Abstract:
A production planning system creates executable an production plan for a production workplace while adjusting production capacity giving consideration to a period where production capacity is fixed in each workplace, a period where management of workers between workplaces is possible, and a period where it is not necessary to consider production capacity because of new employment of workers.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a technique of making a production plan for a product in response to demand forecast and a production order for the product while considering production capacity on the manufacture side. 
     Production planning for a product is made in consideration of the production capacity on the manufacture side with respect to a production order presented by the sales side. If the production capacity of processes to be used is insufficient, the production planning is made by increasing the production capacity or adjusting the manufacture load (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-184 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1) and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-194755 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 2)). 
     In Patent Document 1, a period where the manufacture load exceeds the equipment capacity is extracted, and the equipment capacity is increased and work leveling of the manufacture load is performed based on a given adjustment rule. 
     Patent Document 1 describes a method of increasing workers or shortening the operation cycle when the work load exceeds the equipment capacity. The adjustment however is difficult in a case where workers cannot be supplied or transferred from another workplace. In a production mode, such as product assembly, whose bottleneck is manpower capacity, not equipment, training and an education period for new work are needed, so that workers cannot be easily transferred. It is therefore necessary to consider that the manpower capacity at a workplace is fixed in a certain period, after which workers are flexibly accommodated between workplaces. The accommodation of workers between workplaces means that, for example, increasing the capacity of a workplace A by 10 points means reduction of the capacitance of a workplace B by 10 points. In Patent Document 1, since only equipment is targeted, the mutual effect of reducing the capacity of one item of equipment according to an increase in the capacity of another item of equipment is not considered. 
     With regard to the manpower capacity, in particular, the manpower is procured and optimized in previous production planning, and is not optimized in response to the latest production order. If the manpower capacity is fixedly set in every period, therefore, there occurs an event in which workers are insufficient at one workplace while there are excess workers at another workplace, resulting in the possibility that a production plan is made for lower than the original capacity. 
     In Patent Document 2, while optimal assignment of persons is ordered for production planning, giving consideration to the state of worker operation-skill acquisition when deciding the worker assignment for cell production or the like, a training period for workers to learn work skills for another workplace is not considered. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a technique of making production planning giving consideration to transfer of workers between workplaces, new employment of workers, and the like, while adjusting production capacity and production load. 
     To solve the abovementioned problems, the invention pays attention to the number of producible products achieved by transfer of workers between workplaces. 
     For example, a production planning system of the invention includes an input unit, a storage unit, a calculation unit and an output unit. The input unit receives production order information including an order including an ordered quantity of production for a product and a production date, manufacture load information representing load for each manufacturing site, which occurs in producing a product, production capacity information per date at a manufacturing site, and lead time information up to a start date for each type of period. The period type includes at least a first period where production capacity cannot be transferred between manufacturing sites and a second period where production capacity can be transferred therebetween. The storage unit stores information inputted by the input unit. The calculation unit, which calculates, for each order, the manufacture load amount for a date at which the manufacture loads occur, using the production order information and the manufacture load information, determines whether or not the accumulated manufacture load exceeds the production capacity at each accumulation point using the production capacity information for each manufacturing site, acquires, in cases in which the accumulated manufacture load exceeds the production capacity, the number of products that cannot be manufactured, equivalent to the manufacture loads that exceed the production capacity, rewrites the production order information by deleting the number of products that cannot be manufactured, from the order in the production order information and adding an order equivalent to the number of products that cannot be manufactured, on or after, or on or before, a designated production date when the load amount belongs to the first period, and rewrites the production capacity information in such a way that production capacity at another manufacture site, which has an excess production capacity, is transferred to a manufacture site which is short of production capacity when the load amount belongs to the second period. The output unit outputs the production order information and the production capacity information rewritten by the calculation unit as a production plan and a production capacity distribution result. 
