APS supports the development of SCM
The APS is the most important means of supporting the plan and collaboration between the SCM for all aspects of the supply chain. Without APS, supply chain management can only be used as an administrative concept, and it is impossible to become a plan and collaborative tool, and it is more impossible to form a promotional software.
APS development
Since the last 1940s, accurate calculations in mathematical methods have been used to arrange plans and production schedules that have been a traditional research topic. Linear planning is the foundation of management science, and it is all in management theory. For decades, the academic scholars of the college have not fatigued this topic. However, the real world is too complex, the theory is a large distance, even if the large computer is used, it has not obtained a feasible application. With the birth of the MRP method, the production plan management field has formed two ways or two ways of planning ideas, and there are two two kinds of production plan philosophy: MRP method and mathematical analysis method.
In the mid-1980s, the improved MRP's work started from shortening the planning time was achieved, and some people developed a fast MRP simulation technology. This method will carry out the production operation simulation in a stand-alone computer in a stand-alone memory method, separated from the host that accounts for the business calculation dominance, so that the manufacturing enterprise completes the production plan schedule for only a few minutes rather than the time recognized. Hours. Although attempts at the time did not consider the planned constraint, it has become a new plan and scheduled method.
The famous OPT inventor Eli Goldratt has significant achievements on the development of APS. Optimizing production technology OPT itself is a philosophy according to the arrangement plan of the ability bottleneck, and later he continues to develop into constraints theory Theory of constraints, starting the application in discrete manufacturing optimization, the first batch of APS and the resident Interactive APS products running in memory. In 1984, the Karmarkar 's algorithm introduced in 1984 became linear planning breakthroughs, which were later used by all modern LP solutions. In the 1990s, some major chemical companies began using APS suppliers' products.
Since then, new planning and schedule system developers, many of which have high-level degree of mathematics or operation, spending many years of hard work, optimizing linear planning, etc., to update the support of the computer, create almost In an instant generating an optimization plan, the plan method of the theoretical mathematical analysis has achieved a practicality. These new packages are called an APS engine (Advanced Planning and Scheduling Engines). In MRP-ERP, the new Planning Solutions-APS engine is mature, enabling alternating production planning methods. ERP also has two trends that continue to improve and expand functionality, and change ERP's functionality and nature.
Core and technical characteristics of APS
The core of the APS is a prolonged mathematics algorithm or solution. However, the APS is not a single technology, the specific application, such as linear planning linear programs, integer mixed planning Mixed-Integer Programming, reasoning heuristics, constraints theory THEORY OF CSTRAINTS, Simulation Simulation, etc.), the problem solves the problem Type of type. The APS downloads data from the ERP system to the dedicated server to perform the process of resident memory, and implement the program repeated operation or evaluate the options until a feasible or substantially profitable plan or schedule is obtained. Since these systems often do not have database queries and access, the repetition operation of the APS can be completed quickly.
This is formed, and the three techniques of advanced planning and scheduling APS:
1 Based on constraint theory; 2 Adopt a variety of mathematical analysis of the optimization algorithm; 3 adopts computer technology that departs from the resident memory of the primary server.
APS supports SCM
Since APS is an optimization technology under resource constraints, it can be used for short-term planning and exemptions within a single business, but also for long-term predictions under known conditions and planning between enterprises, becoming improved and optimized. The powerful tool for enterprise supply chain management, so the range of applications and supply chain is associated with the date of the APS maturity. On the other hand, only the concept lack of the supply chain management of effective tools has been rapidly developed with the support of the APS support. The current APS software is combined with the supply chain management software SCM, in the media and business, in most cases. However, we still think that the APS term is specified in the APS engine. SCM software includes more algorithms and more complete management functions, such as statistical prediction methods in demand management, ATP (Available to Promise)
Simulation of the engine, discrete event, etc.
