Blog
Insights on production scheduling, lean manufacturing, and manufacturing software from 35+ years of industry experience.
Everything we have published.
15 Best Production Scheduling Software Compared (2026)
Compare the 15 best production scheduling software solutions for manufacturers in 2026. Features, pricing, pros, cons, and recommendations for every shop size.
Capacity Planning vs Production Scheduling: What's the Difference?
Understand the difference between capacity planning and production scheduling in manufacturing, how they complement each other, and why you need both for success.
Drag-and-Drop Scheduling: Pros, Cons & Best Tools
Explore the pros and cons of drag-and-drop production scheduling, how visual Gantt chart tools work, and which solutions offer the best drag-and-drop experience.
From Excel to APS: A Step-by-Step Migration Guide
Follow this step-by-step guide to migrate your production scheduling from Excel spreadsheets to an APS system. Data prep, implementation, and go-live checklist.
Why the Shop Floor Ignores Your ERP Schedule (and How to Fix It)
If supervisors rewrite the ERP schedule every morning, the cause is usually capacity: the ERP books work without checking machine hours. Symptoms and fix.
Forward vs Backward Scheduling: Worked Example and When to Use Each
What backward and forward scheduling are, one job scheduled both ways with real hours, what happens when a backward job does not fit, and when to use each.
Scheduling for High-Mix Low-Volume Manufacturing
Master production scheduling for high-mix low-volume manufacturing environments. Strategies, tools, and techniques for managing variety without sacrificing delivery.
How to Choose Production Scheduling Software: Buyer's Checklist
Use this buyer's checklist to evaluate and choose the right production scheduling software for your manufacturing operation. Features, pricing, and red flags.
How to Build a Master Production Schedule (MPS) Step by Step
A step-by-step process for building and maintaining a master production schedule: gather demand, set time fences, calculate ATP, check rough-cut capacity, publish, and run the weekly MPS review.
Multi-Constraint Scheduling: How to Handle Complex Manufacturing
Learn how multi-constraint scheduling handles machines, labor, tooling, and materials simultaneously to produce realistic production schedules for complex manufacturing.
How to Identify & Eliminate Production Scheduling Bottlenecks
Learn how to identify production bottlenecks in your manufacturing process, understand their impact on throughput, and eliminate them with scheduling strategies and tools.
Production Schedule Optimization: 10 Proven Techniques
Discover 10 proven techniques for production schedule optimization that reduce lead times, improve machine utilization, and boost on-time delivery for manufacturers.