Terminology More detail about Prestige Scheduler Reporting A more technical look at Prestige Scheduler’s Information Processing Software Components and Requirements System Requirements
Terminology
A Job may contain one or more Parts. Parts are used for job components that may or may not come together at the end.
Each Part can be made up of one or more Processes (aka. Job Steps), each scheduled against a particular Resource (aka. Work Center). Each part can have its own raw material to track stock availability.
Resources are defined as either Board Resources or Status Resources. Status Resources are not on the schedule board and are only shown as complete or not. Board Resources appear on the Schedule Board as rows with colored bars representing the scheduled time for an individual job part’s process.
The Active Schedule is the Schedule adopted as the current working schedule. Where The Scheduler is interactive (driving the shop floor via on-line terminals), the Active Schedule is the one that is feeding to and from these terminals, and is the schedule on view when you switch to Monitor Mode. Reports are produced using the Active Schedule.
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“I couldn’t imagine going back to our manual board. We
used to spend ages just writing out hundreds of cards.”
-- Paul Binnie, Planner,
Anzpac Packaging, Sydney, Australia.
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More detail about Prestige Scheduler
The Scheduler draws its graphical board to simulate the familiar manual equivalent. Each Board resource has a row on the Electronic Schedule Board (ESB). Job processes are represented by colored bars. The bar color signifies the process’s current status: Not ready, Ready but not being worked, and currently being worked. These colors can be set by the user. The bar is also overlaid by a definable hatch pattern if the job is running late.
The position of a Bar signifies The Scheduler's estimated start and completion times for the process. The length of the bar is proportional to the process’s estimated loading.
You must define a job's Production Plan before you can place the job on the Board. The Production Plan specifies the Processes used to manufacture the job. You can create a Job and its Production Plan entirely within Prestige Scheduler; or you can import the job and Plan from an external MIS system. Jobs when initially created or imported get placed in the Scheduler's InBox. You can place the job onto the ESB either from the Master Job List or from a Resource’s Schedule List.
The Scheduler can be set up globally to backward schedule (just in time scheduling) or can be set up to forward schedule but individual jobs in this case can still be flagged to be backward scheduled. In the latter case, backward scheduled jobs take precedence over forward scheduled jobs and are said to be "locked at latest finish." Jobs already on the board can be swapped between backward and forward scheduled at will.
For Forward-Scheduled jobs, Bars are placed on the board in order of each job's relative priority. No notice is taken of the Job's promised by date. Backward scheduling forces The Scheduler to attempt to schedule each job so that it will finish just in time. The priority of each job is still significant where there is contention for space on the Board. Higher priority jobs will get first chance.
The Scheduler graphically tracks each job through to its completion. Once completed, a job is not visible in the Scheduler's Master List. However, the Scheduler still maintains all the job's details in the database for statistical reporting purposes.
Powerful move options allow you to manipulate the Electronic Schedule Board with ease including...
- Placing and removing Jobs.
- Removing individual Bars (processes).
- Reassigning processes.
- Moving a bar left or right.
- Dragging a bar to any other position on its own row (if pinned)
or to another row in the same assignment group.
- Fixing a bar’s earliest start time
- Fixing a job at its latest finish time.
- Processes can be dragged individually or in blocks; can be split or reassigned; and loadings can be adjusted. The job's required-by date can be reset even while the job is on the board.
You can also scroll your view far into the future to check on processes and loadings days, weeks or months ahead. The time scale on the Electronic Schedule Board can be set to any reasonable value from 1 hour upwards.
The ESB renders the schedule graphically. Alternate screens can be accessed via menu options (or function keys) to display the schedule in list form. You can view the Master Job List, which displays a list of all jobs on the board and in the InBox or you can display a Resource List, which lists the processes scheduled against a specific resource. These lists can be sorted on any column, and provide editing when allowed.
Reporting...
Crystal Reports® makes quick work of The Scheduler's reporting needs. Place our reports or yours into Scheduler's soft report menu. If your MIS Database is supported by Crystal, you can even derive data from both sides of the fence.
 A more technical look at
Prestige Scheduler’s
Information Processing
Server Component: Prestige Scheduler’s server and core program is the Task Manager. It runs as an application or a service. The Task Manager updates the database, usually running on the same machine.
Client Component: Prestige Scheduler is installed on each workstation who needs access to Design and Monitor Modes. A client can also be set up to interact with shop floor terminals.
Web Server Component: A component for Zope web server is available, allowing read only access to the live schedule from any web browser in the world. Connect it to the Internet for customers and remote staff and use it internally on your network for in-house staff.
Data Collection Component: An existing or custom component can connect The Prestige Scheduler to data collection devices and electronic counters to update the active schedule easily from the shop floor instantly.
Import Job Data: Job data is entered directly in the Client Component of The Scheduler or can be imported automatically from your company’s MIS (Manufacturing Information System) containing estimates and/or production orders; anything with the process steps of the job. MIS systems with ODBC access or the ability to export text reports are required - and highly common.
Inventory Allocations: If your inventory system can provide the current raw material quantities along with ordered quantities and scheduled revieving dates, Prestige Scheduler can automatically allocate the raw material for each part and indicate on the Master Job List if the material is available. Without a linked inventory system, allocate stock manually or disable the feature to ignore stock.
Software Components and Requirements
Prestige Scheduler’s latest release, version 4.2x, has largely changed under the hood. The Task Manager is now a separate software component that can run as a service or background application. This enhances performance, stability, and scalability, of the scheduler network.
Prestige Scheduler uses the world acclaimed mission-critical Pervasive® Client/Server database engine.
Prestige Scheduler prints schedules and summary reports with an imbedded copy of Crystal Reports. You may purchase Crystal Reports Designer and create your own customized documents. Add them to The Prestige Scheduler’s Report menu where Scheduler users can access them.
Symantec pcAnywhere is used for online training and support. An Internet connection is preferred but a dial-up modem line is required.
System Requirements
Prestige Scheduler runs on Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 2000, XP with a Pentium I processor or equivalent and 64MB RAM or better. A Pentium II with 128MB RAM runs nicely.
A 17” (1024 x 768) monitor is recommended for persons using Prestige Scheduler in Design Mode.
Prestige Scheduler’s Task Manager comes in two forms. It can be run as a service on Windows NT, 2000, XP. A workgroup version is included that can be run as a task-tray based application on Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, XP.
The Pervasive Database engine can be purchased for a single workstation, peer-to-peer workgroup, or client/server network. The workgroup edition requires Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, (currently testing on XP) with an Intel 486 or better and at least 32MB RAM. See www.pervasive.com for more information.
Prestige Scheduler’s Task Manager and Pervasive database and database engine are commonly run on the same server or workstation. |
