Insight Works’ MxAPS is a finite capacity scheduling system designed to assist you in enhancing plant performance, available as an extension for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.

MxAPS uses comprehensive scheduling algorithms and a flexible data management system to successfully model and schedule many different manufacturing environments. Combined with your understanding of your company’s manufacturing operations, MxAPS becomes a powerful decision support system that results in higher levels of profitability and customer satisfaction.

MxAPS generates production schedules by evaluating a variety of scheduling constraints. Rather than scheduling operations at the earliest possible time, it schedules them at the earliest feasible time, ensuring users can execute the resulting schedule on the shop floor.

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Common scheduling constraints

During schedule generation, MxAPS considers constraints such as but not limited to:

• Machine and work center availability
• Material availability
• Routing dependencies
• Shop Calendars and shifts

Each operation must satisfy all applicable constraints before it can be scheduled.

How constraints affect the schedule

A production order may be delayed if:

• The required machine is already in use.
• Materials are not yet available.
• A previous routing operation has not been completed.
• The resource is unavailable due to its working calendar.

Scheduling constraints work together rather than independently. For example, even if a machine is available, an operation cannot begin until the required materials have arrived. Likewise, available materials cannot override routing dependencies or machine availability.

The scheduled start time is the earliest point at which all applicable constraints have been satisfied.

Reviewing the results

MxAPS provides various types of data to go along with the suggested scheduling of Production Orders. This allows users to validate or help identify where system changes are required to achieve the desired results. Some of those data sets include:

• Machine Load Details: Showing Work or Machine Center Capacity usage
• Operation Schedule: Showing Operation sequence and information
• Resource Requirement: Showing components or secondary constraint usage
• Order Schedule: Showing Order sequence and performance

Advanced Constraints and Advanced Configuration options include but are not limited to:

• Constraints:
  • Work or Machine Specific (e.g., labor).
  • Work or Machine Alternate Specific.
  • Routing Specific (e.g., tooling).
• Scheduling Rules: The organization and sequence of Production Orders.
• Alternate Groups: Defining work or machine center alternates.
• Setup Eliminations: Ability to define specifically when to remove setup time for repeat orders and/or orders that contain a common setup.
• Just in Time (JIT): Lean manufacturing definitions.
• Lot Splitting: Dividing operations across multiple machines or modeling how batches can move while other operations continue to be processed.
• Manufacturing Groups: Creation of production lines.
• ETC