Production planning: pick lists and kit groups

The Production Planning window in FactoryLogix (accessed from NPI > Logistics > Production Planning) is the graphical drag-and-drop environment for planners to schedule near-term batches containing one or more kit groups. A kit group is a subset of a material pick list. A pick list is determined using one of the following methods: 

• Parts assigned to an operation in the Part Assignments area

• Bill of Process (BOP) items from Material Setup Validation

• From an imported pick list file via an xTend integration
  

After selecting a method for a pick list, the pick list is split into kit groups. A kit group is a unique combination of source (in the warehouse) and destination (on the production floor). The overall pick list is split up this way because the destination is typically in different physical locations inside the factory. For example, there would be little need to transport materials needed for final assembly to a surface-mount PCB line, yet these are all needed for the overall assembly.

When planners schedule batches in the Production Planning window in NPI, the FactoryLogix Material Reservation system does most of the work. Using the rules that you specify, FactoryLogix evaluates each kit group as you drag it onto the schedule to ensure the destination work center is capable of producing that portion of the assembly based on its supported resource types as well as the order of operations specified by the process flow.

Example

If an assembly process flow specifies that the SMT area must be built prior to the final assembly portion, the scheduling environment will prevent the scheduling of the final assembly portion prior to the SMT portion by displaying an error message. Once validated, the reservations system evaluates all the materials needed from the kit group. FactoryLogix immediately scans your inventory, reserves the needed materials, alerts you to any missing materials, and even suggests possible solutions to these potential shortages. For example, a part may show as “missing” because it is still in Receiving Inspection, or the one instance of a part is currently in use or on an existing reservation. Planners will have near-instant data at their fingertips to make informed decisions about what to schedule, where, and when.

Two tabs at the bottom of the Production Planning window display both Reserved Material and Unavailable Parts. Double-clicking an unavailable part will display the potential resolutions to the shortage. 

The Production Planning window uses color coding to help schedulers review production plans and potential scheduling conflicts. Select the Color Legend button in the lower-right area of the Production Planning window to display the color legend.

Once planned, the reservation types drive the material kitting or picking process. Materials are put onto one or more transport orders for picking and delivery to their point of use. These transport orders can be viewed in the Production Planning window.

There are some features which can dictate how transport orders are executed. For example, the Workers Per Order option permits multiple pickers. Changing this option to two will split the items across two transport orders. (This option is typically used for large batches with many materials.)