9 Tips for Revolutionizing the Advanced Planning and Scheduling Process

Successful manufacturers must create perfectly arranged production schedules that maximize their resources. In today's fast-paced world, the right software makes that possible.

An efficient manufacturing process keeps customers and stakeholders happy. It maintains the supply chain, balances supply and demand, allocates resources wisely, and maximizes profits—a hallmark of a successful company.

However, it’s also difficult to achieve, requiring careful resource management and accurate demand forecasting. Advanced planning and scheduling (APS) techniques help companies assess and improve their operations to maximize their time and resources. They often combine operational methods with software to allocate resources, plan production schedules, and manage inventory efficiently.

NetSuite Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems include several APS features that help companies run smoothly. SuiteDynamics works with NetSuite to customize and implement ERP systems and transform business operations. Our experts can modify or implement a NetSuite system for your organization that accurately forecasts demand and adjusts production to meet it.

Schedule a free consultation with our team to learn more about the software and how it can help your company predict market fluctuations and manage operations.

What Is Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS)?

APS involves techniques and tools that optimize resource distribution and production scheduling in manufacturing and supply chain operations. These systems manage supply and demand by creating a production schedule based on your company’s constraints and capacities. This process allows you to distribute resources efficiently, reduce lead times, and improve customer service.

The 2023 McKinsey &Co. Supply Chain Pulse Survey found that this type of management is becoming popular. According to the research, 76% of surveyed companies have APS systems, a higher adoption rate than the 2022 survey predicted.

Key Components of APS

Advanced planning and scheduling systems typically include the following elements:

1. Demand Planning: Using historical data and market trends to forecast customer demand and ensure production meets customer needs.
2. Supply Planning: Determining the best way to meet forecasted demand with available resources, including inventory and production capacity.
3. Production Scheduling: Allocating production tasks to specific resources (e.g., machines, labor) in the most efficient way possible.
4. Distribution Planning: Optimizing the movement of finished goods from production facilities to customers or distribution centers.
5. Transportation Planning: Managing and optimizing the movement of goods and people, ensuring efficient, cost-effective, and timely delivery while considering various factors such as routes, modes of transport, schedules, and regulatory requirements.

Benefits of APS

Advanced planning and scheduling software is crucial in industries that depend on efficiency and timely delivery. Manufacturing features complex production processes that require precise materials, labor, and machinery coordination, so APS systems keep operations running smoothly.

In supply chain management, they help optimize the flow of goods, reducing delays and improving service levels. Their primary benefits include:

1. Improved Efficiency: Timewatch research says 90% of surveyed employees believe better time management increases productivity. APS optimizes the use of resources, reducing waste and increasing productivity.
2. Better Customer Service: By ensuring timely fulfillment of orders, APS helps improve customer satisfaction.
3. Reduced Inventory Costs: APS helps maintain optimal inventory levels, reducing carrying costs and minimizing stockouts.
4. Enhanced Decision-Making: Real-time data and insights enable better decision-making and quick responses to changes in the market.
5. Increased Flexibility: APS systems can quickly adapt to changes in demand or production constraints, providing greater operational flexibility.

These benefits seem to pay off, creating better and more efficient planning. According to McKinsey & Co., 59% of surveyed companies that use APS need few manual workarounds in their planning processes. Only 4% of companies that are not using the technology say the same.

Tips for Improving Advanced Planning and Scheduling

When done right, advanced planning and scheduling methods can reduce lead times so your company can meet customer demands and pivot operations to manage unexpected issues and changes. The following tips help maximize APS, particularly when paired with NetSuite ERP software. 

1. Leverage Real-Time Data

Using real-time data is crucial for making informed APS decisions and managing operations. In fact, the Center for Economics & Business Research found that 62% of surveyed businesses experienced more efficient process rollouts when using real-time data. Additionally, 100% reported an increased ability to detect process irregularities.

In the manufacturing and supply chain world, real-time information about inventory levels, machine status, and labor availability can help adjust plans promptly and accurately. NetSuite's APS tools provide a live stream of information you can utilize to enhance planning accuracy.

2. Implement Demand Forecasting

Accurate demand forecasting is the backbone of effective APS. Historical data and market trends can help predict future demand, allowing you to plan production schedules and inventory management more accurately and reducing the risk of overproduction or stock-outs.

