than reactive, in cases of mechanical failures or staff shortages.

With PlanetTogether, we’re able to make strategic decisions that improve operations. We can proactively prepare for anticipated increases or slowdowns in demand.

DICK MARX, MATERIALS MANAGER, KNAPHEIDE TRUCK EQUIPMENT

 

PlanetTogether’s Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) Software

Advanced Planning and Scheduling Softwares have become a must for modern-day manufacturing operations as customer demand for increased product assortment, fast delivery, and downward cost pressures become prevalent. These systems help planners save time while providing greater agility in updating ever-changing priorities, production schedules, and inventory plans. APS Systems can be quickly integrated with an ERP/MRP software to fill the gaps where these systems lack planning and scheduling flexibility, accuracy, and efficiency.

With PlanetTogether APS you can:

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

The implementation of an Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) Software will take your manufacturing operations to the next level of production efficiency by taking advantage of the operational data you already possess in your ERP system. APS is a step in the right direction of efficiency and lean manufacturing production enhancement. Try out a free trial or demo!