In most production, manufacturing, and processing facilities, there is a finite volume of materials that can be processed per hour, day, week or month. At the same time, there are sales representatives out in the field trying to ensure full scheduling of all production, increasing the company’s bottom line.
The Challenges of Lead Time Planning
With this dynamic in place, determining specific lead times for customer orders can be a challenge. Not only are there issues with scheduling the optimal use of equipment but there are also staffing considering’s, raw material purchasing and delivery requirements as well as the ability to deal with orders in a priority processing structure.
Needless to say, this can become extremely complicated, even more so if there are multiple locations with different production or manufacturing services offered. Using quality lead time management software will be essential to provide for accurate scheduling, planning orders and ensuring customers deliveries go out on time.
Evaluating Lead Time Issues
With lead time management software in place, it will also be much easier for a manager to quickly determine where time inefficiencies exist in the system. This can be done through tracking orders and checking for irregularities in order completion. Additionally, when this management program is fully integrated with inventory, sales, and production software the company can quickly and easily get a real time look at just what is occurring across multiple locations from any device with internet access.
By understanding where inefficiencies or issues occur within the system, it will be easy for the management team to then develop effective ways to offset these problems. Additionally, with the use of lead time management software issues such as missing Just-In-Time deliveries or incorrect scheduling of equipment or staff will also be easily determined and corrected for future boosting of the overall production with a subsequent decrease in lead time for customers.
