Planning and scheduling
Planning and scheduling are two important business concepts that should be mastered by all employees. However, many companies find these concepts to be similar because both involve the scheduling of work hours. However, they are not the same. While both must be used to make sure that there are enough work and focus in a specific period of time, they are two separate concepts that must be mastered and used properly.
The main difference between scheduling and planning is that planning addresses how work will occur and who is going to do it, while planning addresses what needs to be done and when it is going to be completed. Some businesses incorporate both tasks into a single concept. For example, an office may have a planning and scheduling department. The planning department would manage resources such as time sheets, project management, and recruitment. The scheduling department would then handle the specific dates and tasks for each resource. This makes scheduling and planning seem more cohesive to most employees.
There are several tools available to help business managers to manage their schedules and planning processes. One popular tool is the scheduling software. This software is designed to help manage and maintain work flow processes, as well as project schedules. It allows for the automatic generation and submission of work schedules, based on criteria entered by the manager or his staff.
Additional tools for scheduling and planning include: web-based maintenance planning; online project management; on-line schedulers; and real-time monitoring of the project management system (SMS). Web-based maintenance planning includes various tools for managing, planning, and organizing scheduled work. On-line project management tools include tools for managing real-time job data, schedules, and notes. These tools are available for use by technicians, managers, and planners.
A variety of resources are available to project managers and supervisors to assist them in the planning and scheduling process. Most planning and scheduling software provide the ability to export data from certain forms to other applications. Many software products also provide a facility to manage multiple projects from a single source. Online project management tools help technicians schedule, record, and track jobs and jobsites. Some allow project managers to view a range of different projects concurrently, with the ability to make adjustments manually as necessary.
Other scheduling software products are designed to simplify the complicated task of manufacturing and warehousing planning and execution. In addition to assisting manufacturers, these software systems can be used by project managers and supervisors to manage manufacturing and warehousing planning, as well as manufacturing and warehousing support functions. Some have the ability to create and print job boards, materials lists, job cost estimates, and more. Additional features include inventory control, material tracking, and facility planning and design, which allow for easy coordination among different locations and departments within the manufacturing organization.
A final type of scheduling software has the potential to reduce the workload on project managers and supervisors by allowing them to manage their own jobsite-wide job plans. Job planning software allows a user to determine how many jobs will be performed by each department, then assigns the job to the appropriate department based on priority. When planning a staff meeting, a project manager can use this same job plan function to show departmental job status, progress, and outstanding jobs. Project managers can use this same planning tool to display staffing requirements for each department, as well as to outline staffing requirements for the entire organization. In addition, it can also be used to create accurate contingency staffing plans that can be implemented if some, but not all, staff members are needed for a project that was canceled due to unforeseeable circumstances.
Whether a business needs to improve their planning and scheduling process in order to improve customer service, save time and money, or increase productivity, a quality software solution is available. A variety of web-based, desktop-based, and integrated software solutions are available, depending on the size and complexity of the business, its budget, and the level of service required. Some solutions require no training at all; they are designed specifically for the planning and scheduling process, and a trained individual can install and use these applications. Others will require training and licensing fees to be paid, but can be very valuable to businesses that require specialized, hands-on use of the software. Regardless of the type of software chosen, it can simplify the complicated task of planning and scheduling, thereby increasing business efficiency and reducing paperwork and cost.
