production systems / planning systems

There is a huge range of software for the support of manufacturing (production). All of it expensive. Much of it is also overkill. And much of it is difficult (time consuming) to implement.

Topics covered by this stuff can include finances, order tracking, resource planning, batch control, testing (quality control), wherehousing, distribution, and on and on.

Frankly there are more software packages that will be wrong for your situation than right. And failures in this area will be very expensive. So proceed with caution. If there is another company (doesn't actually need to be in the marine biz) in your town that you have a good relationship with, ask what their experience has been. You can also seek a professional consultant, but that is no real guarantee of success. Go slow, start simple. Grow your software suite as needed (don't start with a huge system). Stick with a single software source, if possible.

Kelly Cook
(manufacturing survior)

More specific information as to what you are looking for help with would clarify things a bit.
Have you identified ALL the processes?
In an active plant things can be much easier in that there are already people there performing all the functions. All that has to be done in that situation is to identify each and every step in each process and then assign a time/cost value. This can all be done on paper.
If you ask all the people involved at each process step you'll find out quite a bit. Beyond that the people actually performing the processes will probably have all kinds of ideas about how to perform those steps in a better way than they are being performed at the present time.


In a brand new plant things can be a bit more difficult. Easiest way is to go and get a job at a competitor sweeping the floors or any other function and then watch and learn. Not that I would suggest such an activity, but it has been done.

Yes, what you are describing can be done. A full manual system is workable but tracking even with work orders or as you are describing them "coupons" has a couple of problems. A work order that covers too much and could take 2 weeks to complete leaves you in the uncomfortable position of not knowing one week after it's issuance whether the work is 50% complete, 10% complete etc. If that workorder's completion is not on schedule will it interfere with other processes.
If the supervisor is giving you an estimate of % completion every day on that work order then you should have enough information for the scheduling function. The key is having the information in a usable format. If a key process is falling behind by the 3rd day of what was estimated to be a 20 day process then you can shift resources to that process to bring it up to speed. There is a downtime cost attached to shifting resources be they machinery or people so making the call must be considered carefully and noted as a reference for future jobs. There are other processes that can not be accelerated no matter how much money you throw at them. Heat treating certain steels or the time for a composite material to cure properly are examples of time critical events. (We call them Hippos. Big items that can not be rushed without dire consequences). These processes must be identified and every process prior to a Hippo must be identified and sequenced properly.

I deal with a sub-contractor that uses Microsoft Project and it seems to do the job for him. I can always get a daily update with % complete of every workorder.

Try google on production control, you will find Honeywell and others poping up for software and hardware...

We made our production control first wrong as well by using attendance cards and softwares, makes it uncomplete and loads of works to adapt, same applyes if you use a door control system,heemmm specially the planning will not pop up with that...

Identify all criteria you need to record and know in advance, try to do the WORK FLOW, this is the absolute helper you can then go on Gantt charts for prevision and for real time...

identify the different materials involved and look what you can do to each of them before to combine or assemble...

May be Microsoft project could work for you ?

But for sure by taking in account all parameters you want to control and ask a programmer to help afterward will probably give the best solution

What about the local subcontractors. As far as I know most ship yards in Tuzla area are using some specific sub contrators. do you have an idea to addopt sub contractor jobs to your system?

Sonay

Like Kelly, I too, am a manufacturing survivor.
As Codger suggests, your course of action most likely to lead to your success is:

Walk around. A lot. Repeat daily.

Software is cool, but it is no substitute for spending time out on the floor and talking to your people.