Systems and methods of adjusting the order of product manufacturing and rescheduling release dates

A computer-implemented method comprising:

• using a computer, identifying a plurality of manufacturing release information elements based on a first run of a first advanced planning system, said manufacturing release information elements comprising dates of planned manufacturing release and quantity;
• using said computer, sorting said plurality of manufacturing release information elements based on demand-likelihood factors associated with assets used in manufacturing and a plurality of sorting criteria;
• using said computer, swapping said plurality of manufacturing release information elements based on said demand-likelihood factors and at least one swapping constraint, said swapping comprising:
• finding capacity consumption rates of each X, where X is a candidate manufacturing release in a list of manufacturing release information elements that have been sorted;
• identifying a best candidate for swapping with X based on selection of a swap candidate which supports a highest demand-likelihood-factor of candidates meeting the following criteria:
• as a tie breaker, allowing X to be delayed;
• as a secondary tie-breaker, allowing a quantity of X to be delayed and which meets all of the following criteria:
• said swap candidate has a higher demand-likelihood-factor than X,
• said swap candidate has a planned manufacturing release date which is later than X,
• said swap candidate has a planned manufacturing release date which is no earlier than the latest date that X may be released without delaying its consumption from inventory,
• said swap candidate consumes capacity such that if said swap candidate is swapped with X said swap candidate and X will have capacity available in their respective swapped time periods to support their release at that time, and
• said swap candidate will not cause a failure to satisfy any minimum-starts constraints if X and said swap candidate are swapped, and
• swapping release date of said swap candidate and X, for a quantity of X;
• using said computer, fixing said plurality of manufacturing release information elements;
• and
• using said computer, outputting said plurality of manufacturing release information elements that have been fixed as results.

An apparatus for rescheduling manufacturing releases comprising:

• a memory storing output of advanced planning systems;
• a processor that identifies a plurality of release information elements from a first run of a first advanced planning system stored in said memory, said release information elements comprising dates of planned manufacturing release and quantity, said processor;
• sorting said plurality of release information elements based on demand-likelihood factors associated with assets used in manufacturing and a plurality of sorting criteria;
• swapping said plurality of release information elements based on said demand-likelihood factors and at least one swapping constraint;
• and fixing said plurality of release information elements;
• and
• an output circuit, connected to said processor and said memory for outputting said plurality of release information elements that have been fixed as results,
• said processor swapping candidates being based on:
• identifying swap candidates from bottom bills of materials which do not support daily-going-rates;
• determining earliness of candidate releases;
• sorting releases based on earliest releases, least demand likelihood factors, and largest number of days early;
• assigning a next swapping candidate;
• finding a later swapping candidate associated with a higher value of said demand-likelihood factors and that satisfies swapping criteria;
• and
• swapping said next swapping candidate and said later swapping candidate.

An apparatus for rescheduling manufacturing releases comprising:

• a memory storing output of advanced planning systems;
• a processor that identifies a plurality of release information elements from a first run of a first advanced planning system stored in said memory, said release information elements comprising dates of planned manufacturing release and quantity, said processor:
• sorting said plurality of release information elements based on demand-likelihood factors associated with assets used in manufacturing and a plurality of sorting criteria;
• swapping said plurality of release information elements based on said demand-likelihood factors and at least one swapping constraint;
• and fixing said plurality of release information elements;
• and
• an output circuit, connected to said processor and said memory for outputting said plurality of release information elements that have been fixed as results,
• said processor swapping of said plurality of release elements comprising:
• finding capacity consumption rates of each X, where X is a candidate manufacturing release in a list of release information elements that have been sorted;
• identifying a best candidate for swapping with X based on selection of a swap candidate which supports a highest demand-likelihood-factor of candidates meeting the following criteria:
• as a tie breaker, allowing X to be delayed;
• as a secondary tie-breaker, allowing a quantity of X to be delayed and which meets all of the following criteria:
• said swap candidate has a higher demand-likelihood-factor than X,
• said swap candidate has a planned manufacturing release date which is later than X,
• said swap candidate has a planned manufacturing release date which is no earlier than the latest date that X may be released without delaying its consumption from inventory,
• said swap candidate consumes capacity such that if said swap candidate is swapped with X said swap candidate and X will have capacity available in their respective swapped time periods to support their release at that time, and
• said swap candidate will not cause a failure to satisfy any minimum-starts constraints if X and said swap candidate are swapped, and swapping release date of said swap candidate and X, for a quantity of X.