Detailed, flexible production scheduling software can change the game for manufacturers.

Success in manufacturing demands agility. Manufacturers face a fluctuating market, labor pressures, short turnaround times, and a host of additional challenges that require them to adapt on the fly while still delivering high-quality products, on time and within budget, for their clients.

The tools available to manufacturers to help them manage production processes haven’t always been up to the task. Paper packets need to be manually updated with current information, take up space, and get lost. Spreadsheets and whiteboards can be difficult to access and can’t illustrate downstream impacts from an upstream change. Planning requires rigorous attention to detail, and the burden of flexibility is high. And to top it off, moving away from legacy solutions and toward a digital transformation can involve an enormous amount of work.

JobPack is a production scheduler designed with the needs of manufacturers in mind. It’s lightweight and can be implemented in weeks, offering benefits in a much more appealing timeframe, and it’s built to deliver the functionality that manufacturing floors need in order to be at their best: real-time transparency, detailed data, and flexibility. JobPack’s core capabilities are the catalysts for full-scale transformation of manufacturing production processes. Here’s how it works.

1.    Operational visibility.

The manufacturing floor is a busy place with a lot of moving parts. In that environment, it can be difficult to gain clarity on the kind of information that’s crucial to good decision making—information like detailed job statuses, equipment utilization, or throughput on essential machines.

JobPack provides a way to collect and organize granular data about your shop floor processes, commitments, and assets. Managers can use this data on its own or as part of an ERP system to make more informed decisions about new customer commitments, plan for capital expenditures or scheduled maintenance, and identify process bottlenecks.

With modern sensors and analytics, the sheer amount of data available from a shop floor can feel intimidating. But when presented in an accessible format like JobPack’s, there’s no better way to gain game-changing insights into your business.

2.    Streamlined production.

With so many processes and materials to keep track of, decision fatigue can set in quickly on a manufacturing shop floor. Switching between paper and digital records or leaving the production line to check a spreadsheet creates a bigger disruption than just the time it takes to accomplish the task—mentally switching gears and keeping track of scattered information takes an extra toll, and makes it harder to get back into the flow of work once interrupted.

The silver lining of this hurdle, however, is that if you can achieve efficiency gains, the benefits compound. JobPack paves the way for paperless operations, acting as your shop floor’s single source of truth, and its interface is accessible over the web from any device. That means no more conflicting status updates or misplaced paperwork—just one easy-to-use, readily available system of record. Operators know exactly where to go for the most up-to-date information. JobPack can even help you prioritize your production schedule, further reducing uncertainty and keeping production flowing smoothly.

3.    Data collection and analysis.

Robust production scheduling software like JobPack goes beyond simply cataloguing data about your shop floor. Because JobPack is designed with manufacturers in mind, it can help you use your data to answer the critical business questions that manufacturers face.

Real-time visibility into your shop floor is valuable on its own, but when collected over time, production data gives you a baseline to analyze, optimize, and predict the behavior of your workflows and systems. One especially valuable application is in identifying maintenance windows. As you build an understanding of individual machines’ capacity and throughput, you can begin to identify when equipment is lagging, experiencing an issue, or in need of maintenance. With JobPack, you can identify optimal maintenance windows that won’t risk damage to your equipment and will minimize disruption to your production schedule.

JobPack’s data collection lets you compare productivity over time to identify and eliminate process bottlenecks or make the case for equipment changes. Paired with a full ERP implementation, you can analyze production data against other business factors like supply chain activity, marketing spend, or sales numbers to find new insights and take advantage of unexpected synergies.

4.    Prediction and modeling.

One of JobPack’s most impactful features is its what-if scenario planning: a flexible, low-risk way to assess the outcomes of taking on a new production job, for example, or adding a new machine. Based on historical and real-time data from your shop floor, JobPack gives you the tools to predict what alternate scenarios will look like, without committing—and potentially losing—time and resources.

With what-if planning, you can determine whether a new commitment will overload your shop floor or staff, and avoid the risk of costly overtime or late delivery penalties. You can explore the effects of a change in production process or equipment without investing the time and finances required to reconfigure your production line. JobPack allows you to develop an optimized plan first, and then execute once you’ve set yourself up for success.

JobPack turns shop floor questions into answers.

Manufacturing involves an enormous array of variables. JobPack helps you convert them from question marks into strengths, giving you the tools to accurately assess your operations and adapt to the needs of your business and the market.

Learn more about how the industry-leading production scheduler can transform your factory. Request a JobPack demo today.