     The input unit may further receive part information of a product, inventory information of each part and warehouse schedule information. The calculation unit may further acquire an order date for ordering parts and an ordered quantity thereof from the production order information, may check if the part information exists at the order date from the inventory information and the warehouse schedule information with respect to the order date and the ordered quantity, may calculate the number of products that cannot be manufactured, equivalent to the shortage of parts when the shortage of parts occurs, and may delete the number of products that cannot be manufactured from the order including the number of products that cannot be manufactured and add an order equivalent to the number of products that cannot be manufactured on or after a designated production order date. 
     The input unit may include means which receives designation of the lead time information. 
     The calculation unit may acquire the start date of the period type by adding a lead time to a date on which, or a time at which, calculation is performed. 
     The calculation unit may determine the day of the week from a date on which calculation is performed, and correct lead time of the period type by adding or subtracting the number of days set for each day of the week. 
     According to the invention, the production capacity is checked, giving consideration to the period type, such as the period in which workers are confirmed at each workplace, the period in which workers are transferable between workplaces, and the period in which new employment of workers is possible so that the production capacity can be considered free. This makes it possible to make an executable production plan, giving consideration to transfer of workers between workplaces carried out at a manufacture site. 
     The period type can be automatically updated according to the timing at which production planning is made by holding the lead time until switching of the period type to another period type with respect to the point in time (day, time) at which calculation is performed, so that the manufacture department does not need to change the setting of the period type to be synchronous with the frequency of the production planning. 
     At the time of determining the period type, the day of the week at which calculation is to be performed is determined, the lead time until switching of the period type to another period type is changed to a new lead time by adding or subtracting the number of days. In particular, the invention copes with a production management mode in which work contents are fixed for each period which comprises a week or several days, and the period type is not automatically updated everyday, but is updated every period in a looping manner. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a functional structural diagram of a production planning system; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram showing an example of a period type; 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram showing a display screen for setting manpower capacity lead time; 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing part  1  of a production planning process; 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing part  2  of the production planning process; 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram showing a structural example of a production order file; 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram showing a structural example of a manpower capacity file; 
         FIG. 8  is a diagram showing a structural example of the manpower capacity lead time; 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram showing a structural example of a manpower file; 
         FIG. 10  is part  1  of a diagram illustrating how accumulation is carried out; 
         FIG. 11  is part  2  of the diagram illustrating how accumulation is carried out; 
         FIG. 12  is a diagram illustrating how a production order file is rewritten; 
         FIG. 13  is part  3  of the diagram illustrating how accumulation is carried out; 
         FIG. 14  is part  4  of the diagram illustrating how accumulation is carried out; 
         FIG. 15  is part  1  of a diagram showing a structural example of output data; 
         FIG. 16  is part  2  of the diagram showing the structural example of output data; 
         FIG. 17  is a flowchart of a process when production planning is made by checking both materials restrictions and manpower capacity; and 
         FIGS. 18A to 18C  are diagrams illustrating the relationship between a calculation date and a period type. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     One embodiment of the present invention will be described below referring to the accompanying drawings. Illustrated values are given to facilitate understanding of the invention, and are not necessarily consistent. 
     While production capacities include manpower capacity and equipment capacity, only the manpower capacity is referred to in the following description of the embodiment. It is however possible to read the same input file and perform calculation to output production planning for the equipment capacity. 
     The description of the embodiment is given on the premise that there are three periods, period  1 , period  2  and period  3 , and there are three workplaces, workplace A, workplace B and workplace C. 
       FIG. 2  shows the features of individual period types. 
     The period  1  is a period in which the manpower capacity of each workplace is fixed. When it is checked if the manpower capacity is sufficient for a production order (called “manpower capacity check”), the check is carried out for each workplace. 
     The period  2  is a period in which the manpower capacity is transferable between workplaces. That is, workers can be transferred from workplace A to workplace B. 
     The period  3  is a period in which workers can be newly added. In this example, as many workers as needed can be added, and the manpower capacity is infinite. That is, the manpower capacity check is not performed in the period  3 . 
       FIG. 1  is a functional structural diagram of a production planning system. 
     The production planning system includes a production planning unit  11 , a storage unit  12 , and an input/output unit  13 , and outputs output data  15  with respect to input data  14 . 
     The production planning system can be realized by a general-purpose computer including a CPU(Central Processing Unit), a memory, an HDD(Hard Disk Drive), and so forth. The aforementioned functional sections can be achieved by the CPU running a program. 
     The production planning unit  11  calculates production planning and allocation of the manpower capacity to each workplace based on the input data  14 . 
     The storage unit  12  stores the input data  14 , and the output data  15  or information output from the production planning unit  11  whose calculation is in progress. 
     The input/output unit  13  includes an input unit and an output unit. The input unit is an apparatus which receives input from an operator. For example, the input unit corresponds to a keyboard, a mouse, a CD-ROM device, a floppy (registered trademark) disk drive unit, a USB port or the like, as well as an apparatus which acquires information through a network line in cases of acquiring the input data  14  over a network. The output unit corresponds to, for example, a display apparatus, a CD-ROM apparatus, a floppy disk drive unit, a USB port as well as an apparatus which, like the input unit, acquires information through a network line in cases of outputting the output data  15  over a network. 
     The input data  14  includes a production order quantity file  70 , a manpower capacity file  80 , a manpower capacity lead time file  90 , and a manpower file  100 . 
     The production order quantity file  70 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , includes a plurality of orders  75 . Each order  75  includes information on priority sequence  71 , a product  72  for production, a production order date (finishing date)  73  and production ordered quantity  74 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the manpower capacity file  80  includes information on the period type for each date at each workplace. Specifically, the manpower capacity file  80  includes a workplace  81 , a date  82 , a manpower capacity  83 , and a fixed capacity  84  for each record  85 . The fixed capacity  84  is an untransferable capacity. When the manpower capacity  83  is “500” and the fixed capacity  84  is “10”, for example, the capacity of “490” is transferable to another workplace. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , the manpower capacity lead time file  90  includes information on the lead time (the number of days for switching the method of checking the manpower capacity) till the period type for each workplace. Specifically, the manpower capacity lead time file  90  includes a workplace  91 , a lead time  92  till the period  2 , and a lead time  93  till the period  3 , for each record  94 . 
     The lead time can be changed by the operator. 
       FIG. 3  shows one example of a lead-time setting screen  130 . The production planning unit  11  receives input lead times up to the period  2  and the period  3  for each workplace via the input unit from the operator through such a display screen. The production planning unit  11  stores, in the manpower capacity lead time file  90 , and updates the received lead times. 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , the manpower file  100  includes information on the manpower that is generated for each finished product according to a date at each workplace. Specifically, the manpower file  100  includes timing  103  at which the manpower is generated (indicating how many days (or how many hours) before the manpower is generated), and necessary manpower  104  per finished product at the timing  103 . The example of  FIG. 9  shows the manpower that is generated on each day for a finished product whose lead time is 8 days. 
     Description of Operation 
     The operation of the production planning system with the above-described configuration will be explained below. 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating the flow of a production planning process. 
     This flow is initiated when the operator requests a production plan based on the input data  14 . 
     The production planning unit  11  reads the production order quantity file  70  (S 11 ), and acquires an order  75  that is first in the priority sequence  71  (S 12 ). 
     Next, the production planning unit  11  accumulate the manpower for one order (S 13 ). When the produced product in the acquired order is “P”, for example, information on the finished product “P” is acquired from the manpower file  100 . Then, the production planning unit  11  acquires the manpower generation timing  103  and the generated manpower  104  for the finished product “P” at each workplace, and multiplies the generated manpower  104  by the production ordered quantity  74  included in the order to add up the manpower for each point.  FIG. 10  is a diagram illustrating how accumulation is carried out with the horizontal axis representing the time (point in time of accumulation) while the vertical axis represents the manpower. 
     Next, the production planning unit  11  selects one workplace (S 14  in  FIG. 4 ). The production planning unit  11  selects one accumulation point in sequence, starting from the current day (S 15 ). Further, the production planning unit  11  determines in which one of the periods  1 ,  2  and  3  the selected accumulation point is included (S 16 ). Specifically, the production planning unit  11  extracts the lead times  92 ,  93  for the periods  2 ,  3  at the workplace selected in S 14  from the manpower capacity lead time file  90 , acquires the start date of each period by adding each lead time to the present date, and determines in which period the accumulation point is included. 
     When the accumulation point selected in S 15  is included in the period  1  or the period  2 , the production planning unit  11  determines whether or not the accumulated amount (manpower) is less than the manpower capacity at that time (S 17 ). The production planning unit  11  extracts the manpower capacity  83  at the date  82  corresponding to the accumulation point selected in S 15  at the workplace  81  corresponding to the workplace selected in S 14 , from the manpower capacity file  80  and uses the manpower capacity  83  in making the decision. 
     When the accumulated amount is equal to or greater than the manpower capacity (No in S 17 ), the production planning unit  11  determines again in which period the accumulation point is included (S 18 ). 
       FIG. 11  is a diagram illustrating a case where the accumulated amount in the workplace A exceeds the manpower capacity and the accumulation point is included in the period  1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5  which is a continuation of the flowchart of  FIG. 4 , a description will be given of a case where the accumulated amount exceeds the manpower capacity and the accumulation point is included in the period  1 . 
     The production planning unit  11  calculates a quantity ‘a’ equivalent to the excess manpower capacity (S 31 ). Specifically, first, the production planning unit  11  subtracts the manpower capacity from the accumulated amount to acquire the excess manpower capacity. Referring to the manpower file  100 , the production planning unit  11  acquires the necessary manpower  104  of the manpower generation timing  103  equivalent to the accumulation point to acquire the manpower occurred for one product. The production planning unit  11  divides the manpower for the excess manpower capacity by the manpower generated for one product to acquire the excess quantity ‘a’. 
     Next, the production planning unit  11  subtracts the excess quantity ‘a’ from the production ordered quantity  74  included in the order to cancel the quantity ‘a’. Then, based on the order reflecting the cancellation, the production planning unit  11  performs accumulation of the manpower for every accumulation point at every workplace again in the same way as explained above (S 32 ). 
       FIG. 12  is a diagram illustrating the excess quantity ‘a’ subtracted from the production ordered quantity  74  in the order (see order with the priority sequence of “5”). 
     Returning to  FIG. 5 , the production planning unit  11  then updates the total canceled quantity (S 33 ), and proceeds to the process of S 19  in  FIG. 4 . 
     A description will now be given of a case where it is determined in S 18  in  FIG. 4  that the accumulation point is included in the period  2 . 
       FIG. 13  is part  3  of the diagram illustrating how accumulation is carried out when the accumulated amount exceeds the manpower capacity and the accumulation point is included in the period  2 . 
     A description is given with reference to  FIG. 5 . The production planning unit  11  determines whether another workplace has excess capacity or not (S 41 ). Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 13 , there may be a case where at the same accumulation point, the accumulation point exceeds the manpower capacity at the workplace A, but not at the workplace B. Accordingly, the production planning unit  11  extracts from the manpower capacity file  80  the manpower capacity  83  at each workplace  81  at the date  82  corresponding to the accumulation point at which the accumulation point exceeds the manpower capacity, and compares the manpower capacity  83  with the accumulated amount at the accumulation point at each workplace, to determine if there is excess capacity. 
     When another workplace does not have excess capacity (S 41 : No), the production planning unit  11  goes to step S 31 . 
     When another workplace has excess capacity (S 41 : Yes), on the other hand, the production planning unit  11  determines whether or not all the insufficient capacity can be acquired from the workplace which has the excess capacity (the workplace B in the example of  FIG. 13 ) (S 42 ). Specifically, the production planning unit  11  determines whether the total excess capacity at another workplace is greater than the excess manpower or not. 
