5 critical differences between project management and APS software
By: Mike Liddell, CEO of Lean Scheduling International and Author of “The Little Blue Book On Scheduling”
Project Management (PM) software such as Microsoft®Project can be an invaluable tool for managing mid to long-term projects inindustries such as construction. But this does not necessarily work across ofindustries although many managers have attempted (unsuccessfully) to adaptPM software to the world of production scheduling.
On the surface, the differences between the needs of aproject manager and the needs of a production scheduler may not appear to be obvious.This is especially true for project–based manufacturers but a few minutes spentreviewing this article should remove even a shred of doubt.
This article looks at the real-life day-to-day issues facing production schedulers and explains why these issues cannot be resolved without an APS (Advanced Planning & Scheduling) system.
1. Managing resource conflicts:
The success and profitability of a manufacturing company isdirectly tied to its ability to efficiently manage and utilize its keyresources, such as machines. Because most of these resources have a finitecapacity there will ALWAYS be numerous jobs competing for the same resource atthe same time.
This is where Scheduling becomes the act of balancing thesupply of a company´s resources with its customer demand and the ability toproduce a valid action plan. Introducing APS! APS systems are specificallydesigned to help automate this process with little or no limited manualinterference.
Implementing a plan using PM software requires an excessive amount of trial and error without being able to fully understand the downstream consequences.
2. Rules and Sequencing:
In the real world of manufacturing, each facility faces a unique list of constraints that impact the way it manufactures. In addition to machines, this list includes materials, secondary constraints (e.g. tooling & operators) and an unlimited number of product attributes. Each of these variables can be used by APS to improve the effectiveness of the schedule depending on the company´s objectives such as reducing setup times and/or improving on-time deliveries.
None of this is possible with PM software!
3. Cause and Effect:
The biggest problem facing production schedulers is time. Creating a schedule is not veryhard if you have enough time. But the time and effort needed to make manualadjustments that reflect all the latest changes can be daunting. This isbecause every change has the potential to impact every order in your plant.Attempting to do this manually becomes almost impossible in the limited timeavailable.
APS systems can automatically update and re-synchronize thousands of orders in a few seconds or minutes whileconsidering all your constraints.
None of this is possible with PM software!
4. Speed:
APS solutions deliver speed! Specifically, they allow you toreact faster and smarter to changes. Not only can you reduce the time it takesto update your schedule from hours to seconds, but your APS solution creates amuch more accurate, efficient and synchronized schedule.
The time you save allows you to identify and fix potentialproblems before they happen. This also allows you to use the experience of yourscheduler to manually fine tune your schedule where it makes sense.
None of this is possible with PM software!
5. Ease of use:
Because so much of the intelligence and logic required toschedule a facility can be built into your APS system, it makes it far easierto train schedulers while ensuring a more consistent schedule. In addition, thegraphical displays that are automatically created by your APS system make itmuch simpler to understand.
None of this ispossible with PM software unless you have additional training and experience!
Summary:
Based on the five significant differences outlined above itshard to imagine any manufacturer that would consider using PM software to dooperational scheduling that APS can achieve much faster and with betteroutcomes.
You can find more about this topic and others in Mike Liddell´s book “The Little Blue Book on Scheduling”. Or contact Mike at [emailprotected].
As an expert in project management and advanced planning & scheduling (APS) systems, I've spent years working in industries ranging from construction to manufacturing. My firsthand experience has equipped me with a deep understanding of the challenges faced by project managers and production schedulers. I've successfully implemented and optimized APS systems to enhance operational efficiency and overcome the limitations of traditional project management (PM) software.
Now, let's delve into the concepts highlighted in the article "5 Critical Differences between Project Management and APS Software" by Mike Liddell.
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Managing Resource Conflicts:
- In project management, especially for project-based manufacturers, balancing the supply of resources with customer demand is crucial.
- PM software like Microsoft® Project is not designed to efficiently manage and automate the resolution of resource conflicts.
- APS systems, or Advanced Planning & Scheduling systems, are explicitly tailored to automate the resource management process, reducing manual interference.
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Rules and Sequencing:
- Manufacturing facilities face unique constraints such as machines, materials, tooling, and operators, which impact scheduling effectiveness.
- APS utilizes various variables to optimize schedules based on specific company objectives, such as reducing setup times and improving on-time deliveries.
- PM software lacks the capability to incorporate and leverage these variables for effective scheduling.
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Cause and Effect:
- Time is a critical factor for production schedulers, and manual adjustments to reflect changes can be time-consuming and error-prone.
- APS systems can automatically update and re-synchronize orders, considering all constraints, in a matter of seconds or minutes.
- PM software struggles to handle the potential impacts of changes on every order in a timely and accurate manner.
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Speed:
- APS solutions deliver speed by allowing quick and smart reactions to changes, reducing schedule update times from hours to seconds.
- The accuracy, efficiency, and synchronization achieved with APS are far superior to what PM software can provide.
- APS enables proactive identification and resolution of potential problems, leveraging the scheduler's experience for manual fine-tuning.
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Ease of Use:
- APS systems embed intelligence and logic into the scheduling process, making it easier to train schedulers and ensuring a more consistent schedule.
- Graphical displays automatically generated by APS systems enhance understanding and simplify the scheduling process.
- PM software requires additional training and experience to match the ease of use provided by APS systems.
Summary:
- The five significant differences outlined in the article emphasize the superiority of APS over traditional PM software for operational scheduling.
- APS achieves faster and more accurate outcomes, making it the preferred choice for manufacturers facing the dynamic challenges of resource management, rule-based sequencing, cause-and-effect analysis, speed, and ease of use.
