Requirements of the job
TMB Patterns had invested in state-of-the-art equipment, including an Erowa Automated System running 4 x 5 axis CNC machines and a Grob 750 horizontal 5 axis CNC machine. As a result, the company wanted a solution that would integrate with its existing ERP (enterprise resource planning) system, used to manage processes such as sales orders, work orders, and purchase orders.
While the ERP system allowed the team to generate a works order routing, they could not tell when that job would be delivered. To get around this, they used spreadsheets to export the data, although this posed a number of challenges. As well as not reflecting the constraints of the real world (such as deadlines and staffing), spreadsheets can also be error-prone, time-consuming to update and only allow a single user.
To put this in context, a manager could spend four hours a day scheduling. Not only did this take valuable time out of the day, the lack of real-time data meant the firm could not be as agile as it wanted. If it received a last-minute order, the team would need to manually calculate delivery times, hoping that nothing would change in the meantime.
After researching the market, TMB Patterns chose Access Orchestrate, a production planning and scheduling solution because it is intuitive, met their requirements and integrated with the ERP platform.
Access Orchestrate Planning and Scheduling in action
Implementing the software proved to be straightforward, with the team receiving training from Access before the final handover.
Access Orchestrate has been developed to manage capacity planning, day-to-day scheduling and ‘what-if?’ analysis. With one production schedule, which offers complete visibility of every process including any changes made, there is less chance of error and duplication. There is, in other words, a single version of the truth across the business.
Using the capacity planning function, live orders are loaded onto the system to see whether they can be delivered on time and what impact it would have. Planners are then able to make a decision about whether to increase overtime and/or subcontract out work. Explaining more, sales and business systems manager Andrew Rodd said:
“The live plan means different departments can see exactly what is happening. It provides a visual check on jobs to find out how they are progressing and when they are finished. We are also able to carry out accurate ‘what-if?’ scenario planning, so we can provide a completion date for customers and understand the implications of taking on a project.”
This has proved extremely valuable for TMB Patterns, since its products are designed from scratch according to the customer’s requirements. Once the new designs are complete, the team now uses Orchestrate to allocate time to each part of production, ensuring the entire process runs as efficiently as possible.
Rod Schregardus, business development manager at Access Group, worked with TMB Patterns to implement Orchestrate. Commenting on the success of the project, he said:
“TMB Patterns is a shining example of how to use Orchestrate well. Right from the start, they were really easy to work with, providing all the data we needed and picking up the system quickly.
“As an ambitious SME, they are showing how to get the most from digital technology – after all, if you spend £1million on a machine, you don’t want to run it through a spreadsheet. We’ve already seen businesses move away from spreadsheets in other areas, like accounting, so it makes sense to use software to manage tasks such as production planning.”
Next steps
With Access Orchestrate Planing and Scheduling now live, the next stage is to integrate it with TMB Patterns’ existing shop floor system allowing more staff members to book and activate jobs. Machines, equipped with touch panels, will display tasks, so everyone knows exactly what needs to be done and when it is complete.
Working with Access Group
“We have had no problems during the implementation process. Contacting the support desk is a breeze, the consultant from Access was really good and we had a smooth handover. In today’s world, machines and software work hand-in-hand – you need intelligence to get the most out of them.”
Andrew Rodd, sales and business systems manager at TMB Patterns