An example of Critical Resource Planning with a Flashboard

at a Pressed Metal Component plant.

What is Critical Resource Planning?

There are many, many resources that have to be managed to make a business run.

But only a few are critical "stop-the-ship" resources.

We know that if these critical resources are managed well, the rest of the plan can adapt.

Every day, the key management group needs to get together

to make sure that the day to day operation plan takes into account

any changes in the need for the critical resources.

These are often "outside the business" factors, such as tooling or special long lead time materials.

When the critical resource plan is visual, up on the wall, for everyone to see,

a quick chat standing in front of the Flashboard is enough to keep everyone in the picture.

No time wasting, but everyone can work together.

If the tooling department knows that the material is due in next week,

they know that the tools will be needed and can anticipate... much better than re-acting in rush mode.

Setting up a Flashboard for Critical Resource Planning

In this section, we will discuss how the Flashboard can be set up for critical resources.

We will work through an example of manual planning of critical resources.

Defining Critical Resources

It is important choose a small number of critical resources.

It is better to be flexible and add and remove critical resources as the need arises.

For example

Materials

Tooling

First Operation

would be a good starting point...

Time Range and Time Units

Usually, a daily check of the critical resource plan is recommended,

which means that one day would be the natural time unit.

For critical resources the lead time would give the time range for the Flashboard.

With special materials, eg imported, this would give us a range of several months.

Practically, the base model Flashboard provides for a range of 30 units. It could be set up like this:

M

T

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F

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T

F

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F

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Pending

The pending area would hold strips for tasks more than five weeks away.

Strips for Critical Resource Planning

One strip is needed for each task on each critical resource.

This would be directly related to production runs.

Production runs would be triggered by customer orders for non-stock parts or by likely stock out day for stocked parts.

Example.

A customer order for part 123AA. Quantity 50,000 due 17/6.

Material: 52100 alloy, 500m

Tool: Die set AA

First Op: Auto loader 3.5sec/part

We need 4 strips:

For the run to fulfil the order:

Run

Part 123AA 50,000 Due 17/6

>>|

For the material:

Material 52100 500m

Part 123AA 50,000 Due 17/6

Lead time offset 21 days

>|

For the tooling:

Die Set AA

Part 123AA 50,000 Due 17/6

Lead time offset 10 days

>|

For first operation:

Forming 2 days

Part 123AA 50,000 Due 17/6

Lead time offset 7 days

>>>>>>>>|

Q. What accuracy is needed for the lead time offset and run time?

A. Quick estimates by an experienced person are best. Just to the nearest day.

Q. What is the >>>| at the bottom of the strip?

A. A graphic representation of how much of our own resource's time is involved in the task.

For something like material our own time might only be a few minutes even if the supplier takes weeks to make it.

Q. How long are the strips.?

A. Long enough to hold the writing and the >>>>|, whichever is the longer.

Q. What about our 'bread and butter' work that runs all the time?

A. If it doesn't impact on other work, and its just business as usual, then

you can leave it off the critical resource planning board.

(but, be careful, for example, are you sure that there are no setups? )

Laying out the Flashboard

The strips are put up on the board backwards from the due date.

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Pending

Reqd

123AA 17/6 >>>|

First Op

123AA 17/6 >>>>>>>>|

Tooling

123AA 17/6 >|

Material

123AA 17/6 >|

Allowing for capacity in Critical Resource Planning

As the strips are put up, they can overlap.

For example, you can obviously order several lots of material in one day.

However, typically only so many parts can be active in First Op at a time.

In that case, you could allocate several horizontal rows on the Flashboard to First Op.

without designating specific machines.

For example, if you have 3 operators and 5 machines,

you may only be able to have 3 parts running at a time. In that case, use 3 rows for First Op.

Planning Critical Resources with the Flashboard

The visual approach makes plan adjustments almost instinctive, for example.

Because of some other change, extra work might be needed in first op.

A quick look at the board show that 123AA is pending.

It can be brought closer to today, but only if the material and tooling is brought up as well.

If this is done by the group, with all the players present,

and in agreement, standing in front of the board, then we know we have a workable plan.

Updating the Flashboard

This is the critical success factor in making it all work.

Everybody concerned must make it their own personal responsibility that the board properly reflects reality.

As tasks are completed, the strips must be removed from the board. Dependent strips should be updated.

In the example above, when the tooling is ready, the tooling strip is pulled off the board

and a small blue tag is added to the first op strip.

This signals that the run is now dependent only on material.

When the material is delivered and checked, the material strip must be taken off the board.

A small green tag is added to the First Op strip.

Now everyone can see that the 123AA is free to go in First Op

and the finishing team should be ready to work on the parts in a couple of days time.