Feature Spotlight: Buffer Scheduling

In our latest release, 4.11, Cetec ERP has introduced a new scheduling feature which allows you to estimate static buffer time occurring before or after work is completed at a given work location. This will drive a schedule entry for the work order without impacting labor time, estimates, or cost.

This new field, called “Buffer”, can be managed in two ways. Defaults can be set from a table in the Data Maintenance page named “OrdlineStatus”, or they can be set manually/overridden in a part’s labor plan or order specific labor plan.

Previously, modeling a traveler/router’s schedule to include a “buffer” period of time occurring before or after work was completed at a work location took several steps. You needed to create and utilize a separate “staging” work location, then place that staging work location in the labor plan itself, and finally set the time estimate on that staging location to be a static setup or outsource based time entry in order for the scheduling system to register the buffer.

Robust, dynamic production scheduling is one of the core needs and pain points for many manufacturers. The Buffer feature is the newest tool in Cetec ERP that helps solve these problems and better manage the production schedule.