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Confusion may arise after a work order is scheduled. It may appear that the scheduling process used an incorrect number of available hours when the work center from a previous step has a different number of standard hours than the work center indicated on the current step (for example, if Work Center A works 10 standard hours per day and Work Center B works 8 standard hours per day). A user may incorrectly assume that when starting a new step, hours left over from the previous step are available for the new step.

When scheduling a work order, the arrival time of a work center is taken into consideration. It is assumed that all work centers start work at the same time; therefore, the available hours for the next work center are adjusted to ensure that a work order is not transferred to a work center that is closed for the day.

 Multiple Work Centers Backward Scheduling Example 1

In this example, the following data is used.

Work Center 1 works 10 hours a day, Monday through Friday.

Work Center 2 works 8 hours a day, Monday through Friday.

The work day for both work centers is assumed to start at 9 AM (no actual start time can be entered).

No weekends or holidays are included.

In this example, the work order's due date is 05/30/03. There are two steps involved in completing the work order: Step 0000 and Step 0010. Work Center A is assigned to Step 0000 and Work Center B is assigned to Step 0010. Work Center A needs 10 hours to complete Step 0000. After Work Center A completes Step 0000, Work Center B needs 10 hours to complete Step 0010. The table below illustrates how the work order is scheduled using backward scheduling.

Work Center	5/26/03	5/27/03	5/28/03	5/29/03	5/30/03
Step 0000: Work Center A needs a total of 10 hours to complete this step	10 hours are available	10 hours are available	10 hours are available (4 hours are scheduled) 3 pm – 7pm	10 hours are available (4 hours are scheduled) 9 am – 3 pm	10 hours are available
Step 0010: Work Center B needs a total of 10 hours to complete this step	8 hours are available	8 hours are available	8 hours are available	8 hours are available (2 hours are scheduled) 3pm – 5pm	8 hours are available (2 hours are scheduled) 9 am – 5 pm

When scheduling backwards, Work Center B schedules 8 hours for Step 0010 on 05/30/03 and schedules the remaining 2 hours on 05/29/03. Because only 2 hours are scheduled on 05/29/03 for processing Step 0010, Work Center B must receive the parts from Work Center A by 3 pm or Work Center B will not be able to fit in two hours of work by the end of their workday (5pm).

Because Work Center A must complete Step 0000 by 3pm on 05/29/03, Work Center A only has 6 hours available on 05/29/03 to process Step 0000. As a result, the remaining 4 hours required to complete Step 0000 are scheduled on 05/28/03.

 

 Multiple Work Centers Backward Scheduling Example 2

In this example, the following data is used.

Work Center 1 works 10 hours a day, Monday through Friday.

Work Center 2 works 8 hours a day, Monday through Friday.

The work day for both work centers is assumed to start at 9 AM (no actual start time can be entered).

No weekends or holidays are included.

In this example, the work order's due date is 05/30/03. There are two steps involved in completing the work order: Step 0000 and Step 0010. Work Center B is assigned to the first step, Step 0000, and Work Center A is assigned to the second step, Step 0010. Work Center B needs 10 hours to complete Step 0000 and Work Center A needs 10 hours to complete Step 0010. The table below illustrates how the work order would be scheduled using backward scheduling.

Work Center	5/26/03	5/27/03	5/28/03	5/29/03	5/30/03
Step 0000: Work Center B needs a total of 10 hours to complete this step	8 hours are available	8 hours are available	8 hours are available (2 hours are scheduled) 3pm – 5pm	8 hours are available (8 hours are scheduled) 9 am – 5 pm	8 hours are available
Step 0010: Work Center A needs a total of 10 hours to complete this step	10 hours are available	10 hours are available	10 hours are available	10 hours are available	10 hours are available (10 hours are scheduled) 9am – 7pm

When scheduling backwards, Work Center A has 10 hours available so Step 0010 can be completed in one day on 05/30/03. Work Center B works 8 hours per day; therefore, it takes two days to complete Step 0000 (a 10 hour task). Work Center B must start the step by 05/28/03 at 3 pm.

 

 Multiple Work Centers Forward Scheduling Example 1

In this example, the following data is used.

Work Center 1 works 10 hours a day, Monday through Friday.

Work Center 2 works 8 hours a day, Monday through Friday.

The work day for both work centers is assumed to start at 9 AM (no actual start time can be entered).

No weekends or holidays are included.

In this example, the work order's release date is 05/30/03. There are two steps involved in completing the work order: Step 0000 and Step 0010. Work Center A is assigned to the first step, Step 0000, and Work Center B is assigned to the second step, Step 0010. Work Center A needs 10 hours to complete Step 0000 and Work Center B needs 10 hours to complete Step 0010. The table below illustrates how the work order is scheduled using forward scheduling.

Work Center	5/26/03	5/27/03	5/28/03	5/29/03	5/30/03
Step 0000: Work Center A needs a total of 10 hours to complete this step	10 hours are available	10 hours are available	10 hours are available (10 hours are scheduled) 9 am – 7 pm	10 hours are available (8 hours are scheduled)	10 hours are available
Step 0010: Work Center B needs 10 hours to complete this step	8 hours are available	8 hours are available	8 hours are available	8 hours are available (8 hours are scheduled) 9 am – 5 pm	8 hours are available (2 hours are scheduled) 9 am – 11 am

When scheduling forward, Work Center A can complete Step 0000 in one day on 05/28/03. Work Center B schedules 8 hours on 05/29/03 at 9 am. The remaining 2 hours required to complete Step 0010 are scheduled on 05/30/03 from 9 am to 11 am.

 

 Multiple Work Centers Forward Scheduling Example 2

In this example, the following data is used.

Work Center 1 works 10 hours a day, Monday through Friday.

Work Center 2 works 8 hours a day, Monday through Friday.

The work day for both work centers is assumed to start at 9 AM (no actual start time can be entered).

No weekends or holidays are included.

In this example, the work order's release date is 05/30/03. There are two steps involved in completing the work order: Step 0000 and Step 0010. Work Center B is assigned to the first step, Step 0000, and Work Center A is assigned to the second step, Step 0010. Work Center B needs 10 hours to complete Step 0000 and Work Center A needs 10 hours to complete Step 0010. The table below illustrates how the work order would be scheduled using backward scheduling.

Work Center	5/26/03	5/27/03	5/28/03	5/29/03	5/30/03
Step 0000: Work Center A needs a total of 10 hours to complete this step	8 hours are available	8 hours are available	8 hours are available (8 hours are scheduled) 9 am –5 pm	8 hours are available (2 hours are scheduled) 9 am – 11 am	8 hours are available
Step 0010: Work Center A needs 10 hours to complete this step	10 hours are available	10 hours are available	10 hours are available	10 hours are available (8 hours are scheduled) 11 am – 7 pm	10 hours are available (10 hours are scheduled) 9am – 11am

When scheduling forward, Work Center B works 8 hours per day with 8 hours scheduled on 05/28/03 and two hours pushed to 05/29/03. Because the assumption is that work centers start their workday at 9 am, Step 0000 would not be completed until 11 am on 05/29/03.

Work Center A starts Step 0010 at 11 am. Working 10 hours per day, Work Center A schedules 8 hours on 05/29/03. The remaining 2 hours required to complete Step 0010 are scheduled on 05/30/03 from 9 am to 11 am.

For more information, see:

Work Center Maintenance