Glass demand scheduling system

Abstract

A method for optimizing material flow and equipment utilization in the fabrication of insulating glass units in a production operation. The method includes compiling a plurality of orders and converting the plurality of orders into production schedules for operating processes that fabricate the insulating glass units over a prescribed period of time. The method further includes releasing the production schedules to the plurality of processes used to fabricate insulating glass units. The method also includes monitoring production operations data produced as a result of the releasing the production schedules to the plurality of processes used to fabricate the insulating glass units and providing reports used by the monitoring production operations having image readable indicia that are imaged for providing real-time data for tracking material flow to, from, and through the processes used in the fabrication of insulating glass units.

1 . A method for optimizing material flow and equipment utilization in the fabrication of insulating glass units in a production operation, comprising the step of: 
 a) compiling a plurality of orders used to fabricate insulating glass units;    b) converting said plurality of orders into production schedules for processes used to fabricate the insulating glass units over a prescribed period of time;    c) releasing said production schedules to the processes used to fabricate insulating glass units, said production schedules being accessible to users through a computer network;    d) monitoring production operations data produced as a result of said releasing the production schedules to the processes used to fabricate insulating glass units, and    e) providing reports used by said monitoring production operations having image readable indicia that are imaged for providing real-time data for tracking material flow to, from, and through the processes used in the fabrication of insulating glass units.    
   
   
       2 . The method for optimizing material flow and equipment utilization in the fabrication of insulating glass units in a production operation of  claim 1  wherein the step of monitoring production operations data includes monitoring individual machine production rates.  
   
   
       3 . The method for optimizing material flow and equipment utilization in the fabrication of insulating glass units in a production operation of  claim 1  wherein the step of monitoring production operations data includes monitoring individual machine completion rates.  
   
   
       4 . The method for optimizing material flow and equipment utilization in the fabrication of insulating glass units in a production operation of  claim 1  wherein the step of monitoring production operations data includes monitoring individual machine start times.  
   
   
       5 . The method for optimizing material flow and equipment utilization in the fabrication of insulating glass units in a production operation of  claim 1  wherein the step of monitoring production operations data includes monitoring individual kanban arrival times.  
   
   
       6 . The method for optimizing material flow and equipment utilization in the fabrication of insulating glass units in a production operation of  claim 1  wherein the step of monitoring production operations data includes monitoring individual kanban consumption rates.  
   
   
       7 . The method for optimizing material flow and equipment utilization in the fabrication of insulating glass units in a production operation of  claim 1  further comprises the step of alerting users should the materials supplied to one or more of the processes fall below a prescribed material queue threshold based on said monitoring production operations data.  
   
   
       8 . The method for optimizing material flow and equipment utilization in the fabrication of insulating glass units in a production operation of  claim 7  wherein the step of alerting users should the materials supplied to one or more of the processes fall below a prescribed material queue threshold further includes calculating which of said production schedules should be advanced in the production operation as a result of said alerting.  
   
   
       9 . The method for optimizing material flow and equipment utilization in the fabrication of insulating glass units in a production operation of  claim 8  wherein the step of calculating which of said production schedules should be advanced in the production operation is automatically initiated without user input.  
   
   
       10 . The method for optimizing material flow and equipment utilization in the fabrication of insulating glass units in a production operation of  claim 1  wherein the step of providing reports having image readable indicia that are imaged for real-time data for tracking material flow to, from, and through the processes used in the fabrication of insulating glass units includes providing each individual kanban with said image readable indicia.  
   
   
       11 . The method for optimizing material flow and equipment utilization in the fabrication of insulating glass units in a production operation of  claim 10  wherein the step of providing reports having image readable indicia that is imaged for real-time data for tracking material flow to, from, and through the processes used in the fabrication of insulating glass units includes providing material within each of the individual kanbans with said image readable indicia.  
   
   
       12 . The method for optimizing material flow and equipment utilization in the fabrication of insulating glass units in a production operation of  claim 1  further comprises updating said production operations data as a result of information provided from reading the image readable indicia.  
   
