Planning Board

Overview

The Planning Board module is used in manufacturing environments to manage Production. The board is populated from Services in Estimates (BoMs) linked to Work Order transactions. The layout provides a list of transactions on the left, followed by an ordered list of production Stages. The Stages are updated from Estimate Services linked to the same Cost Centre the Stage is linked to. Each Stage contains an ordered (From top to bottom), colour-coded list of Tasks that need to be completed. Colour is used to indicate the Status of Tasks.

The Planning Board is populated when the Transactions Status is changed to one where Planning Board = True. When the Transaction is moved to a Status where Planning Board = False, the tasks are deleted from the Planning Board.

All the Services on a transaction will be assigned to the default Workstation linked to the Service's Cost Centre. From there, you can assign tasks to the different Workstations.

The Planning Board can be viewed in a Compact, Standard (Default) or Extended View - Click the Menu button to select a View. 

Navigation depends on where the Planning Board module has been added to the Menu.

The Planning Board is integrated with the shopfloor Timekeeping and Tracking module. See Timekeeping - Planning Board 

Filters

The Planning Board can be filtered by 

• Rep - Select one or more Reps

• Stages - By default, all the non-blank Stages are displayed.

Planning Board Actions

• Order by Due Date - Orders all the Stages by the Due Date

• Order by Status and Due Date - Orders all the Stages by Status and then by Due Date

Custom Planning Board Actions can be added from the Actions module. Custom Actions don't require any input parameters.

Left Column (WiP / Summary)

The left column can be used to display different views as follows:

• Summary (Default) - Loading Summary by Stage

• WiP - Ungrouped - WiP lists all the Active Transactions that update the Planning Board (Jobs)

• WiP by Due Date

• WiP by Customer

• WiP by Status

View: Planning Board - Board

The Planning Board Stages represent the different production Stages in a manufacturing facility and are represented by an ordered list (From left to right) of vertical columns in the Planning Board.

Menu (button)

• Choose a Layout from Standard, Compact or Extended.

• Save the Layout, the following is saved: Summary & Stage width, the Layout and the visible Stages.

Tasks

Each Stage contains a list of Tasks ordered from top to bottom. The following fields are displayed on a Task:

• Transaction No. - If multiple transactions update the Planning Board, the number will be prefixed by the Transaction Code.

• Description - Can be customised according to the Settings below

• Rep

• Customer 

• Qty - The quantity that needs to be completed.

• S (Start Date) - The Date and Time the Task is due to be started.

• Finish - The Date and Time the Task should be completed.

• Hours - The column on the right of a Production Task displays the following hours (From top to bottom): Estimated, Actual (Timekeeping) and Cumulative (Sum of working hours before the Tasks will be completed)

Tasks can be moved up or down a Stage using drag-and-drop. Right-click on a Task to open the Popup Menu that contains relevant actions and drill-down functions.

Right-click on a Task to open the popup menu that allows you to execute the following Stage Actions: 

• Set Start/Finish from Now - Executed by Stage - The Stage will be re-ordered accordingly.

• Order by Due Date - Orders the selected Stage by Due Date

• Order by Status and Due Date - Orders the selected Stage by Status and then by Due Date.

Editing Tasks

Right-click a Task and select View/Edit Job to open the Task edit window - this can also be done by double-clicking on a Task. The form displays the Transaction Header and the Tasks linked to the Transaction. 

If you have full access rights, the form allows you to edit the following Transaction fields:

• Status - Select from a list of Active Statuses only

• Status Note 

• Due Date - The Date and Time the Job is due for delivery

• Group

• Batch Updates - The Status, Start Date, Finish Date and Adjust Qty can be updated on multi-selected Tasks. The Adjust Qty function allows you to update the Complete and Spoiled quantities.

Actions Button

• Update the Group field - This will update the Group field using the SQL in the Stage setup. Multi-selected Records only.

• Set Task Start/Finish Dates - This will set the Task Start and Due Dates based on the Job Due Date

• Reset the Quantity (Req Qty) - Visible if Qty is enabled on the Planning Board

Planning Board Actions

• Reset Planning Board - This Action will execute the following General Actions in this order: 

• Set Due Date = Req Date

• Set Task Start/Finish from WO Due Date

• Set Start/Finish from Now (Stages)

• Set Start/Finish by Dependancy (Jobs)

• Set Start/Finish from Now (Stages) - Executed by Stage - all the tasks in an Outwork Stage will be set to now ordered by Start Date. The Stage will be re-ordered accordingly.

• Set Start/Finish from Dependency (Stages) - Tasks are moved if the Previous Task Finishes before the next Task Starts. Cascading Tasks, except for Outwork Tasks, are also moved.

• Order by Start Date - The Stage is re-ordered by the Task Start Date.

• Order all Stages By Status and Start Date - The Stage is re-ordered by the Status and then the Start Date.

Task Menu

Right-click on a Task to open the popup menu that allows you to execute the following Task Actions: 

• Next Status

• Previous Status

• Set Complete

Kanban Board

The Kanban view allows you to view all the Tasks for one Stage in an ordered list of Status columns. You can use drag-and-drop to move tasks up or down and to a different Status. When the Kanban Board is closed, if changes are made, the Stage is re-ordered by Status and the order set on the Kanban board. Right-click on a Task and select Open Kanban Board.

View: Planning Board - Tasks

This view displays all the Tasks on the Planning Board in a horizontal grid view. The following data filters are available:

• Date -  (Default = Today) - Filters on Start Date of the Tasks

• Show - Filters on the Task Status. Select from All, Active (Default), Completed - 

• Trans No. - Search by Transaction No.

Fields

• Status - The Status of the Task on the Planning Board.

• Routing - Displays the progress of the Job by listing all the Stages (By Code), coloured by Status. 

• Grouping - This is a custom field that is set up in Stages. Ideally, this field will display information required to group tasks. 

• Req Qty - Stage Quantity

• Comp Qty  - From Tracking

• Spoil Qty  - From Tracking

• Out Qty - Req Qty less Comp Qty

• Progress - If the Planning Board uses Quantity, then it's based on Qty, else it's based on Hours.

Batch Updates 

Use the Batch Updates to update multi-selected records. Full Access is required to use the Batch Updates.

• Stages

• Status

• Qty

• Group

View: Planning Board - Jobs

This view displays all the Transactions on the Planning Board in a horisontal grid view. The following data filters are available:

• Date - (Default = No Date) Filters on Due Date of the Transaction

• Show - Select from All (Default), Active (One or more tasks have not been completed), Completed (All the Tasks have been completed)

• Trans No. - Search by Transaction No.

Fields

• Status - The Transaction Status

• Routing - An ordered list of Tasks that includes the Completed Qty. 

Actions

• Set Status to Complete - Sets the multi-selected Transactions to their default Complete Status. NB. Depending on the Transaction Status settings, this could remove the Transaction and it's linked tasks from the Planning Board.

View: Planning Board - Calendar

This view provides a Calendar view of all the Tasks on the Planning Board. 

Views include: Week, Day (15min), Day (6min)

Right-click on a Task or on a stage to open the context menus.

Tools have been provided to:

• Move between Stages

• Auto move next - the cascading tasks in the same Stage are moved when a Task is moved.

View: Planning Board - Timekeeping

This view displays all the Timekeeping records linked to a Task on the Planning Board. Editing functionality is available for users who have editing rights on the Planning Board. This view is ideal for managing Timekeeping on a daily basis and fixing faulty timekeeping records. The following data filters are available:

• Date - (Default = Today) Filters on Start Date of Timelog

• Stage - Select from a Production Stage

• Show - Select from All (Default), Active (Timekeeping record is currently open), Completed (Timekeeping record is complete)

• Trans No. - Search by Transaction No.

Actions

• Set Status to Approved - Used to set multi-selected records as Approved.

• Delete - Delete multi-selected records, for example, where the Start and End Times are the same and the Qty is zero.

