Operations Management: An Integrated Approach, 5th Edition

SCHEDULING WITHIN OM: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Scheduling is the final planning that occurs before the actual execution of the plan. A job's position in the schedule is determined by its priority status. Production planners track the performance of operations in meeting the planned schedule. This is critical because the master scheduler (Chapter 13) evaluates production planners on the level of customer service achieved for their product responsibilities.

Schedules are essential to shop floor supervisors. The schedule details when a job is to be worked on, what resources to use, and how much time the job should need. Schedules ensure that manufacturing is working on the right job, using the right equipment, at the right time. Dispatching with the use of priority rules allows floor supervisors to determine which job should be done next.

The amount of time to complete a job is often determined by a time standard (Chapter 11). If the time standards are inaccurate (either too stringent or too loose), the worker's morale may be affected. If standards are too stringent, it may be impossible to keep up with the schedule. If standards are too loose, there is no incentive to push and resources are often underutilized.

In service operations, the schedule is critical in terms of projecting when a job will be completed for the customer. Customers often need to know when the service will be provided (think of cable installers) so that the customer is available. Customers often link quality of ...