Orchestrate Delivers Far More than Simple Project Management
Introduction
People see that Orchestrate is easy to use and that a major part of the user interface features an interactive Gantt chart; a component that is also found in simple project management tools such as Microsoft Project. But it’s at that point that the comparison ends. Orchestrate is a fully functional production planning and scheduling system that delivers far more than a project management tool. The following 10 sections describe just some of the extra functionality that makes Orchestrate invaluable for capacity planning and production scheduling.
1. The Batch Footprint - Orchestrate Shows How Batches Mesh Together
When describing a batch footprint, there are some similarities between Orchestrate and a list of tasks in a typical project. The diagram below shows an example:
Although there is a list of tasks that can occur on one of the 20L Bioreactors, Orchestrate also understands that, for a single batch, the set of tasks has to occur on the same bioreactor. This is important because in a scheduling problem we need to see more than a single batch. We need to see how the batches mesh together. The diagram below shows two 20L Bioreactors feeding four 100L Bioreactors.
2. Orchestrate can Manage Alternative Routes
The above example shows that a batch can be processed on any on the 20L Bioreactors and any of the 100L Bioreactors. Orchestrate’s concept of Resource Groups is an easy way to manage these alternative routes. Alternative routes are not necessary for project management and are therefore not offered in project management software.
3. Orchestrate can Manage Multiple Products in the same Facility
A production suite may often be required to process different products, with a different batch footprint and a different choice of alternatives for the processing vessels. With Orchestrate you simply enter the different products as Items, and use the Process form to enter the different processing steps. With the Resource Groups form you can set up different alternative routes for the different products.
4. Orchestrate Schedules Multiple Resources All at the Same Time
A simple project management tool will often tell us how many hours are needed for each resource but that’s not enough for production scheduling. Orchestrate tells us what resources we need for each task and shows us clearly WHEN we need them. Orchestrate ensures we do not get conflicts. The diagram below shows a simple example where each CIP step also requires a CIP skid. Orchestrate ensures that our detailed plan is feasible and that the CIP skids are not a constraint
With Orchestrate you can define as many resources as you need to accurately reflect your process. We will typically include Rooms, Process Equipment, multiple teams of Process Labour, CIP skids and Maintenance Labour.
5. Orchestrate can manage Clean and Sterile Hold Times as well as Process Hold Times
Orchestrate has a simple method for limiting the maximum time between process steps. This is often used to reflect the Clean and Sterile hold times as well as the in process hold times. So if a task is moved on the plan, the hold times are respected and any problems are clearly highlighted.
6. Orchestrate can include the Bill of Materials
Orchestrate can take a Bill of Materials for each product, either by reading in from an existing ERP system or by entering it directly into Orchestrate’s menus. This means we can use Orchestrate to help plan the components that are required to support the main production batches.
7. Orchestrate can manage buffer demand, stocks and expiration
In particular, we may hold some stock solutions in media and buffer and we may wish to monitor when we need to make up a fresh batch. If we make it too early, then the buffer will expire before we use it. If we make it too late, then we delay the main process train. Orchestrate includes expiry, and stocks in order to help manage this problem and information about the planning requirement is clearly presented in Orchestrate’s demand planner.
8. Orchestrate can Peg Orders Together
A key requirement n managing buffer stocks and the production of sub components is being able to see how the various batches link together. The example below shows a media batch being linked to several production tasks.
9. Orchestrate can Manage Utility Requirements
As well as being used for day to day scheduling, Orchestrate is often used for capacity planning where a key question is whether or not the plant’s utility system can keep pace with a new production demand. For example “if we increase to 3 batches per week can the WFI system cope?”
The diagram below shows a particular output from Orchestrate, the contents of a WFI tank. Simply by moving tasks on the plan, the tank contents are updated so we can instantly see that the schedule has on tank contents.
10. Orchestrate has User Specific Views and Real Time Updates
By defining views that are user specific Orchestrate can highlight different areas of the plan to different people. In addition, we can link Orchestrate to execution software such as Delta V or we can update Orchestrate’s task status manually. In either case we can set up views that automatically keep pace with real time and highlight tasks that have been started, completed etc. The example below shows that a media batch has not been completed as expected, so the production supervisor needs to investigate and take action.