NetSuite’s demand planning tools track and analyze these metrics to create the best possible forecasts. You can also adjust the planning in NetSuite as new data becomes available so predictions remain accurate.

3. Optimize Resource Allocation

Efficient resource allocation prevents bottlenecks and optimizes resources. Review your resource assignments regularly and adjust them to accommodate current and upcoming demands. NetSuite software supports dynamic resource allocation, so you can effectively match resources to demand.

4. Automate Scheduling

Automated scheduling processes reduce the chances of human error and save time. NetSuite's automated scheduling features can handle routine tasks and complex scheduling based on predefined rules and parameters, ensuring schedules are consistent and reliable.

5. Monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Track KPIs such as on-time delivery rates, production efficiency, and inventory turnover to measure the effectiveness of your planning and scheduling processes. Regularly reviewing these metrics helps identify areas for improvement so you can adjust strategies accordingly.

6. Train Your Team

Invest in training for your team to ensure they can use APS tools. A well-trained team will fully leverage the system’s capabilities and effectively handle problems. Constant training will also keep your team updated on the latest features and best practices.

Contact the SuiteDynamics experts to learn more about our custom training programs. We’ll teach you how to use your system’s unique features and maximize the tools you’ve received.

7. Regularly Review and Refine Processes

The business environment is constantly evolving, and so should planning and scheduling processes. Review your methods regularly and find ways to improve. Use your team's feedback and NetSuite data to enhance your process’s efficiency and effectiveness.

8. Seek Expert Advice

Don’t hesitate to seek advice from industry experts like our SuiteDynamics team. We can provide valuable insights and help implement software tailored to your needs. Together, we can ensure your business runs as efficiently as possible.

Schedule your free consultation today and discover how the combination of expert knowledge and quality software can transform your advanced planning and scheduling practices.

Benefits of Using a NetSuite ERP System for APS

A NetSuite ERP system’s integration of advanced planning and scheduling capabilities helps businesses manage their operations more effectively. An ERP unifies a company’s systems from inventory management to manufacturing to shipping, housing the information on a single database. Therefore, it can supply APS software with the real-time data it needs to create quality production schedules.

The software supports:

• Increased Efficiency: NetSuite reduces waste and increases overall efficiency by optimizing resource allocation and production schedules.
• Better Decision-Making: Real-time data and advanced analytics provide actionable insights, enabling better decision-making.
• Enhanced Flexibility: NetSuite’s dynamic planning tools allow businesses to adjust to changes in demand or supply chain conditions quickly.
• Improved Customer Satisfaction: Accurate demand forecasting and efficient order management ensure that customer orders are fulfilled on time.
• Cost Reduction: Optimized inventory management and reduced lead times help lower carrying costs and improve cash flow.

SuiteDynamics experts can explain more about the NetSuite features that support advanced planning and scheduling during your free consultation. We can even demo the product at your request. We’ll ensure your company has the tools to keep production on track.

Speed Up Operations and Expand Profits

In the manufacturing world, efficiency is king. As a manufacturer, you must be able to create the shortest lead times possible to maximize your profits—or make any profits at all. You also need to analyze your KPIs, predict demand, and automate what you can to develop a successful operation.

Advanced planning and scheduling techniques and software allow your company to optimize your resources, create well-informed customer demand predictions, and utilize real-time data so you can boost production and, consequently, revenue.

A NetSuite ERP system allows you to create lean and efficient processes using APS features that are integrated with the rest of your systems. It provides necessary data from every piece of your company to better manage production scheduling.

Schedule a free consultation with SuiteDynamics experts to learn more about the system’s APS features and how they can speed up your operation and expand your profits. We’ll help ensure you have the resources you need to become the best version of your business.

We pull information from NetSuite material, SuiteDynamics experts, and other reliable sources to compose our blog posts and educational pieces. We ensure they are as accurate as possible at the time of writing. However, software evolves quickly, and although we work to maintain these posts, some details may fall out of date. Contact SuiteDynamics experts for the latest information on NetSuite ERP systems.

Part of this text was generated using GPT-3, OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model. After generating the draft language, our team edited, revised, and fact-checked it to ensure readability and accuracy. SuiteDynamics is ultimately responsible for the content of this blog post.