WHY nMetric?
How It Works
Traditional planning tools often prove to be inflexible, algorithmically driven to optimize on a few predefined criteria, and making exceptions are difficult to address. Also, as production mix shifts and changes increase, the increasing number exceptions bog down the system. Typically, you are forced to plan against snapshots in time rather than current reality, resulting in a schedule that is obsolete almost before it is issued.
nMetric’s Smart Job Technology is designed to handle all exceptions. Our software embraces the constantly changing dynamic scheduling requirements of high-mix environments by honoring the reality of the resource capabilities and time limitations. It creates software objects for each task (Smart Jobs) and then, by applying probability and heuristic math, generates a virtual environment where Smart Jobs can negotiate with each other to reserve the resources they need.
nMetric not only virtually represents this dynamic environment, it embraces the uncertainty and assists you in navigating for best outcomes. To better understand nMetric dynamic scheduling solution software and its unique combination of functionalities, please read below and watch the videos on this page.
The capabilities, skills or properties of any resource that is required by a task to be completed. nMetric matches the attributes of the resources with the requirements of a task, reserving time on those resources in the schedule.
Multiple Resource Types
Some tasks require more than one resource type to complete their work (work center, person, tool and material). nMetric gives you the option of scheduling any one or all of these resource types simultaneously.
Dependent Tasks
The dependencies of tasks in a series are recognized, honored and enforced by the scheduling engine.
Ping Pong Scheduling
The scheduling engine reserves resources for each task, beginning with last operation and due date and working backward to the first task. If all tasks cannot be scheduled between the due date and the dispatch zone, then direction is reversed and the first task’s resources are reserved beginning at the dispatch line moving to the last task. This process ensures just-in-time completion and WIP minimization.
Load Level Scheduling
Demand is balanced across resources with like attributes to ensure all work is completed according to priority, utilizing capacity more effectively.
Outside Vendor
nMetric provides visibility of WIP assigned to vendors and schedules for subsequent dependent operations.
Drag-and-Drop Moves
Tasks can be dragged from one location on the Gantt schedule and dropped onto another compatible resource. If a desired resource and time are required the task can be pinned or anchored to that resource and/or time when moved.
Dispatch Zone
The schedule is frozen for a period of time ahead of the Now Line to allow for material staging, machine programming and other preparation activities.
Overlap
Overlap provides the flexibility to start a subsequent operation in a series before the earlier operation is completed in order to shorten the cycle time, or time between start and completion, of an order.
Hot Order
When an order must be expedited and completed ASAP, nMetric provides functionality that allows the operations of that order to effectively cut in line at each required resource, and be forward-scheduled from the Now Line for the fastest possible completion. The only jobs that would not yield to a Hot Order task would be those anchored to both resource and time.