   
       13 . The method for optimizing material flow and equipment utilization in the fabrication of insulating glass units in a production operation of  claim 1  wherein the step of providing reports having image readable indicia that are imaged for providing real-time data for tracking material flow to, from, and through the processes used in the fabrication of insulating glass units further comprises scanning the image readable indicia as it enters and exits each process in the fabrication of insulating glass units.  
   
   
       14 . The method for optimizing material flow and equipment utilization in the fabrication of insulating glass units in a production operation of  claim 3  wherein the step of monitoring individual machine completion rates further includes providing users with access for viewing any current, future, or past machine completion rate for any process used in the fabrication of insulating glass units for any production schedule.  
   
   
       15 . The method for optimizing material flow and equipment utilization in the fabrication of insulating glass units in a production operation of  claim 3  wherein the step of monitoring individual machine completion rates further includes allowing for the addition or exclusion of scheduled machine downtime.  
   
   
       16 . The method for optimizing material flow and equipment utilization in the fabrication of insulating glass units in a production operation of  claim 1  further comprises allowing manual alterations in said production schedules.  
   
   
       17 . The method for optimizing material flow and equipment utilization in the fabrication of insulating glass units in a production operation of  claim 2  wherein the step of monitoring production operations data includes monitoring individual machine production rates further comprises providing an anomaly threshold variable that when exceeded influences said individual machine production rates values.  
   
   
       18 . Computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for performing a method optimizing material flow and equipment utilization in the fabrication of insulating glass units in a production operation, the instructions comprising the step of: 
 a) producing a plurality of production schedules for equipment and assembly operations used to fabricate windows and window components over a prescribed period of time;    b) releasing said production schedules to the equipment and assembly operations used to fabricate window and window components, said production schedules being accessible to users through a computer network;    c) calculating production operations data associated with said productions schedules, the calculating of the production operations includes using information from continuous real-time data collected from tracking material and components through the equipment and assembly operations used to fabricate window and window components.    
   
   
       19 . The computer-readable media of  claim 18  wherein the instructions for performing the step of calculating production operations data further comprises alerting users should materials or components supplied to one or more of the equipment and/or assembly operations fall below a prescribed material queue threshold prescribed in the computer-readable media.  
   
   
       20 . The computer-readable media of  claim 18  wherein the instructions for performing the step of calculating production operations data further comprises altering sequences in said productions schedules should materials or components supplied to one or more of the equipment and/or assembly operations fall below a prescribed material queue threshold prescribed in the computer-readable media.  
   
   
       21 . A method for controlling production schedules of insulating glass units, components, and materials in equipment and assembly operations comprising the steps of: 
 a) compiling a plurality of new, remake, and rush orders used to fabricate insulating glass units;    b) converting said plurality of orders into production schedules for operating a plurality of equipment and assembly operations that fabricate the insulating glass units over a prescribed period of time;    c) releasing said production schedules to the plurality of equipment and assembly operations that fabricate insulating glass units, said production schedules being accessible to operators and management through a computer network;    d) monitoring production operations data produced as a result of said releasing the production schedules to the plurality of equipment and assembly operations and real-time feedback information, the monitoring production operations data comprising: 
 i) monitoring individual machine production rates used to fabricate the insulating glass units;  
 ii) monitoring individual machine completion rates used to fabricate the insulating glass units;  
 iii) monitoring individual kanban arrival times having a known amount of material used to fabricate the insulating glass units;  
 iv) monitoring individual kanban consumption rates of the known amount of material used to fabricate the insulating glass units; and  
 v) monitoring individual machine start times used to fabricate the insulating glass units;  
   e) alerting operators and/or management should the materials supplied to one or more of the plurality of equipment or assembly operations fall below a prescribed material queue threshold creating a material notice condition based on said monitoring production operations data; and    f) altering one or more of said production schedules based on said material notice condition.