1998-10-01 : Island Paper Tackles Planning, Scheduling Complexities with TESS
by http://www.taylor.com
Island Paper Tackles Planning, Scheduling Complexities with TESS Benefits Follow 'Virtually Effortless' Implementation
October 1998 - Taylor Manufacturing Systems' advanced planning and scheduling (APS) software solution has been implemented by Island Paper to reduce work in process inventories and to facilitate order tracking by the customer service department.
Taylor's Windows-based TESS has been integrated with System Software Associates' (SSA) BPCS Client/Server at the E. B. Eddy Forest Products' Island Paper Mills division at Delta, British Columbia. TESS extends the capabilities of the SSA product suite into the arena of short term planning and shop floor scheduling and execution.
According to Inventory Manager Paula Drummond, the complexities of scheduling orders for the mill's 165,000 tons of coated, uncoated, recycled, and specialty papers annually was becoming “overwhelming.”
“We expect that TESS will improve the accuracy of product availability information to customers,” she said. “Our main thrust, however, is to improve the flow through each of our machines. We believe we will ultimately reduce our volume of work in progress as our schedulers' expertise in using TESS grows.”
Taylor Customer Service Manager David Pleak said that TESS will also help Island Paper reduce its costs by simultaneously improving capacity management and material allocation.
According to Bob Wood, Information Technology Project Manager for E.B. Eddy, the integration of TESS and BPCS was virtually effortless.
“We have been pleased with the performance of TESS, not only from a processing speed perspective, but also from the standpoint of reliability, which has been excellent,” he said.
During the implementation period, Taylor created a custom reporting application that extracts data from TESS and BPCS and presents it in an easy-to-use format for production managers.
“This shows Taylor's commitment to be more than a software vendor,” said Pleak. “It demonstrates our role as a solutions provider to our customers.”
SSA's BPCS Client/Server product suite integrates all mission-critical business processes across the enterprise, from multi-mode manufacturing processes to management of the total supply chain.