APS: Routine Procedures

The life cycle for a single demand usually proceeds through the APS and scheduling functions like this:

The order entry user promises the order (demand incrementally planned during Get ATP/CTP).
The planning user runs the APS Planning activity. APS generates planned order to fill unsatisfied demand quantity.
The planning user firms the planned order into a job (for example, on the Planning Detail form) and releases it.
The scheduling activity schedules the job and generates the dispatch list.
The job is executed on the shop floor according to the dispatch list.
The order is shipped.

The next two sections describe the routine tasks associated with these events in a demand's life cycle.

Nightly Steps

You can place these tasks on the Background Queue to be run nightly, when few or no users will be saving changes to records that are included in the plan and schedule.

Run the Scheduling activity using a Days to Schedule value that equals the Plan Horizon value for the APS function.
Run the APS Planning activity.
If you are using APS in a multi-site environment, you can use the Global mode to plan all demands at all sites. Usually you will run APS with a long horizon such as one or two months.

Daily Activities

These activities can happen in parallel.

Create demands/promise orders during order entry and other daily activities. When you create a demand in the system, you can use the Get ATP/CTP function to project completion dates and to insert the demand into the current plan.
Analyze the planning output and determine the causes for any lateness.
Respond to the exception messages that display on the Exceptions Report or Planning Detail form.
To determine when you must generate and release a job order or purchase order to ensure that an item is available when needed, use the Material Planner Workbench or Order Action Report.
Firm planned orders using the Planning Detail form or the Material Planner Workbench form.
Execute production according to the dispatch list (generated by the Scheduling activity).
Record the status of operations (setup time, move time, and so on) for costing and scheduling purposes.