Production management: can MS Project help?

[JohnP2P]

I'm considering buying MS Project, but can't figure out how to make it work
for my situation.

Situation:
Employee1 (E1) produces 350 parts per day (average); employee2 (E2) produces
220.

Order1: 600 parts, due to ship in 2 days.
Order2: 600 parts, due to ship in 3 days.
Order3: 50 parts, due in 1 day.
On day 2, Order4 arrives: 150 parts, due in 2 days.

I allocate E1 to order1: will Project show me, that E1 stills has 100 units
of available capacity between now and 2 days?

I allocate E2 to order2: will Project show me, that E2 has 60 units of
available capacity between now and 3 days?

I allocate E2 to order3: Project should indicate that E2 has onlhy 10 units
of remaining capacity between now and 3 days.

E1 produces 400 units on day one of work (50 more than E1's average
capacity). Wehn Order4 arrives on day two, will Project tell me that I can
now allocate another 150 lines to E1 without being overbooked?

How difficult is it, in other words, to set up a system with Project which
automates projec allocation between different employees at different rates,
and shows me at all times how much capacity is left over? I've been told this
is what Project is meant for; but I have not been able to find a way to
accomplish my needs using the trial version. Any suggestions?

Thanks for all help!

 

[Rob Schneider]

I'm considering buying MS Project, but can't figure out how to make it work
for my situation.

Situation:
Employee1 (E1) produces 350 parts per day (average); employee2 (E2) produces
220.

Order1: 600 parts, due to ship in 2 days.
Order2: 600 parts, due to ship in 3 days.
Order3: 50 parts, due in 1 day.
On day 2, Order4 arrives: 150 parts, due in 2 days.

I allocate E1 to order1: will Project show me, that E1 stills has 100 units
of available capacity between now and 2 days?

I allocate E2 to order2: will Project show me, that E2 has 60 units of
available capacity between now and 3 days?

I allocate E2 to order3: Project should indicate that E2 has onlhy 10 units
of remaining capacity between now and 3 days.

E1 produces 400 units on day one of work (50 more than E1's average
capacity). Wehn Order4 arrives on day two, will Project tell me that I can
now allocate another 150 lines to E1 without being overbooked?

How difficult is it, in other words, to set up a system with Project which
automates projec allocation between different employees at different rates,
and shows me at all times how much capacity is left over? I've been told this
is what Project is meant for; but I have not been able to find a way to
accomplish my needs using the trial version. Any suggestions?

Thanks for all help!

Project is not designed for this. It would be extremely difficult (if
not impossible) to use project for this.

Consider building a model of your production process as a stand-alone
computer program in some "language" (Python, FORTRAN, C, C++, Java,
Excel, etc.) or invest in some existing commercial application that does
this sort of thing.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Putting Rob's precious remarks in persoective, I would like to quote your
main question:

"to set up a system with Project which
automates project allocation between different employees"

Production or any other project, THAT IS WHAT PROJECT DOESN'T DO.
I will plan, help you track, show and handle overallocations... but it will
not , never, select the resource to assign to a certain task.

Hope this helps,

 

[JohnP2P]

Thanks Jan for the insights...

So it can't assign resources automatically. What about the rest? If I enter
my project due dates and quantities and allocate resources manually, will I
be able to see transparently what resources are still available to me (and
when) as production units?

For example, let's say I assign 500 units due in 2 days to an employee. If
his capacity is 300 a day, will I be able to recognize at a glance that I can
assign him another project of 100 lines due anytime before the due date of
the first job? Furthermore, if he does 350 units of the 500-unit order on day
one, will Project show me at a glance that he now has the capacity to take on
150 before the due date?

Thanks again,
John

 

[Dave]

You say that you are considering buying this application. Given that
you have been advised that it doesn't do or hasn't been designed to do
what you want, why don't you consider buying something more appropriate.

It could probably be made to do the simple scenario that you describe,
but it would be so unnatural that using it would severely constrain you
and the way that you work. Those constraints might mean that you lose
the ability to use other features of the application.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Yes and No.
You will see remaining availability allright, but capacity, work and
availability of resources si expressed in time units exclusively (hours,
minutes, whatever, but not in units).
Hope this helps,

 

[JohnP2P]

Dave,

You say that you are considering buying this application. Given that
you have been advised that it doesn't do or hasn't been designed to do
what you want, why don't you consider buying something more appropriate.

Got any suggestions?
Thanks,
John

 

[Maurice Birchler]

I am not sure what your final outcome to this question was.
I have developed an MS-Project Application that schedules maintenance and
production tasks to plant and work crew, which can select the earliest
worker(s) to complete the task (work order) on the machine etc...
Visit http//www.preventive.co.nz for further details
Maurice