     When all the insufficient capacity can be acquired from another workplace (S 42 : Yes), the production planning unit  11  acquires the manpower from the workplace which has the excess capacity (S 43 ). Further, the production planning unit  11  subtracts the excess capacity from the manpower capacity at the workplace which has given the excess capacity accordingly (S 44 ). 
       FIG. 14  is a diagram illustrating how the workplace A acquires the excess capacity from another workplace B to increase its manpower capacity so that the excess manpower is gone. The manpower capacity at the workplace B is reduced. To perform the process, the production planning unit  11  rewrites the manpower capacity  83  at the date  82  equivalent to the current accumulation point. That is, the production planning unit  11  subtracts the manpower capacity to be transferred, from the manpower capacity  83  at the workplace having the excess capacity, and increases the manpower capacity  83  at the workplace whose manpower capacity is insufficient to update the manpower capacity. Thereafter, the production planning unit  11  proceeds to the process of S 19  to be described later. 
     When it is determined in S 42  of  FIG. 5  that it is not possible to acquire all the insufficient manpower capacity from the workplace which has the excess capacity (S 42 : No), the production planning unit  11  acquires possible manpower from the workplace which has the excess capacity (S 45 ). Further, the production planning unit  11  subtracts the excess capacity from the manpower capacity at the workplace which has transferred the excess capacity accordingly (S 46 ). The production planning unit  11  calculates a quantity b equivalent to manpower that is still insufficient (excess capacity) (S 47 ), and performs a process of canceling the quantity b from the order (S 48 ). The way of obtaining the quantity b equivalent to the excess manpower and the way of canceling the quantity b are the same as explained in the above-described processes (S 31 , S 32 ). Thereafter, the production planning unit  11  updates the total canceling quantity (S 49 ), and proceeds to the process of S 19  that is described later. 
     The processes at and following S 19  of  FIG. 4  will be described below. 
     The production planning unit  11  checks if there is an unselected accumulation point (S 19 ), and returns to S 15  to continue the processing (S 19 ) if there is an unselected accumulation point. 
     When there is no unselected accumulation point (S 19 : Yes), the production planning unit  11  checks if there is an unselected workplace (S 20 ). When there is an unselected workplace, the production planning unit  11  returns to S 14  to continue the processing. 
     When there is no unselected workplace (S 20 : Yes), the production planning unit  11  performs a process of recovering the canceled quantity (S 21 ). Specifically, the production planning unit  11  adds an order for producing the total quantity canceled so far to the production order quantity file  70 . At this time, the production planning unit  11  adds the order in such a way that the order is placed on the day following the date  73  of the production order date of the currently selected order. Further, the production planning unit  11  sets the priority sequence  71  of the order to be added to the next in the priority sequence of all the orders that have the same production order date as that of the currently selected order. Accordingly, the priority sequence  71  of an order whose priority sequence is equal to or after the set priority sequence is rewritten. An order may be added to an order on or before the same production order date as that of the currently selected order. In this case, however, the flow of  FIG. 4  is carried out again from the start. 
       FIG. 12  shows how an order is added to recover the canceled quantity for a finished product “Q”. An order with the priority sequence of “7” is added for recovery. 
     Returning to  FIG. 4 , the production planning unit  11  then checks if there is an unselected order (S 22 ), and returns to S 13  to continue the processing when there is an unselected order (No in S 22 ). 
     When there is no unselected order (S 22 : Yes), the production planning unit  11  outputs the production order quantity file  70  rewritten in the processes so far as a producible quantity file  110  (S 24 ). 
       FIG. 15  shows a structural example of the producible quantity file  110  to be output. The producible quantity file  110  includes a product  111  to be manufactured, a production completion date (equivalent to the date of the production order)  112 , and a production quantity  113  for each record  114 . 
     Further, the production planning unit  11  outputs the manpower capacity file  80  rewritten in the processes so far, as a capacity allocation file  120  (S 25 ). 
       FIG. 16  shows a structural example of the capacity allocation file  120  to be outputted. The capacity allocation file  120  includes a workplace  121 , a date  122 , a manpower capacity (manpower capacity planning)  123 , and a fixed capacity  124  for each record  125 . 
     After outputting the producible quantity file (production planning)  110  and the capacity allocation file (capacity allocation result)  120 , the production planning unit  11  terminates the production planning process. 
     One embodiment of the invention has been explained above. 
