When an ERP order is confirmed, the system estimates setup and run time and proposes the earliest open slot on a suitable press after material arrives. The planner approves it, the customer gets a committed ship date, and any later move sends a revised date.
Typical results
≈90%
Orders shipped on or before the committed date
Same day
Committed ship date sent after order confirmation
≈6 hrs/wk
Planner time saved on press scheduling
100%
Date changes sent to the customer automatically
Figures reflect typical results for this kind of automation.
The challenge
In a label and packaging print shop, the planner fits each order onto presses by hand, working from a whiteboard, the ERP and memory of which press handles which substrate. Ship dates are promised before checking material arrival or press load, about a quarter of orders ship late, and customers learn about delays only when they call.
Before and after
On-time shipments
+20%Planner hours per week on press scheduling
−60%Hours from order confirmation to ship date sent
−92%The automation
When an order is confirmed in the ERP, the automation estimates setup time from the number of colors and the substrate, and run time from the run length and press speed. It checks the material arrival date and proposes the earliest open slot on each press that can print the job. The planner approves or moves the slot, and the customer gets an email with the committed ship date. Any later move sends a revised date notice.
How it works
- 01
Order confirmed in the ERP
Confirming a sales order in the ERP sends the job's colors, substrate, size and run length to the scheduler.
- 02
Setup and run time estimated
Setup time comes from the number of colors and plate changes, and run time from the run length and each press's typical speed for that substrate.
- 03
Earliest slot proposed
The system checks when the material arrives and proposes the first open slot on each press that can print the job.
- 04
Planner approves the slot
The planner accepts the proposal or moves it to another slot, and the job is locked onto that press calendar.
- 05
Ship date and change notices
The customer gets an email with the committed ship date. If the job moves later, a revised date notice goes out automatically.
Starts from
- Confirmed ERP orders
- Material arrival dates
- Press calendars
Delivers
- Approved press slot
- Committed ship date email
- Revised date notices
The impact
Ship dates are based on real press load and material dates, so on-time shipments typically rise from about 75% to 90%. The planner spends around 6 fewer hours a week juggling the board, and customers hear about any change before the original date passes.
Questions about this automation
How does it know which press can run a job?
Each press has a profile in a settings sheet: maximum web width, number of print stations, the substrates it handles and its typical speed per substrate. The scheduler only proposes presses whose profile fits the job, and the planner updates a profile when a press is upgraded or restricted.
What if material arrives late?
When the purchase order in the ERP shows a later arrival date, the job's slot is checked again. If it no longer fits, the planner gets the next open slot as a proposal, and after approval the customer receives a revised ship date notice with the new date.
What does the printer need to get started?
Access to orders and purchase receipts in the ERP, the list of presses with their capabilities, and a few months of past jobs to calibrate setup and run times. This is a multi-step build, usually rolled out in stages, starting with time estimates before slot proposals and customer emails.