Production Scheduling

[M Greenaway]

Hi All

Nice to see the new server has turned the forum back up to speed.

Anyway, do any of you guys audit the production scheduling function ?

If so which ISO9001:2000 clauses do you audit this against ? Is it resource management, or is it planning of product realisation, or both, or something else, or none of the above ???

I have audited this area a few times and have always found it tricky to audit. Often there are no documented procedures, and it is very difficult to assess the effectiveness of scheduling when so many other factors can make a job go late.

Anyone had success with this ?

 

[energy]

You said it all

Is there anything more important other than meeting the Customer's PO/Contract requirements and delivery schedule? Does it matter how we got there? As you have said, there are several clauses that can be examined to make sure that goal is met. If my Production schedule were audited, to whatever, I would merely point to my "on time" deliveries with no Customer returns/complaints. Why do you feel that the Production Schedule should be audited specifically? Isn't this part of our Process Interactions? Hey, welcome back!

 

[Mike S.]

Hi All

If so which ISO9001:2000 clauses do you audit this against ? Is it resource management, or is it planning of product realisation, or both, or something else, or none of the above ???

How 'bout 5.4, 7.2.2?

 

[RoxaneB]

6.1 (b)
6.3 (c) (if scheduling is done at another location)
7.1
7.2.1 (d)
7.5.1
8.2.3

How's that?

Scheduling is a process with its own inputs and outputs. There may be no documentation on how Scheduling is done, but look for consistency, accuracy, reviews, updates, communication methods, etc.

 

[Claes Gefvenberg]

do any of you guys audit the production scheduling function ? If so which ISO9001:2000 clauses do you audit this against ?

Yes indeed. How about the following clauses?

5.2
5.4
5.5
6.1 (b)
6.3
6.4
7.1
7.2
7.5.1
8.2.3
8.4
8.5

/Claes

 

[M Greenaway]

I chose to audit this seperately because I felt there was a problem here. Everything appeared to be a month end panic rather than a smooth production flow.

As it happens there are no methods of establishing manufacturing lead times, and purchasing lead times are little more than a shot in the dark. There is no measure of production capacity or loading, or any other formal scheduling functions. It is more a regular get together of key individuals to go through the open orders and juggle them as best they can.

There is also no direct measure of supplier delivery performance, or our own on time delivery performance.

However, as energy points out, when I look at customer feedback on delivery performance they rate us good to excellent.

Hence need I audit this function as its effectiveness is tied up in delivery performance (along with a whole load of other factors) ??

If so could it similarly be argued why audit manufacturing when you have a measure of product quality performance ???

 

[Sam]

As I see it, there are no direct requirements to audit production scheduling cited in 9K2K. However there are several references to requirements for delivery.
If production scheduling is not part of your processes and you are not hving complaints from your customer then I wouldn't see a need for an audit.

 

[M Greenaway]

Sam

Clearly some form of scheduling is part of our processes - it may not be documented in a procedure, but the process exists.

It is a key process (in my opinion) in achieving promised delivery dates, hence important enough for a stand alone audit.

Also just because customers arent complaining (or on record as complaining/dis-satisfied) then I dont see how you can not bother to audit.

 

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Clearly some form of scheduling is part of our processes - it may not be documented in a procedure, but the process exists.

It is a key process (in my opinion) in achieving promised delivery dates, hence important enough for a stand alone audit.

I must side with Martin here.

The way I see it the scheduling (or production planning as we call it) is our way to plan and control the interaction of our most important processes. We clearly benefit from auditing it.

/Claes

 

[energy]

How

I must side with Martin here.

The way I see it the scheduling (or production planning as we call it) is our way to plan and control the interaction of our most important processes. We clearly benefit from auditing it.

/Claes

What would you be verifying? I say we have Production meetings once a week and a new schedule is released. I say all Dept. heads attend and with their input we update the schedule. What else are you going to ask? I'm not being facetious but it's like checking to see if the wheels are turning as I drive my car. With all the other processes that can affect the schedule, it appears to be overkill.