Rudolf von Scheven embarks on the smart factory journey with GANTTPLAN

Automatic planning and scheduling solution replaces Excel

• Fully automated production planning: With GANTTPLAN, Rudolf von Scheven has achieved fully automated production planning. This includes features like automatic set-up optimization, detailed resource planning, and employee scheduling based on qualifications.
• Seamless ERP integration: GANTTPLAN integrates effortlessly with the existing COBUS ERP/3 system. This integration allows for realistic planning that considers capacity limitations and ensures smooth material flow management.
• Enhanced efficiency and transparency: Implementing GANTTPLAN has significantly boosted efficiency and transparency in production planning.

Dresden, 28 November 2024 – The increasing demand for efficiency and the shortage of skilled workers in factories make advanced solutions for automatic planning and control of processes and resources indispensable. At Rudolf von Scheven GmbH, an owner-managed manufacturer of ball valves in the third generation, the combination of the Advanced Planning and Scheduling System (APS) GANTTPLAN from DUALIS and the ERP solution COBUS ERP/3 has paved the way for the smart factory.

About six years ago, Rudolf von Scheven GmbH, a medium-sized company with about 70 employees, decided to replace its existing ERP system. The decision was made to go with COBUS ERP/3 from COBUS ConCept GmbH, a future-proof software that is actively being further developed. In addition to the general increase in efficiency, a more advanced production planning was a medium-term goal.

Initially, production planning was still largely manual, using the Excel planning tool. Only a few employees had full command of this planning document, which put a lot of strain on them and posed a risk to operations. This reliance on specific personnel and lack of flexibility created significant challenges in weekly production planning.

To meet the growing demands and the company’s goal of becoming a smart factory, an automated planning solution was essential. DUALIS’ APS GANTTPLAN met this need. Today, Rudolf von Scheven successfully uses the Expert version of this software as a desktop client alongside COBUS ERP/3. GANTTPLAN Expert is an interactive APS system designed for production companies with high demands on order scheduling and the additional need for personnel and tool planning.

From Excel to fully automated planning

Thanks to GANTTPLAN, production planning at Rudolf von Scheven is now fully automated. Key features include automatic set-up optimization, detailed planning of production resources and personnel planning based on employee qualifications. This functionality is crucial because Rudolf von Scheven’s products – in particular certified components for critical infrastructures – can only be processed by specially qualified personnel. In addition to the 50 machines and workplaces and 40 employees, external workstations are also taken into account. The solution enables precise planning and monitoring of complex order structures as well as machines and employees in production.

With GANTTPLAN, production planning at Rudolf von Scheven is now fully automated. Key features include automatic set-up optimization, detailed planning of production resources, and personnel planning based on employee qualifications. This functionality is crucial because Rudolf von Scheven’s products – especially certified components for critical infrastructures – may only be processed by specially qualified personnel. In addition to the 50 machines and workplaces, as well as 40 employees, external workplaces are also taken into account, enabling precise planning and monitoring of complex order structures, machines, and employees in production.

In the COBUS ERP/3 system, material requirements are planned daily based on available capacities. GANTTPLAN links various material providers (stock, supplier orders, production orders) with material consumers (customer and production orders), allowing realistic planning that considers capacity limitations. This ensures seamless integration and verification of material flows in production planning.

Transformed planning and scheduling – redefined efficiency

GANTTPLAN has revolutionized production planning & scheduling at Rudolf von Scheven. While manual planning by a few people previously made day-to-day business more difficult, GANTTPLAN now ensures transparency, efficiency, and plannability. The system is actively used by many more employees, spreading responsibilities across several shoulders. “GANTTPLAN has completely transformed our operations. We now have a clear overview of everything, from capacity utilization to the processing status of our machines. Precise and automated production planning and control are crucial steps towards becoming a smart factory,” explains Dr.-Ing. Mathias Wullstein, Managing Director of Rudolf von Scheven. “We see GANTTPLAN as a key component of our digital strategy and plan to use even more functionalities to automate and simplify complex processes in order to position ourselves as progressive and future-proof in the long term.”