What production rescheduling is
Planning is building the week's plan. Rescheduling is rebuilding it when reality no longer matches that plan. In make-to-order manufacturing, with high variety and low volume, change is not the exception: it's the everyday. The key question isn't «what's the perfect plan?», but «how do I reorganize jobs when something changes?».
Good rescheduling respects the shop's real capacity, doesn't move what is already running and avoids destroying the plan you already communicated to the floor.
What breaks the plan
- A rush order arrives with a committed date.
- A machine breaks down or goes into unplanned maintenance.
- Material is missing or a supply arrives late.
- An operation runs longer than estimated.
- A skilled operator is out or a shift changes.
How the copilot reschedules
For any of those events, the copilot generates a proposal that pins operations already in progress, respects each machine's finite capacity, minimizes weighted tardiness and setup changes, and keeps the previous plan as much as possible. You decide: block operations, change priorities, simulate a breakdown, compare scenarios and approve the plan before it ships. You also see which orders are at risk and what each alternative costs.
FAQ
Does it replace my ERP?
No. The copilot doesn't replace the ERP or control the machines: it starts from your data, computes the finite-capacity plan and hands it back for your approval.
How long does a new plan take?
The goal is a feasible proposal for the next days in a couple of minutes, so you can reschedule the same day the incident happens.
Will it scramble my whole plan?
No. Stability is an explicit objective: it only changes what's needed to absorb the incident.