Case study · Manufacturing
Multi-Constraint Dynamic Production Scheduling & Line Dispatch
A discrete industrial equipment manufacturer operating 14 assembly lines, 120 CNC work-centers, and 3,500 active customer SKUs.
Engagement record
- Client
- Industrial equipment manufacturer
- Industry
- Manufacturing
- System
- Dynamic Production Scheduling & Dispatch
- Timeline
- 5 Weeks
About this write-up
This case study describes the engagement as recorded. The client is not named; figures and outcomes are as reported by the client and have not been independently audited.
The challenge
Master production schedulers spent 20+ hours each week assembling complex Excel Gantt charts across 14 lines. Whenever a high-priority rush order arrived, a machine experienced a tool breakage, or a raw material delivery was delayed, the static schedule collapsed. Frequent emergency line changeovers created 18 hours of weekly idle time, and on-time-in-full (OTIF) delivery plummeted to 78%.
Objectives
- Ingest ERP sales orders, routing BOMs, tooling matrices, and operator certifications in real time.
- Calculate multi-constraint finite capacity schedules that minimize changeover tooling setups.
- Re-sequence production lines dynamically in under 2 minutes when rush orders or machine downtime occur.
- Lift on-time customer delivery (OTIF) to over 95% while eliminating expedited freight costs.
Discovery
Plant workflow analysis showed that 40% of line downtime was caused by poor job sequencing (e.g. switching from dark paint/large diameter to light paint/small diameter repeatedly), which optimal combinatorial algorithms could eliminate completely.
What was built
- Bi-Directional ERP & MES Connector. Live synchronization with SAP S/4HANA production orders and shop-floor work center execution logs.
- Multi-Constraint Optimization Engine. Combinatorial algorithm balancing customer due dates, machine tooling compatibility, shift worker certifications, and setup matrix costs.
- Interactive Dispatch Gantt Console. Drag-and-drop schedule board providing master schedulers with instant what-if simulation and line-impact calculations.
- Digital Workstation Dispatch. Real-time work instruction and job sequence dispatch pushed directly to operator line-side touch displays.
Outcomes as reported
Reported summary: 34% Less Changeover Idle Time & OTIF Lift from 78% to 96.4%.
| Figure | What it refers to |
|---|---|
| 34% Reduction | In line changeover idle time, recovering 18 production hours weekly |
| 78% → 96.4% | On-time-in-full (OTIF) delivery score improvement |
| $310,000 Saved | In annual expedited freight penalties and weekend overtime |
| 20h → 15 mins | Weekly master production schedule creation turnaround |
Figures as reported in the engagement record; not independently audited.
Lessons
- Incorporating operator skill certifications into line sequencing models prevents unplanned staffing bottlenecks on complex assembly steps.
- Providing schedulers with clear changeover penalty heatmaps builds immediate confidence in algorithmic sequence recommendations.
Next steps
Deploying automated supplier component pull signals triggered directly from real-time dynamic schedule revisions.
Implementation questions
Schedulers click 'Re-Balance': the engine recalculates line assignments in under 30 seconds, routing queued jobs to compatible secondary work centers.
Yes. Schedulers can pin critical customer orders to fixed dates or lines, and the algorithm optimizes all remaining capacity around them.
We support SAP S/4HANA, Oracle NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain, Epicor, and Plex Systems.
No. Scheduling operates entirely on existing software data streams (ERP orders, MES completion timestamps, and shift logs).
