Templates

[lsweet]

I'm new to project, and have been recently been moved into the new position
of scheduling. I work in a manufacturing company with 33 machine and many
projects, as well as repeat jobs that need machine time. Was wondering if
anyone else uses project in this manner. Also would anyone know where I
could find a template or two to help set up a machine shop schedule? Any
help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

The good news is, yes, I know several compannies using Project to do that.
The bad news is, I can hardly imagine a sensible template. The "projects"
that is the sequence of operations to be done on each deliverable are so
different from industry to industry that one's example is not very
meaningful to the other one's.

For instance, the 2 cases I have worked on in detail are the making of
plastic injection moulds and the scheduled maintenance of trains.. similar
in philosophy but completely different task lists. During this month I'll
also start up a case on complex automobile parts: they think of using
Project Server to consolidate the projects; the first two just used resource
pools.

So before talking template (which by the way are essentially your existing
task lists) you will have to think architecture and also information flow:
it is absolutely mandatory to have a rapid information flow from teh
shopfloor to the planning fiel to show progress if not your planning rapidly
becomes worthless; and that is for some customers a vast amount of
information.

Don't hesitate to ask more specific questions as you progress.

Greetings,

 

[lsweet]

Thank you Jan,
Where do I go from here to get the ball rolling then? How do I get project
set up so that I can get a schedule going? We have the essential information
flow, so that will not be a problem, the bigger problem will be keeping up
with it.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Well, for starters, run a pilot.
Set up a resource pool (essentially a list of the machines to be used)
Then make a couple of shop order files; when they're still blank, tell them
to use resources from the pool
(See the help on resource sharing)
Now in each shop order file, enter the task list, the dependencies (I'm sure
the operations must be done in a certain order), and assign the machines to
the tasks.
When you're there, and you haven't met with an unsolvable problem, we can go
further: then tell me.
Hope this helps,

 

[lsweet]

Hi again Jan!
I'm assuming the machine resource pool will be in the task name. Then the
shop orders will go under the resource names?

Your help is very much appreciated, slowly getting me a much better
understanding of MS Project!

I'm also trying to set up working times, we run a 2 shift 10 hour operation,
should I be using the 24 hour time scale? When I use the standard one it
won't let me put in the 9pm to 5:30am shift.

Thanks again Jan, look forward to your help and reply
Leon Sweet

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

I'm afraid we're missing a curve here.
Machines are your resources and have to be defined as resources in a
resource sheet.
They are not tasks. NOT.

Then define tasks per production item.
OK, when one task is "honing" and you have a "honing machine" (forgive me, I
never discussed toolshops in English) you could use the machine name a s a
task name but already for the sake of clarity I wouldn't do that but it's
not a sin, one can. I have seen customers use the action ("Welding" as a
task name and the inventory name of the machine as resource name (MAN 72BRT
for instance); anything as long as you don't mix the notinons of tasks and
resources.

When you have a resource pool you think fit for a pilot test and a typical
joob with the tasks in s project file you may send both to me
(jandemesATprom-ade DOTbe); I'd like to check whetezhr we're pon a good
track.
Greetz,

 

[lsweet]

Jan,
I emailed you yesterday, what I had done. Wasn't much, but I didn't want to
waste to much time if I wasn't on the right track. Please let me know if you
received my mail. Again thank you so much for all of your input!

Leon Sweet

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Sorry I haven't seen anything.
For antispam reasons one should never show a clear e-mail address here (they
are harvested by bots) that's why I "encrypt" it slightly
jandemesATprom-ade DOTbe
Replace AT by @ and DOT by .
Greetings,

 

[lsweet]

I kind of figured that, and I thought I had your address correct. I resent
the sheet via my hotmail account. I'm very interested to know if I'm on the
right track! On Friday, I'm going to a training course on MS project,
hopefully I'll have a good jump on the course and I'll be more prepared.

My email is lwsweetATmsnDOTcom if my message doesn't get thru to you please
send me something that way I can reply to you.

Thank you again Jan!