Scheduling puts it in the bag at Smurfit Ward
1 min read
Leyland, Lancashire-based paper packaging materials supplier Smurfit Ward reckons it's slashed sales and production planning meeting times while significantly reducing set-up times and waste across all work centres – despite small batches and more complex jobs – all as a result of scheduling software from Preactor.
Smurfit Ward planning manager Dave Hampson says implementation took around a month, much of that time ensuring information from its Sage ERP was accurate and mapped to Preactor. "To begin with I had to find out how Sage worked, make sure all the works orders were up to date, and then ensure all this information could be migrated to Preactor 200... It didn't take long before scheduling for the shopfloor began."
Since go live, Preactor now provides work-to lists which he distributes to the production managers on the shopfloor every day. "I use the system's Gantt charts to manually schedule activity on the shopfloor," says Hampson. "But it's also excellent for what-if's, such as alternative scheduling routes, and anticipating problems during production and determining the best way to ensure lead times are adhered to."
He adds that the system prevents orders being lost on the shopfloor. "Because the information is stored on Sage and Preactor, we no longer have to worry about losing route cards. We can also reduce the amount of time our managers spend in production meetings. Preactor facilitates better communication between sales and production."
Hampson estimates payback on the system will be within 24 months – and adds that the company has also gained competitive edge in being able to turn round rush jobs without negatively impacting other orders or over-paying on overtime.