Supply Chain Association (Supply Chain Council)
In the development of supply chain management, "
It is an important normative, guidance, and promotion role played by the Supply Chain Association. In the first quarter of 1996, PRTM (Pittiglio Rabin Todd & McGrath) and AMR (Advanced Manufacturing Research) and the Bayer, Compaq Computer, Lockheed Martin Under the advocacy of 69 companies such as Texas Instruments, "
Supply Chain Association (Supply-chain Council, SCC). SCC is a global, non-profit organization combined with member units, providing support for supply chain transformation for all businesses and organizations. At present, there are more than 700 members of the SCC, including corporate, universities, consulting agencies, government departments, major manufacturing, distribution, retail enterprises, important ERPs, SCM software vendors, have joined them to become a wide range of industries management of supply chain management. . SCC has a close relationship with the US APICS and the US National Standards (ANSI). Due to the authority and important role of SCC, the new member unit increases 30 speeds per month.
Supply Chain Job Reference Model Scor
One of the goals of the Supply Chain Association SCC is to develop a cross-industry standard supply chain reference model (SCOR) to help enterprises to communicate the research results of supply chains, establish the basic norms of supply chains and affect the next generation. SCM software. In November 1996, SCC released Scor, and October 2000 was upgraded to version 4.0. Scor provides an integrated, heuristic method model for supply chain, which is:
- Provide a set of tools for understanding supply chains and rapid modeling;
- Provide a set of tools for evaluating supply chains;
- Publish the best practices and indicators of the supply chain, as the follow-up
-aims;
-Scor model provides means for evaluating external supply chain performance;
- Software tools for achieving best practices.
Although Scor does not interfere with the specific SCM algorithm model, it establishes details of the overall framework and process of the SCM system. Scor also currently performs the most important management improvement method - business process Regeneration BPR, Benchmarking, the management efficiency of advanced enterprises in the industry as a typical and comparison standard) and Best Practices Analysis is integrated as SCM implementation Guide. With Scor, you can measure the performance of SCM software and the implementation of application enterprises, which is a major progress than the MRP / ERP at the time.
The Scor itself is an advanced management improvement methodology. This approach can establish the standard model of ERP, CRM, lean manufacturing, or other management ideas, implement methods, benchmarks, and evaluation criteria. This model helps application companies to walk less, standardize the behavior and quality standards of software suppliers and consulting agencies, and is a lean engineering benefiting throughout the manufacturing industry. ERP is challenged and its future
SCM and ERP function range overlap
The function of the SCM implements the re-integration of matter, business applications, and decision support systems. SCM's ability to cover all key works in the supply chain program: production plans and schedules, supply chains, and transportation programs, the entire supply chain, including suppliers, multi-production plants and complex distribution network planning tools. The APS is available in detail when used for job schedule or short-term planning; for long-term planning, the APS model can be based on the overall resource and product family for several years. In other words, the APS / SCM system actually completed the main production plan, material demand plan, capability plan, or work of workshop progress. The results of SCM may generate, feasible solutions that are taken in customer service, cost, production or profit. Obviously, the functions of both ERP and SCM systems have overlap.
More importantly, the APS takes into account the entire supply chain, including the customer's supplier, and the APS plan range is extended to the enterprise; and the APS system adopts decision technology to help companies solve many complex problems. . The so-called decision technology refers to the algorithm of curing in the software, and uses it to simulates analysis of the constraints of the entire supply chain, and identify the best plan or solution. Most APS software also joined the OLAP data analysis.
In most cases, the ERP system becomes the information source of the APS, providing data for the APS application and accepts the results of the APS processing.
"Single Advantage" software challenges to ERP
At present, it is not only an SCM system for challenge to ERP. In the last few years in the 1990s, there are customer relationship management CRM, electronic procurement E-Procurement, electronic trade E-Exchange, etc. New management concepts and software emerges. People are integrated with these long-term development, integrated in a certain field, both of which have excellent ERP, and has a strong independent software called: "Best-of- BREED "Application, we may wish to call" single advantage "software, the types of software from APS, SCM to CRM and e-commerce, etc. "Single Advantages" software suppliers have independent software suppliers with advanced technology and competitiveness, these software can live in high-tech landscaping, and the price is high. In particular, they are always promoting the public opinion of ERP for re-split market. So two types of disputes appeared:
1 For the application company, are you still investing in ERP? Is it necessary to use SCM, CRM, and other "Best-of-BREED" software, or continue to choose ERP software?
