Genetic Optimizer (GO)
Advanced Production Scheduling for Complex Food & Beverage Production
When it comes to production planning and scheduling, changes occur all day, every day. Nothing stays the same and that tricky balancing act becomes a moving target. This is the real-world motivation behind Junction Solutions’ development of its revolutionary Genetic Optimizer (GO), a production scheduling optimizer easily integrated to any ERP solution.
This powerful tool provides both discrete and process manufacturers with a fast, flexible planning solution that’s easily implemented without third-party software or complex integration. Because it can be fully integrated into any ERP solution, the amount of offline data collection and manipulation is minimized, translating to reduced workload and improved quality of schedules.
Behind the scenes, GO is an extremely complex product powered by complex algorithms. On the front end, however, there is nothing complex about the product. Stated very simply, GO schedules production in the most efficient, economical way possible. Orders, or production, are scheduled to maximize on-time delivery, while minimizing cleaning and changeover-driven downtime, all within the production constraints specified for each piece of equipment.
The GO scheduler enables manufacturers to reduce the workload associated with scheduling, while improving the quality of production schedules and quickly responding to changes within the schedule throughout the day. The GO scheduler optimizes even the most complex production and packaging schedules, such as make to order. GO is a 'must-have' tool in the arsenal to perfect production scheduling.
Features & Benefits
Straightforward ‘Operator-Focused’ Configuration
GO is easily configured to support virtually any production operation. Any activity, process, equipment or workstation that has quantifiable flow rates and capacities can be defined as a GO resource and included in the schedule. For example, assembly, blending, cooking, filling, machining and packaging can be scheduled, individually or sequentially, as a manufacturing process. This approach allows planners to set up and configure GO according to their requirements and processes, and using their terminology.
Full Support for Complex Process Manufacturing Operations, including Dairy
The flexibility, power and speed of GO enable it to schedule complex multistep process manufacturing operations, including fluid dairy. In the case of dairy, GO schedules conventional and organic products across multiple pasteurizers, tanks and fillers, maximizing on-time delivery, while minimizing allergen cleaning and changeover-driven downtime.
Quick & Flexible Rescheduling When Needed
In dynamic, high-volume production environments, it is often necessary to reschedule during a production run. GO gives the planner the ability to specify which products are running on which resources and, if tanks are involved, how much product is in each tank. GO will generate the go-forward schedule based on this user-defined current state. This capability gives planners significant decision support through ‘what if’ analysis to overcome unplanned challenges that occur every day.
Generate Plans & Focus on Valuable ‘What If’ Analysis
GO can generate schedules for single-step manufacturing processes in seconds, and for complex multi-step processes in just a few minutes. This gives planners the ability to reschedule, or conduct high-value ‘what if’ analysis throughout the day.
Flexible Delivery Model Options
GO can be delivered as an on-premise solution, or using the on-demand delivery model. This gives customers flexibility in choosing a solution that best fits their business needs.
Streamline Scheduling Using a State-of-the-Art Genetic Algorithm
GO answers the scheduling problem by taking the strongest ‘individuals’ from a population of potential solutions, and using them to propagate additional solution sets. In this way, the ultimate solution evolves as a matter of technological ‘survival of the fittest.' Only in this case, the planner defines ‘fittest.' Characteristics such as on-time delivery, adherence to preferred changeover sequencing, allergen avoidance and delayed start are set according to business priorities.
GO Functionality :
- Advanced sequencing evaluation and recommendations with genetic optimization. Specify certain product-to-product sequences, suggest others and allow GO to do the legwork to fine tune and determine the best sequence for the remainder.
- Consolidated, intuitive planner workbench. Shorten the learning curve and reduce time required to generate schedules.
- Load balancing across production resources. Distribute workload across equipment and staff, avoiding unnecessary bottlenecks.
- Changeover-dependent sequencing. Minimize downtime due to product-to-product changeover cleaning requirements.
- Production resource capacity and flow constraints. Take into consideration equipment flow rates for process manufacturing, batch processing, tank capacities and flow rates. Support resources with multiple inputs and outputs.
- Allergen-influenced sequencing with allergen alerts. Consider factors that greatly impact changeover schedules and logical production flows, such as allergen-influenced sequencing.
- Fuzzy-logic decision support. Use fuzzy logic to seek ‘better’ solutions and workflow scenarios. For example, an item could be scheduled on several pieces of equipment; however, one is preferred over the others if it is available.
- Detailed reports and graphical output. Capitalize on invaluable information and trends via information-packed reports.
- Easy- to-use data import and export tools. Send vital information to be used in other solutions in the enterprise.
- Modular design that enables quick implementation. Start using this powerful scheduling tool fast!
Key Benefits:
- Low total cost of ownership
- Easily integrated into any ERP solution, meaning a familiar look and feel to users and a simplified upgrade path
- Choice of either on-premise or on-demand delivery model
- User-friendly, intuitive and configurable to mirror any business
- Quick and simplified implementation
