Open-Source ERP Software

There are some ERP software systems out there that are “configurable”. You’ll pay a lot of money for some of these systems, and then spend months learning how to configure them properly and get them configured to the point where they can do what you want them to do. It’s considerably more difficult than it would appear at first glance. Even some of your home-grown “I can do that with Access” IT people will have a difficult time with these systems, and it will take just as long as their Access project.

Real open-source ERP software gets you right into the middle of things, “into the weeds” if you will. Custom-tailored software, built on an open-source framework managed by the team performing the custom tailoring, won’t take as long to develop and the finished project will work even better because it was designed specifically for what you’re doing.

It’s also possible to take classes on frameworks such as this so your IT people can help with the management of the software. They’ll be able to track down minor bugs and glitches, and make changes as necessary, with the support of the framework’s development team when the need arises. This kind of support is unavailable with one of those expensive “configurable” ERP systems.

ERP software should assist you in managing your enterprise without that same software bogging you down in the details of its configuration in the first place. Getting a custom-tailored system up-and-running inside of a couple months, with support for another year, with your own people involved in its development and management … this will allow you to focus more on the business of running your business.

That’s really where your focus needs to be.

Artificial Intelligence in Production Scheduling Software

Let’s say you have a few production lines making individual items as part of an overall finished product. Your schedule ends up being all over the place. There are multiple processes, multiple people and multiple machine lines all feeding into the same areas where the finished product is assembled, tested and shipped. Looking at the schedule you’ve set up, either as part of a spreadsheet, a ‘manual’ system of pencil and paper (and lots of eraser marks) or even sticky notes on a painted piece of plywood, you really wonder how any kind of scheduling software could make any sense of what you do.

Production scheduling software can be smarter than you think.

Building artificial intelligence into a production scheduling system is a rather intelligent thing to do. It doesn’t matter how many production lines you have or how many other lines they feed into. The artificial intelligence already takes that into consideration. The intelligence looks at the current schedule and anything that needs to be added to it or deleted from it. It then starts mutating the schedule using a genetic algorithm, looking for the best possible solution for the current batch of jobs for the given lines. Once it finds the optimal solution, the artificial intelligence hands it back to you.

The production schedule it comes up with will likely be a bit different than what you might have done, so you may not recognize it. But the fact is, the schedule is there and, more importantly, it works.

Manual production scheduling systems are all well and good, and are certainly not something to be ignored. But if you want it done right, you’d better call in some artificial intelligence.

New Scheduling Site

We are launching a new site that I hope will be very informative.  The site contains information on manufacturing scheduling solutions as well as a collection of informative articles on MRP and lean scheduling.  I hope you will find it to be a valuable resource.  Check it out here and let me know what you think.  http://www.MANUFACTURING-SCHEDULING.COM