Assign processes to plants and products to DC

Create products, processes, plant locations and distribution center (DC) locations. These settings are then combined to assign manufacturing processes to specific plants, and products to distribution centers.

Page 100 - Assign Processes to Plants and Products to DCs enables you to assign processes to plants, and products to distribution centers.

A workspace administrator has set up the production planning model. This model should already include products, processes, plants, and distribution center locations, as used on this page. If not, you must manually create your products, the processes required to manufacture them, identify plant locations, and the distribution centers for your production plan.

To begin your production planning, you must identify which manufacturing processes are available at which plants.

1. In the Assign processes to plants table, locate the process to assign.
2. For each process that you want to assign to a manufacturing plant, select the Valid combination? checkbox.
3. On the left side of the page, select the Process changes button, to apply the changes. This commits your changes to the system.

You must define which products are made available through which distribution centers.

1. In the Assign products to DCs table, locate the product you want to assign to a distribution center.
2. For each product that you want to assign a distribution center, select the Valid combination? checkbox.
3. On the left side of the page, select the Process changes button, to apply the changes. This commits your changes to the system.

This provides an example for a Production Planner to carry out the processes contained in 100 - Assign Processes to Plants and Products to DCs.

You are the production planner at a dairy business in the USA. Your business sources and produces dairy products in California, and makes use of a network of distribution centers across the state:

• Your business produces dairy products such as milk, cheese, cream, whey protein, yogurt, and butter.
• Your main processing plants are located in Merced, Kern, Kings, Stanislaus, and Tulare counties.
• Your main distribution centers are just outside Los Angeles and San Jose, covering northern and southern California.

You source raw milk from different local and non-local producers, as well as producing milk in self-owned farms. The raw milk is processed into pasteurized, skimmed and full-fat milk, different cheeses, cream, yogurt, and butter. A by-product of your manufacturing process is whey protein that's sought out for its nutritional and dietary qualities.

During the app setup the products will have been created for you. If not, you must create the products themselves. Follow the Add a product steps above, and add:

Now, you should create the manufacturing processes for your plants. This defines which plants can carry out which manufacturing processes, so you can direct raw materials and components to the correct locations.

Follow the Add a new process above, and create these processes:

Next, identify your plant locations with Add a new Plant Location. For each plant in your manufacturing network, add a name and a shorthand code to identify it. Add locations for Merced, Kern, Kings, Stanislaus, and Tulare. We recommend the code be three characters in length.

Finally, add a new distribution center location. Select Add a new DC location, and add the distribution centers for San Jose and Los Angeles, and a corresponding code for each. The code should have no more than three characters.

Now that you have set up your products, processes, plants, and distribution centers, you must indicate which processes x plants, and products x distribution center combinations apply to your production planning activities:

• For every process, assign it to a plant by checking the Valid combination? checkbox, in the Assign Processes to Plants table.
• For every product, assign it to a distribution center by checking the Valid combination? checkbox, in the Assign Products to DCs table.

After this process is complete, you can go start assigning locations and products to individual customers.