     According to the embodiment, production planning can be adjusted in consideration of transfer of workers (manpower capacity) between workplaces. Further, production planning can be adjusted in consideration of transfer of the period where workers cannot be transferred, the period where workers can be transferred, the period where workers can be secured freely, and the lead times for the periods. 
     The embodiment can be modified as follows. 
       FIG. 17  shows the process procedures when a process of checking if materials (parts) are sufficient (called “material check”) and the manpower capacity check are executed at the same time. While the producible quantity is checked by performing MRP (Material Requirements Planning) with respect to the production ordered quantity in the illustrated example, the material check may be executed by another method. 
     First, the production planning unit  11  acquires the production order quantity file  70  (S 51 ). 
     Next, the production planning unit  11  selects one order according to the priority sequence, and expands MRP using an available method to acquire necessary materials and the timing at which the materials are needed (S 52 ). 
     Then, the production planning unit  11  checks if necessary materials are secured at the timing at which the materials are needed. Inventory information of materials and information on the warehouse schedule thereof are stored in advance in the storage unit  12 . The production planning unit  11  acquires a securable amount of each material for each date beforehand using the inventory information and the warehouse schedule, and stores information on the securable amount in the storage unit  12  beforehand. 
     If all the parts that are needed by the selected order cannot be secured, i.e., if all the quantity cannot be produced (S 53 : “All ITEMS BAD”), the production planning unit  11  sets the quantity as a new order, on the next day, as done in the recovery process (S 57 ), and then returns to S 52 . 
     When all parts that are needed by the selected order can be secured (S 53 : “All ITEMS OK”), the production planning unit  11  performs accumulation of the manpower for one order (S 54 ), and performs processes after S 13  of  FIG. 4 . 
     When some of the parts needed by the selected order are in short supply, the production planning unit  11  sets the production shortfall quantity as a new order the next day. This process is the same as the recovery process (S 55 ). Thereafter, the production planning unit  11  performs accumulation of the manpower with respect to the quantity for which materials are sufficient (S 56 ). Then, the production planning unit  11  proceeds to the process after S 13  of  FIG. 4 . 
     In this manner, the material check and the manpower capacity check can be executed simultaneously. 
     With respect to the period lead time, the production planning unit  11  may perform the following process. 
     The start dates of the period  2  and the period  3  are set in the manpower capacity lead time file  90 , and depend on the calculation date of the present system. That is, according to the embodiment, the production planning unit  11  acquires the start date of each period by adding the lead time to the date on which or the time at which calculation is to be performed. When switching to each period occurs once a week as shown in  FIGS. 18A to 18C , however, the lead time to switching to the period  2  or the period  3  needs to be corrected. In this respect, the day of the week for the calculation is determined, and the manpower capacity lead time is corrected based thereon. 
     For example, the production planning unit  11  sets the period  1  to the previous one week, the period  2  to the second week and the period  3  to the third week or subsequent weeks. 
     If the calculation point is September 1 (Monday), with the lead time to switching to the period  2  being 7 days (calendar date base), and the lead time to switching to the period  3  being 14 days (calendar date base), the period  2  starts on September 8, the seventh day from September 1. If the start of the period  2  is set to September 8 also for the next day September 2 (Tuesday), the lead time is corrected by subtracting one day from 7 days, to obtain September 8, the sixth day from September 2. 
     In summary, the following correction is carried out according to the calculated day of the week. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 For Monday 
                 (lead time till period 2) = 7 − 0 = 7 days 
               
               
                   
                 For Tuesday 
                 (lead time till period 2) = 7 − 1 = 6 days 
               
               
                   
                 For Wednesday 
                 (lead time till period 2) = 7 − 2 = 5 days 
               
               
                   
                 For Thursday 
                 (lead time till period 2) = 7 − 3 = 4 days 
               
               
                   
                 For Friday 
                 (lead time till period 2) = 7 − 4 = 3 days 
               
               
                   
                 For Saturday 
                 (lead time till period 2) = 7 − 5 = 2 days 
               
               
                   
                 For Sunday 
                 (lead time till period 2) = 7 − 6 = 1 day 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Although the lead time is corrected above by subtraction, the correction may also be carried out by addition. 
     The sequence of the individual steps shown in  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  17  can be changed within the scope of the present invention.