Success Story: Precise planning for plastics production – HakaGerodur relies on GANTTPLAN

Forward planning enables efficient manufacturing processes despite dynamic customer requirements

Flexibility is essential in plastics production. The market demands ever shorter delivery times and rapid response capabilities. Every individual process step must therefore be optimally aligned with the overall workflow. HakaGerodur AG, a leading manufacturer in the field of plastics extrusion, is already using the GANTTPLAN Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) system at two of its three production sites. The objectives: automated planning to reduce employee workload, increased planning reliability, and savings in both time and cost.

Key Highlights

Initial Situation:

• Existing planning processes could no longer efficiently manage the increasing complexity and variety of product variants in plastics production.
• HakaGerodur is a leading manufacturer in plastics extrusion with three production sites in Switzerland and Germany.
• The company faces the challenge of meeting ever shorter delivery times and responding quickly to dynamic customer demands.

Special Features:

• Introduction of the Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) system GANTTPLAN to optimize production planning in plastics manufacturing.
• GANTTPLAN enables automated planning and considers all planning-relevant resources and production constraints.
• The software was implemented as an add-on to the existing ERP system from IFS to bridge the gap between long-term planning and dynamic production requirements.

Benefits:

• Reduced employee workload through automated planning.
• Increased planning reliability and production flexibility.
• Cost savings and more efficient production processes.
• Improved responsiveness to market demands and shorter delivery times.

HakaGerodur – Experienced specialist in plastics production

Objective of introducing APS Software: More efficient and flexible planning

“Today’s manufacturing is subject to increasing variety and complexity. Developments in our market are accelerating, and we must be able to respond flexibly to changes in the shortest possible time. This means that all planning-relevant resources and production constraints must be monitored and controlled to optimize them according to our target criteria. Well-thought-out and forward-looking planning is therefore a prerequisite for efficient manufacturing processes in our company,” explains Michael Menzl, CEO of HakaGerodur AG.

HakaGerodur initially implemented the IFS ERP system to optimize processes. However, the complex requirements of production planning could not be fully addressed. The company therefore decided to implement an APS system for future production planning. As a planning add-on, the APS system is a logical extension of the ERP solution. It bridges the gap between the ERP system’s long-term perspective and the dynamic developments in production. Planners can now work more efficiently and focus on critical tasks. They are now more like conductors than jugglers.

APS – But which one?

Michael Menzl states: “When selecting the right APS solution for us, we focused on comprehensive functionalities for detailed scheduling, automated planning options, and user-friendliness.”

Once the goals were defined, the company searched for suitable providers. In a second step, HakaGerodur conducted a webinar with two shortlisted providers, attended by key users and process owners from the company.

“This allowed questions to be asked and potential solutions to be explored. It also increased employee acceptance and highlighted future planning possibilities,” explains Michael Menzl.

The final decision was driven by a proof of concept (PoC) with DUALIS – one of the goals being to define the interface specifications together with IFS.

Proof of Concept: Foundation for efficient rollout

“With the proof of concept, a significant portion of the project work was already completed. We were able to identify weaknesses and potential risks and estimate the associated costs. The test also confirmed that all requirements could be met with GANTTPLAN,” says Michael Menzl.

HakaGerodur thus had a solid foundation for deciding to implement the GANTTPLAN APS system. The investment in the PoC laid the groundwork for a fast and efficient software rollout.

Integration testing during implementation

The implementation of GANTTPLAN at HakaGerodur was completed just a few months after the PoC and was carried out by experienced planning experts from DUALIS. Initial challenges arose, particularly with the interface implementation by the ERP integration partner. However, DUALIS supported all process steps with the necessary expertise and ensured a smooth implementation phase through intensive integration testing.

Planning & scheduling as a core element of a modern, digital factory

Today, HakaGerodur uses GANTTPLAN Expert – an interactive APS system for manufacturing companies with high demands on order scheduling and additional personnel and/or tool planning requirements.

The system supports planners in simultaneously evaluating material flows and production capacities. Production orders can be scheduled precisely and executed efficiently, taking all constraints into account. Capacity gaps are also identified quickly and reliably.

Planners now have visibility across the entire planning horizon and can respond quickly and accurately. They are guided through the planning process and empowered to navigate around obstacles efficiently.