The resource scheduling settings can be reached by editing a resource. Also refer to that page for general information about resources.
When editing resources, there is a tab called Scheduling where several settings describe how operations should be scheduled on the resource or resource group.
NOTE: Options 6 to 8 are special settings for resource groups. They tell ROB-EX how to choose among the resources in the group.
Priority
Set the priority for this resource.
The priority is used when scheduling with named resources in resource groups.
If the resources in the resource group are given different priorities, the scheduling strategy will try to schedule the operations first on the resource having the highest priority (=lowest value). If this is not possible, on the resource having the highest priority, within the Scheduling horizon!, the resource having the second highest priority is searched.
The Scheduling horizon! is set for every resource.
Unlimited capacity
Set if the resource has unlimited capacity. When scheduling with unlimited capacity ROB-EX won’t check if other operations are already scheduled on the resource, since the resource has unlimited capacity.
Please refer to the Scheduling strategy window section where this is explained.
Scheduling horizon
Set how many calendar days the scheduling strategies should search on the resource to find hours for the operation.
Is used to define how far away from the optimal time an operation must be placed.
Example: An operation is ready to start on the 1st. of July. The resource is occupied until the 20th. of July. After the 20th. of July the resource is free.
If the scheduling horizon is set to 30 days, the operation is placed on the resource as soon as possible after the 20th. of July.
If the scheduling horizon is set to 15 days, the operation is not placed on the resource. The next resource is tried.
Fill horizon first
When placing operations according to priority, then fill up the specified scheduling horizon first before filling up the next priority resource. Use this setting to enforce filling a machine with job for a certain horizon before engaging the next.
Strict calendar factor
Check this to enable strict calendar factor handling. With the setting turned off, then the scheduling rules handle operations with efficiency > 1 differently from less than 1. When an operation has efficiency > 1, we only consider calendar factor as a limitation, when the resource has other operations in the time period we are scheduling for. If the operation being scheduled is the only operation, then it is allowed no matter the operation efficiency. The reason is that otherwise an operation with eff=2 would never be scheduled if assigned to a resource with a calendar factor of 1.
When the setting is enabled scheduling rules will strictly enforce enough operation efficiency availability on a resource before placing an operation on it.
Scheduling mode – (Resource groups only)
Select the scheduling mode (resource groups only).
For each resource group its possible to select between different scheduling modes.
Earliest/latest
This scheduling mode prioritizes the parameters this way:
- Earliest/latest possible
- The priority of the resources
- Does not take the scheduling horizon into consideration
This mode is selected if the operations should start earliest/latest as possible, compared with the optimal time. Only if an operation can start at the same time on more resources, the resource having the highest priority is selected.
Example:
The example shows a group of 3 named resources having the same priority. The scheduling strategy is forward from the 16th of February.
The operation R2052 is scheduled on the resource Packaging line 3 as this resource is available earliest after the most optimal date (16th of February).
Fill by priority
This scheduling mode prioritizes the parameters this way:
- The priority of the resources
- Earliest/latest possible
- Scheduling horizon
This mode prioritizes the priority of the resources higher than the earliest start date/latest end date. The scheduling horizon is taken into consideration.
Example:
The example shows a group of 3 named resources having the same priority. The scheduling strategy is forward from the 16th of February.
The operation R2052 is scheduled first and is moved to resource Packaging line 2 as this is available earlier than Packaging line 2 and is entered into ROB-EX before the Packaging line 3.
Then operation R2056 is scheduled. It is moved to the Packaging line 3 resource, as this is available earlier than the two other packing lines.
Fill by resource
This scheduling mode prioritizes the parameters this way:
- The priority of the resources
- Scheduling horizon and Earliest/latest possible
This mode is selected if you want to fill some resources with operations before the other resources are used. E.g. if you want to use your own internal resources before external resources, such as subcontractors, are used.
Like the “Fill by priority” mode, this mode places operations on the resource having the highest priority. The mode “Fill by priority” selects between the resources having the same priority and finds the resource where the operation is able to start earliest. The mode “Fill by resource” places the operations on the first selected resource until the scheduling horizon is reached. When the scheduling horizon is reached the next resource in the list is selected.
Example:
The example shows a group of 3 named resources having the same priority. The scheduling strategy is forward from the 16th of February.
Operation R2056 is moved to resource Packaging line 1 since it can fit there without violating the scheduling horizon.
Operation R2052 is moved to resource Packaging line 2 as this resource is entered into ROB-EX before the Packaging line 3 and placing it on Packaging line 1 would violate the scheduling horizon.
Alternatives from the group
(Resource groups only)
If a group has been specified in Edit operations as alternative, all members will also become alternatives.
Example: Only the resource group is attached to a specific operation in the “Edit operations” dialog. Setting this flag, resources within the resource group, are automatically fetched as alternative resources.
Group-alternatives from single member – (Resource groups only)
If a member has been specified in Edit operations as alternative, should other group members also become alternatives.
Example: The operation “Welding” is scheduled on “Welding line 1”. Only “Welding line 1” is attached to the operation “Welding” in the “Edit operations” dialog (to the left).
A resource group called “Welding group” consists of “Welding line 1”, “Welding line 2” and “Welding line 3”.
If this flag is set, ROB-EX puts resources within the same resource group as “Welding line 1”, in the list of alternative resources to “Welding line 1” on the operation “Welding”.
In this case “Welding line 2”, “Welding line 3” and “Welding group” are alternative resources to “Welding line 1” on the operation “Welding”.
Combined workload
The “Combined workload” setting is only available for resource groups that are using “Calendar based on group members”.
With this setting enabled, scheduling and overlap warnings will consider workload across the group and its members.
Overlap warnings: Overlap warnings will be shown on the group if the workload across the group and its members exceed the group’s total capacity. Ex. if a group has two members and each member is fully booked, placing another operation on the group itself in the same period, will cause the group to show overlap warnings (Member workload warnings are unaffected).
Scheduling: When scheduling operations on the group, scheduling will take into account any workload located on the members e.g. if all member resources are fully loaded in a certain period, scheduling an operation on the group, will put that operation in the next period.
With the “Allow move to different resource within the group” setting selected, the scheduling will schedule using the members and ignore any workload on the resource group.
Bucket scheduling
Bucket scheduling is “rough” planning of hours for a specified interval or period of time (bucket). Bucket planning is possible on both resource groups and normal resources. To turn on bucket planning select the bucket period (hour, day or week) and possibly specify when overbooking is allowed.
The following example
will turn on “per day” rough planning allowing overbooking of 10%. I.e. if a person has 7 hours available according to the calendar ROB-EX will during planning allow overbooking up to 7.7 hours (7 hours and 42 mins) in case a search without overbooking is not possible one day from first possible start time (i.e. depends of possible previous/following operation).
Note that a value of 0 in “Allow overbooking after” will instruct ROB-EX to immediately apply overbooking.
Value profile
A value profile for the resource group
CIP (Clean In Place)
Cleaning interval: How often we need to clean on the resource.
Route: The route to use as CIP route.
Rule: The strategy used for CIP. Custom strategies can be created from a user plugin.
For more info, see the CreateCIP macro.
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