The GANTT process at Kubota Brabender Technologie
Planning complexity made easy:
Considered to be one of the most important modern project management planning tools and used in many companies, the GANTT diagram is in fact an invention from the previous century.
But like all great inventions, it is of timeless importance. Henry Laurence Gantt, an American engineer who was primarily concerned with scientific management methods, popularized it around 1910.
The diagram quickly became the basis for planning complex processes and is now considered the method for visualizing projects or production processes over specific periods. GANTT processes enable tasks and resources to be planned, their progress to be monitored, and bottlenecks to be identified. The inclusion of the time dimension distinguishes a GANTT diagram from a network plan, which defines project package dependencies.
APS: the GANTT software
You encounter GANTT diagrams on flipcharts, in PPT presentations and in Excel spreadsheets. Or, increasingly often, in the form of software offering realtime updates at any time that large companies use to do their production planning. The use of Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) software makes it easier to implement the GANTT planning method. It is also what production planning at Kubota Brabender Technologie is based on.
It can be used to schedule all orders effectively, depending on actual resources and capacities available. Both scheduling and all cost factors can be taken into account. The results are transparently visualized in the graphical production control center.
Functionalities such as simultaneous multi-resource planning, material requirements planning and optimization-based selection of production alternatives, enable efficient production planning and control.
The creation and analysis of so-called what-if scenarios also enables decision-making within a medium- to longer-term planning horizon and helps decision-makers with taking tactical as well as strategic action.
Markus Heine, Deputy Head of Work Scheduling (left) - Carsten Dieckhoff, Production Manager (right)
GANTT at Kubota Brabender Technologie
Carsten Dieckhoff, Production Manager at Kubota Brabender Technologie, summarizes what has changed since the introduction of the DUALIS GANTTPLAN digital APS system:
"Today, the tablet is the centerpiece of our day-to-day work. Every Production employee uses it to record and document every production step for each piece of equipment. Suggestions for changes or queries to the design or work scheduling teams are also submitted via tablet. Work packages are then created via tablet as well, which delivers a significant increase in efficiency. And it is even possible to adjust these work packages automatically, if an employee with comparable qualifications were to drop out, for example."
An essential guide to GANTT
A basic GANTT production planning procedure using APS software can be outlined as follows:
- Data input:
The APS software first requires the input of data such as production orders, resource availability, working hours, delivery dates and other relevant information. This data forms the basis for the creation of the GANTT diagram in the CONTROL CENTER.
- Task identification and prioritization:
The software records the required tasks and assigns the appropriate timeframes to them.
- Timing:
The software arranges the tasks in chronological order, based on their dependencies and priorities. This enables the creation of a schedule that shows when each task is to start and finish. Prioritization by weighting is feasible at any time.
- Resource allocation:
The software factors in the availability of resources, such as manpower and skills. It assigns these resources to the appropriate tasks, to ensure they are available at the right time.
- GANTT diagram creation:
The APS software creates a GANTT diagram, based on the data entered. This diagram shows the scheduled tasks, their timings, the duration of each task, and the allocation of resources. The GANTT diagram enables production progress to be visually tracked and potential bottlenecks or overlaps to be identified. Therefore, this is referred to as the CONTROL CENTER.
- Monitoring and adjustments:
The APS software enables continuous monitoring of production progress. It can track the current status of tasks, detect delays, and suggest alternative solutions to adjust the schedule. In the case of changes or unforeseen events, the software can automatically update the schedule and compute the impact on other tasks.
In summary:
Using APS software in conjunction with GANTT production planning enables efficient resource and time planning, better visibility of production progress, and increased responsiveness to changes or challenges in the production process.
Or as Carsten Dieckhoff puts it:
With the introduction of GANTTPLAN software to the production process, we have managed to enhance just about every production process parameter. From work scheduling to process control and documentation to pure manufacturing.Carsten Dieckhoff, Production Manager at Kubota Brabender Technologie
A short video how a GANTT production plannung procedure can be outlined:
