Product category:
Plant and shopfloor scheduling software
News Release from: Greycon | Subject: D-Opt production cycle optimisation software
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 18 April 2008
Production cycle optimisation software
released
Greycon's patent-pending Optimisation Technology software optimises production scheduling of multiple parallel production lines to balance maximum production efficiency against minimum inventory.
Greycon has released its D-Opt production cycle optimisation software D-Opt allows manufacturing companies to optimise production scheduling of multiple parallel production lines
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 29 Oct 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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Optimisation software lowers inventories
Patent-pending product cycle optimisation software will increase planning productivity and schedule efficiency and decrease inventory and stock outs said Greycon.
Extending automation reach and functionality
An enhancement to a distributed control system gives manufacturing personnel access to customised information according to their job function.
The aim is to balance the conflicting objectives of maximum production efficiency against minimum inventory and optimal customer service, said Greycon.
CEO of Greycon, Constantine Goulimis, said: "Most people believe this is a problem that can't be solved.
Designing an optimal production schedule for manufacturers is a very difficult combinatorial problem that overwhelms the capacity of the human brain.
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As a result, most manufacturers use labour-intensive manual methods to plan their production schedules.
But through use of D-Opt's unique optimization algorithm we have been able to deliver amazing results for our customers.
We have customers who are enjoying 90% stock-out reduction, 15-35% inventory reduction, and 15% setup cost reduction, not to mention a 400% increase in planning productivity".
* Scheduling tool - at its simplest, D-Opt is a block scheduling tool that lets production managers create and maintain campaigns for a number of work centres.
In this mode, D-Opt offers all the usability issues that one would expect, including 'drag-and-drop' of orders into campaigns.
However, it goes beyond standard block scheduling to provide optimisation-based logic capable of handling highly complex manufacturing situations, including processes that manufacture multiple products, fluctuating demand, and significant switchover costs when transitioning production lines from one product to another.
Originally developed for Kimberly Clark, which needed to optimise production efficiency while minimising inventory and switch over costs, D-Opt was first released as an add-on module to Greycon's S-Plan software.
Upon the successful implementation of D-Opt at Kimberly Clark, Greycon proceeded to build the proprietary technology into a standalone application from the ground up using test-driven technology in a Microsoft .NET framework.
The new version takes advantage of multi-core CPU's to arrive at optimised schedules quickly and has consequently allowed Greycon to achieve Intel Software Partner status.
Greycon said D-Opt was recently shortlisted in the 'Most Innovative Vertical' category by SoftwareCEO.
* About Greycon - Greycon Limited is a global specialist in optimised production planning and scheduling, with offices in England, USA, Canada and Uruguay.
Greycon customers, concentrated in the paper, printing, film and nonwovens industries, span the globe with more than 400 plants using its products and services.
Greycon originates from the Industrial Systems Group of Imperial College of the University of London, where one of its founders and the current CEO developed the first version of the company's flagship product X-Trim.
Today, Greycon has increased their product portfolio to include software and services supporting customers throughout the supply chain.
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