Constraints planning

Every production process has to deal with varied restrictions, e.g. the availability of machines, personnel and production resources. With the solution concept of "Constraints", the Production Planning Cockpit "PPC" has created a possibility to map these restrictions in SAP in a simple and efficient way for planning purposes.

Overview

Constraints planning

In an Advanced Planning System (APS) it is crucial to be able to depict the restrictions that often occur in reality in an understandable and effective way.

For example, machines and personnel cannot work an infinite number of hours, not all machines and personnel can handle all work processes, storage and delivery capacities are scarce, and the quantity throughput in production is limited.

Restrictions in planning

MACHINE

machine availability
runtimes
multi-use resource

PERSONNEL

not all personnel can operate with all machines and execute all operations

PRODUCTION TOOLS

e.g. catalyst, pressing tool,
extrusion tool

PRODUCTION STEPS

in sequence
with overlap
parallel
buffers

WORK IN PROGRESS

max. WIP: restricted space
min. WIP: guarantee material provision
provision

GROUPING

scheduling in order groups
group via SD criteria

In SAP, these restrictions are often modelled using work centers and capacity categories. However, this representation can also be too complex and unsuitable for use in algorithms/heuristics. For this reason, ITeanova has developed a method of mapping some restrictions using product allocation. The term for this in the Production Planning Cockpit "PPC" is "constraints".

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What are constraints exactly?

Constraints generally map restrictions per period, that is, any key figures available in the Production Planning Cockpit can be used for this. Additional conditions can also be used and added to the list of constraints, for example, any characteristics available in the Production Planning Cockpit can be formulated in conditions.

Example of a simple constraint

General scenario

Parts are painted in different colours on a production line.

Key figure for the restriction

The amount of parts being painted.

Period

The amount of time: one day.

Condition

The restriction is valid for parts that have to be painted in a special colour.

In short the restriction is

Only 1000 parts per day can be painted in a special colour on one production line.

Linking constraints

8 employees are to be sent to a training. For this they need both a flight (preferably: business class) and a designated hotel. August is the preferred period (month), but both a month earlier and a month later are available, earlier is better than later (time tolerance).

Details on functionalities in the Production Planning Cockpit "PPC" with constraints

Constraints as a reporting tool: It is clearly shown which constraint consumptions exist in which period (e.g. for each painting line how many parts per day are painted in a particular colour).
Exceeding the defined maximum values per period can trigger alerts.
Constraints are used as restriction checks; any number of constraints can be checked at the same time:

Constraints can be checked together with conventional capacity planning, e.g. each painting process to be dispatched must find capacity on the corresponding painting line and at the same time meet the constraint for the special colours.
Based solely on constraints, a restriction check can be carried out without capacity planning.

Customer scenario

The screenshot shows a customer scenario. The orders or bottleneck operations of the orders displayed in the lower screenshot are checked using the following constraints:

Key figure for the check: order quantities

Conditions for the check: Both constraints are for the respective configurable materials in the orders, in the customer example: type of chairs produced.

The advantage of using a combination of SAP PP/DS with the Production Planning Cockpit is that product allocations can also be used in production and in combination with capacity restrictions.

Features

Simple, flexible rule set for planning (several constraints can be combined)
Integration with many SAP modules (MM, PP, SD, CS, PM)
Sales CTP: Check directly from the sales order
Can be combined with restrictions from conventional capacity planning
A wide range of reporting options

Overview

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