A Flow is a collection of production or service routings or a collection of demand streams. A Flow represents materials or resources moving through the transformation process. A Product Flow is used to group together one or more routings that follow the same basic path and contain similar products that transverse those routings. Therefore, when modeling a production system, the user should consider designating routings that contain similar products to the same Product Flow.
The Production Optimizer analyzes flows. This means that the results of the production system analysis are grouped within the boundaries of each Product Flow set by the modeler. Therefore, each product flow will have its own results page with unique production analytics. An accurate representation of Product Flows in the system is critical for effective and meaningful results.
To Create a Product Flow:
- Open the Data Entry pane on the left side of the User Interface
- Select Product Flow
- Select the + button and fill in the input fields
- Select Create
To Edit an Existing Product Flow:
- Double click the product flow or select the product flow and then select the pen button
- Edit the input fields and select Close
To Delete an Existing Product Flow:
- Select the routing and then select the X button
Product Flow Data Element Description
| Data Element | Description | Constraints |
|---|---|---|
| Description | A description of the product flow | |
| Unit of Measure | Unit of measure assigned to this product flow. If an item assigned to this flow has a Unit of Measure different that this one, then a unit of measure conversion is required. | Unit of Measure Table |
| Annual Inventory Carrying Cost Ratio (%) | The annual cost of WIP represented as a percentage of the WIP value. There is also a holding cost for stock, for instance Finished Goods or Raw Material, which is set in the Stock Point data element. The use of separate holding costs provides flexibility in modeling cash flow optimization. | Optional 0 – 100 |
| CONWIP Limit | The Maximum WIP level for this product flow. This is used in planning to determine if work orders should be released into the flow. | Integer ≥ 0 |
| Max WIP (Units) | The maximum WIP used when computing the Flow Optimizer plots. This number should be greater than the ‘Predicted WIP’ for this product flow. Predicted WIP can be found in the analysis results page. | Integer ≥ 0 |
| Max Throughput (Units) | The maximum Throughput used when computing the Flow Optimizer plots. This number should be greater than the ‘Best Case TH’ for this product flow. Best Case TH can be found in the analysis results page. | Integer ≥ 0 |
| Max Cycle Time (Days) | The maximum Cycle Time used when computing the Flow Optimizer plots. This number should be greater than the ‘PUSH CT’ for this product flow. PUSH CT can be found in the analysis results page. | Integer ≥ 0 |