View: Planning Board - Materials

A Materials View in the Planning Board displays all the Materials required for Pending and Active Transactions. See Menu (button) > Views > Materials.

Settings

• Setting to activate (can be assigned to multiple Transactions): Transaction Setting > View Materials in Planning Board (Pending & Active)

• Qty (GI) and Qty (PO) are updated based on General Settings  > Setup Costing Rules.

• Qty (Out) = Qty (Req) - Qty (GI) - Qty (PO)

Actions

• Open Transaction

• View Linked Transactions.

Setting up

Cost Centres

Add all the Workstations that are linked to the Cost Centre. The Workstations are, in turn, linked to the Planning Board Stages in the Planning Board setup module. 

Actions 

Custom Actions can be set up in the Actions module.

Planning Board

Menu Setup - Go to Setup > Menu and add the following fixed module menu item: Planning Board.

The Settings can be accessed from the Planning Board - Navigate to Menu (button) > Settings. 

Stages

• Open the Planning Board Settings and select the Stages tab.

• Click the New button to create a new Stage or use the Copy button to copy the selected Stage.

• Enter a Description, keeping it as short as possible.

• Enter a Code - used in condensed views.

• Select the Type from the lookup: Production or Outwork. (This field can only be updated if the Workstation is blank or the Supplier list is empty)

• Active - Used to Enable/Disable a Stage.

• Set to Ready - used to set the next Task to a Ready Status.

• Workstation - Select a Cost Centre Workstation - Production only

• Work Shift - Select from a list of Work Shifts that are set up in My Organisation. 

• Status - Click the Add Status button to add a new Status or use the dropdown colour pallet to select Add default Statuses.

• Tracking: Select whether you will track Setup, Run and Washup hours - Production only.

• Suppliers - Add one or more Suppliers to the Stage - Outwork only

Edit Group SQL - Enter the SQL to select a value that can be used to cost-effectively group the tasks in a stage. Menu (button) > Edit SQL for Group field. 

Right-click on the Stages list and select Move Up/Down to change the order of the Stages. Note the keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+U and Ctrl+D.

Settings

• Transactions > Planning Board > Update Estimate Services to Planning Board - Default = N/A. This setting determines whether or not, the transaction updates the Planning Board. Multiple Transactions can update the Planning Board. Note: When the setting is changed from Yes to No, the existing tasks linked to that Transaction will remain on the Planning Board.

• Roles > Planning Board > Planning Board: Access Allowed - Default = None - Options include: None, View Only, Full Access. Full Access allows you to update Tasks and Settings.

• General Setting > Planning Board > Default: Set Qty from. This setting determines how the quantity will be assigned to the Planning Board tasks. Options include Service (Default), Assembly, Root Assembly and Estimate.

• General > Planning Board > Description Format...) (Default = Transaction Reference [TRANSACTION]. Data Tags include: 

  • [TRANSREF] - Transaction Reference

  • [ITMDESC] - Transaction Item Description

  • [SERDESC] - Service Description

  • [ROOTASM] - Root Assembly Description (First level Assembly)

  • [ROOTASMCODE] - Root Assembly Code (First level Assembly)

  • [ASM] - Assembly Description (Direct Parent)

  • [ASMCODE] - Assembly Code (Direct Parent)

• General > Planning Board > Set Next Task to Ready on Complete - If the next task is in a Compete or Busy Status, it will not be updated. Options include:

  • N/A - The Planning Board is not automatically updated when a Task is set to Complete

  • Next Task overall (Default) - This will set the next Task to Ready, regardless of the Stage or Assembly

  • Next Task in the same Assembly - This will set the next Task in the same Assembly to Ready. NB. The next Task is selected according to the Order of Services in the Assembly (Estimate).

• General > Planning Board > Default: Show Quantity - Default = No - The quantity functionality doesn't add value in instances where you are always producing a single item.

Transactions > Status

Navigate to Setup > Transactions and select the Status tab. Check the Planning Board checkbox to determine which Statuses will update the Planning Board.