2 For ERP vendors, should it also meet the new needs of the user along the expansion and improvement of ERP, continue to invest in ERP, expand to change the development of ERP?
This problem is a majority of the application company or software supplier. But the manufacturing software supplier is in the choice of this three-stop intersection, it is even more life and death.
Integration of APS and ERP
The APS is integrated with ERP, or, gives the ERP equipment APS engine, or the idea of using ERP data is natural, but there must be a lot of problems.
From the APS, the system is currently not large enough, and the information is small, it is difficult to independently support a certain amount. The data of other systems in the company is not complete enough, so integration with ERP is often unsuccessful. If the calculated calculation of the available goods in the APS must be connected to the work order management, inventory, BOM, process route and procurement system; APS is scheduled to simulate, must be managed with ERP's workshop management, capability data Real-time interaction, using the APS alone will be very troublesome and imperfect, eventually leading to the system crash. From the standpoint of ERP, some companies attempt to replace the MRP-based plan module in the complete set of ERP systems to solve the inherent defects of the MRP. But because the design of the two systems is derived from different philosophies. The APS directly uses ERP data, it is impossible. Some people describe these measures like human heart transplant surgery. Plan Modules MPS and MRP are the heart of ERP, and cardiac transplantation will cause "religion". The APS enters the ERP system also triggered the heart attack of the information system. When integrating ERP and APS, the original definition of the comparison data structure must be carefully corrected to make a careful change.
Despite problems, whether it is an ERP vendor or an APS supplier, everyone is still doing this. ERP suppliers use their respective strategies to join the APS function in their own products. Such as: or you can develop an APS module, or acquire 1 or more APS vendors, put their product transformation into the ERP kit; or form alliance relationships with a separate APS supplier, put its APS products into ERP Sate in the kit, etc.
ERP vendor builds its own APS module to form a seamless integration of APS and ERP is the best solution. But only a few ERP vendors can take this strategy. Mainly, because this development requires a lot of investment time. Some information mentioned that the development of APS systems requires a special talent for mathematics or operation, over 5 years. This is a competing environment in the competitive environment of money, which is almost impossible. In the past two years, almost every foreign ERP software, whether it is buying or developed, 80% has an integrated APS engine. If SAP has SAP APO (Advanced Planning and Optimization), BAAN has Baanscs (Supply Chain Solutions), Oracle bought Ilog's products, and PeopleSoft buys Red Pepper, while JD Edwards bought Numetrix. Recently Supply Western Data Systems (WDS) company with aviation and defense industrial ERP software and Adexa?, Inc to provide SCM integration solutions for aviation industry and MRO. ERP and APS are being integrated.
Although theory APS is theoretically, SCM also includes CRM software to run independently, but truly generates the utility of APS, and must have ERP support, ERP or E-Business and E-Commerce foundation. Some experts say: Building a building cannot start from the second floor. In this IT economy revolutionary symphony, there is no ERP, you can't play the second movement of CRM or SCM, the third movement, and there will be no new climax of the subsequent e-business success.
ERP definition changes
A group of "single advantages" software such as SCM and CRM makes the definition of ERP is quietly changing. In the past 1 to 2 years, many literature have defined the ERP system as a central transaction backbone, which will link all kinds of business functions in the company (such as human resources, finance, manufacturing, accounting, distribution, etc.). In a common system, enable automation of business processes and work automation. This positioning is actually emphasizing ERP integration and as a data source. ERP tends to be an integrated framework for application software. Specific business homework (not only things dealt, new business operations are largely parallel to optimize decision), completed by SCM, CRM, E-Procurement, E-Exchange and other software. In this sense, enterprise application ERP systems is essential. Enterprise application enters the "Spring and Autumn Warring States" period
So, the enterprise application system has evolved along three roads:
