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Design and develop advanced production planning software, using innovative algorithms to improve performance and functionality.
Provide complementary tools and services for an easy integration to existing systems.
Bring to our clients quality products and services offering a good return on investment.
Our mission
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Our installations
More than 35 installations
Canada
USA
France
Germany
Spain
Sweden
Brazil
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Who is in charge of what ?
Directors and shareholders
Performance and return objectives
Salesmen
Shipping dates and customers’ specifications.
Production superintendent
Output (machines and workers)
Planner
Production schedule
Respect all constraints (Customer and production)
Shipping department
Shipping date and costs
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Are all rules of action clear?
Priority of Company rules vs. departmental vs. sectional vs. individual
Realistic or budgetary objectives?
In the event of conflict, which one should precede?
Are the rules known and applied equally by all?
To ensure a perfect process homogeneity, we would need Siamese twins or telepaths
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The planner
Receives different instructions from many sources
I want a minimum effectiveness of…
It is necessary to minimize production time
I do not want under-production and/or overproduction
Not too much change of slitter, not too many small setups
Not too many different orders on the same pattern
Such customer must be made in priority
[…]
If there is conflicts, he will apply the criteria on which he will be evaluated.
Overproduction or effectiveness
Late shipping or facilitated production
Which order could be late, preceded, overproduced, under-produced, etc.
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The planner (continuation)
Will always priorize one sector with the detriment of another:
shipping vs.
production vs. customer requirement vs.
Company profitability
If unable to respect all criteria, he might choose those which he prefers, sometimes out of context, for example:
Late delivering or minimizing pattern changes
Reducing efficiency to minimize inventory
Reducing machine width to improve statistics (efficiency)
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To optimize performance and efficiency by taking account of all constraints
To support Company priorities within each specific context
To be more proactive (Using «What-If Simulations») instead of reactive
To increase productivity and profitability
Please contact us for a free evaluation and a ROI report.
Why a software of optimization?
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Frequent perceptions
We do not have problems of optimization because we have software in each factory.
Is it used daily? If not, it is useless
All optimization software are equivalent.In theory, using the same level of mathematical algorithms, this could be true
However, the easiness to integrate all production constraints differs largely from one to another. It is of primary importance to have a software well adapted to your specific needs
Production constraints are multiple, often requiring several contradictory but complementary mathematical formulas
All customer and production constraints must be taken care of in order to generate the right patterns
If the optimization software does not allows considering all required parameters, the planner will eliminate the least adapted patterns and will have to readjust them manually. When this happens frequently, the planners end up not using the optimization software anymore and always work by hand
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Frequent perceptions (continuation)
This kind of software is not applicable on our mills, because we have too many parameters
On the contrary, the more constraints there are, the more usefull optimization software will be compared to manual operations
Differences between manufacturing constraints and established rules must be defined in order to ease the manual calculation of a production schedule
* Optimization software is used a few months, then becomes useless, because the planner knows the patterns by heart
* Only if all orders could be repeated without change in time and quantities. Unfortunately, this utopist context of production rarely happens
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Typical example
Let us suppose a mill with 2 machines
We will concentrate only on the delivery dates and the
quantities requested.
In reality, Planplus takes account of all the other criteria such as:
•Change of slitter•Inventories•cores•etc.
For this example
Block 1
Block 2
Block 3
Assignment
PlanPlus
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Typical example (continuation)
Optimization Block 1 by itself Optimization Block 2 by itself
•Contextual parameters:•Minimum effectiveness of 98% per machine•Minimize inventories•Minimize production time
Observation: Effectiveness is too low!
What are the options for the planner?
Typically, he has 2 choices:
Delay orders which are not trimming well = Delay deliveries
Call the office of the sales to receive “Side rolls” = Static inventory
Better 3days 4Hrs16
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Option: Multimachine or multisite
These orders are not pre assigned to a specific machine
No efficiency problem
4 hours gain of production
No inventory
An even number of slitters change
Additional alternatives available
Total for the 2 machines
Respected tonnage.
Optimization
Block 1 and Block 2
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Option: Anticipated orders
In a case where the temporary inventory is acceptable (Maximizing the turnover)
Effectiveness higher than budget
Inventory only accepted on confirmed orders
No impact on the production
No multimachine production
Easy reaction if some adjustment is needed
If I have the machine time
Alternatives
Optimization
Block 1 with the help of Block 3
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Our experiment shows that:
The earlier in production planning a constraint is taken into consideration, the more restrictive it gets, bringing undesired effects and resulting in more work and less efficiency
The planner might add some specific constraints, in order to support some repetitive contexts, for example:
Those two customers always share the same pattern
Such customer’s orders always go on machine X
Such order is always self optimized
We can under or overproduce the orders of this customer
This customer allows late deliveries
The main reasons leading a planner to stop using his software are:
System not updated
Lack of training
Inadequate support by supplier
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A solution is valid only if it meets all parameters and constraints
The concept of optimum must always be contextual
Since it is almost impossible to envisage all the possibilities, our support must be able to react rapidly and efficiently
Why so many people use a software such as Excel?
Usually it is to complement a software that does not attends their needs
Our philosophy
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A solution without surprise, everything being included
No additional cost for integration, adaptation, update, specific development
All customer effective needs are fulfilled
Time saving because we concentrate only on the effective needs
Our guarantee
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Continuous product development
* Brings greater flexibility to the software
• Eases all adaptations and integration to existing systems
• Requires a better knowledge of our customer’s needs which we even have to anticipate
* Results in efficiently optimized customization time and expenses, since specific adaptations are not charged
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PlanPlus brings
A versatile production optimization software and its related tools
Solution to your specific needs:Optimization of coresOptimization of inventory useOptimization of the Master rolls to be producedNeeds to come… (perhaps yours)
Connection to your processing systems:Order entryPlanning and productionOptimization for loading and shippingInventory control
Direct support with the developers which allows:Specific customization (without charge)Influence on future improvementsFree consultation
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Memorandum
An ally in your projects
who respects your autonomy.
To conclude, do not forget our motto,