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HYDRA Personnel Scheduling
Efficient Personnel Deployment
Nowadays, customers want inexpensive, high-quality products with short lead times and a high level of flexibility. Consequently, the processing of orders has further complicated
production planning and process control. In addition, personnel scheduling has become even more complex. In the past, it was adequate to have enough employees available during
a shift, but today HR managers, shift supervisors and line managers are confronted by much greater demands. Moreover, flexible work hours add to the complexity of personnel
scheduling. Conventional methods, such as manual attendance sheets, magnetic boards or Excel tables, are no longer sufficient for today‘s shift planning requirements.
On the one hand, modern personnel scheduling has to consider current order volume and the number of employees needed. On the other hand, it must also take into account the
actual availability of staff as well as employee qualifications.
Central Administration Functions and Master Data
HYDRA Personnel Scheduling (PEP) uses HR master data and shift calendars which might also be used by other HYDRA modules. Depending on individual requirements, existing master data lists can be complemented with additional data, such as qualifications (i.e. machine operating licenses) or other role characteristics (fitter, quality manager, etc.). Obtaining such data plays a critical role in highly specialized production environments. This feature ensures that scheduled personnel have the required qualifications needed for
their particular job processes. In addition, health and safety aspects can be incorporated to ensure that instructions on how to operate a machine safely are provided.
Overview of staff and their qualifications in a particular department. HYDRA takes into consideration the ranking
order of job qualifications when automatically scheduling personnel.
Information pertaining to the availability of staff is absolutely necessary in personnel scheduling. PEP accesses the HR master data and data from clocking-in, shift models and projected absenteeism being used in PZE / PZW (Time and Attendance / Personnel Time Management). Then, the responsible shift planner is not only informed as to which
employees should be present, but also which employees are actually present.
The functions “Annual Overview“, Timeframe Overview“ and Staff Schedule“ are available to shifts planners as tools to visualize planning data from shift models in PEP. This feature
enables planners to plan shifts and project absenteeism.
Manpower Requirements and Scheduling
There are different approaches with respect to determining manpower requirements, which can be divided into two types for manufacturing companies:
Manpower Requirements Based on the Workload
Some manufacturers experience significant order fluctuations based on seasonal or customer-related factors. In this scenario, it is recommended to calculate manpower requirements on the basis of actual planned work processes. Therefore, the HYDRA Shop Floor Scheduling shows order-related manpower requirements. During planning or
re-planning, the scheduler can immediately identify whether sufficient personnel capacities will be available.
Comparison of workforce requirements and staff availability in the HYDRA Shop Floor Scheduling on the basis of scheduled orders.
Assigning Personnel to Specific Workstations In manufacturing facilities where the machinery is working evenlyat capacity, the shift planner assigns personnel with partial or full shift capacity to specific workstations. If, for example, personnel are required only for a limited amount of time to fit a machine or for operating a number of machines, the relevant hourly volume is assigned (e.g. two out of eight hours).
The interactive gantt chart shows how personnel are assigned to specific machines or workstations
(comparable to the HYDRA Shop Floor Scheduling).
Staff can be assigned to machines or workstations manually via drag & drop or automatically. When using the automatic scheduling feature, personnel are scheduled based on their respective job qualifications and availability.
In companies with large amounts of machinery, different profiles can be created for different areas of planning to simplify scheduling tasks.
Safety through Plausibility Checks
Relevant data is displayed in a window for the shift planner during the manual assignment via drag & drop. Errors are displayed instantly if the plausibility check detects an error
(e.g. insufficient job qualification or double assignment). However, the planner may choose to assign the staff member although a warning has been issued.
Evaluation of Personnel Scheduling
In addition to graphic display tools, HYDRA also provides evaluation tools in a table format. These tables can be printed out and distributed to staff members, if desired.
The staffing schedule displays information about each staff member, their assigned shift and assigned workstation and / or machine. Moreover, the table provides an overview of time periods during which employees are unassigned and / or available.
Alternatively, personnel can view their schedules via the PZE or shop floor terminals.
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