Creating a flexible, simulation-based finite scheduling tool

Today's business climate for manufacturers requires low inventory, quick response systems that turn out a wide variety of products. Since many companies are reaching physical capacity constraints, finite scheduling is increasingly becoming an issue. If you are currently an engineer with simulation expertise, you may be asked to assist with an initiative to computerize your scheduling process. There are dozens of off-the-shelf scheduling tools available today, but their underlying capabilities may not meet the true needs of your system. This paper will discuss critical system characteristics that are often ignored in off-the-shelf packages yet can be accurately accommodated by creating your own simulation-based scheduler. We will review how to approach modeling and data structure issues that will commonly be encountered, while highlighting the differences from creating a standard simulation model used strictly for analysis.