Taking orders in the peak season is a happy event and a period with high incidence of accidents: orders are fully booked and production capacity is blown, delivery times are delayed again and again, and good customers become complaining customers. Most delivery schedules are out of control not due to insufficient workers, butWhen receiving orders, the production capacity was not calculated clearly, and the rules for inserting orders were not determined.。This article gives a set of methods for scheduling production and delivery commitments during peak season: calculate accounts before receiving orders, leave a buffer when committing, have rules for inserting orders, and choose between overloading.
1. Three real reasons for losing control of delivery dates
- Orders are calculated based on output value, and production scheduling is calculated based on process.When receiving orders, the business looked at "how much output value is missing this month," but what was stuck in the workshop was a certain bottleneck process-spraying line, injection molding machine time, and SMT placement. There is still a surplus in output value, and the bottleneck process has been scheduled for three weeks. This is the starting point for the explosion.
- Delivery dates are committed according to customer requirements, not backwards based on production capacity.The customer asked "Can I deliver it in 45 days?" The business readily agreed, and then went back to the workshop. Commitments come first and accounting comes later, and the delivery risk is locked from the moment the order is signed.
- There are no rules for inserting orders, and it all depends on the boss to make the decision.Whoever has a good relationship with the boss and who has an urgent order will jump in the queue. The production scheduling plan changes every day. The workshop changes frequently, efficiency is reduced, and everyone's delivery dates are postponed.
2. Before receiving orders: clear the accounts of bottleneck processes
Production scheduling in the peak season only depends on one thing:Available man-hours for bottleneck processes。Convert order demand into the working hours (or machine hours) of bottleneck processes, add line replacement losses and yield losses, and compare the available working hours per week in peak season to obtain the true ability to receive orders. For example: The bottleneck is the spraying line, which operates effectively for 100 hours a week. A standard cabinet of goods requires 35 hours of spraying work time. In that peak season, you can receive up to 2 and a half cabinets of new orders every week. Orders exceeding this number will either be delivered on a push date, or talk about outsourcing.
Give the business team a "Quick Check Table of Order Receiving Ability in Peak Season": convert "how many orders can you receive each week" into a language that the salesperson can understand according to bottleneck processes, and have a look before receiving orders. This watch can block 80% of delivery accidents.
3. Correct writing of delivery commitments
- Start with the completion of pre-production confirmation, not the starting date.The delivery date starts after the preconditions such as drawing confirmation, sample sealing, and raw materials arrival to the factory are complete. It is written into the order confirmation form in black and white-if the preconditions are not complete, the division of responsibilities will not be disputed.
- Add buffer to the reported delivery date.In the peak season, add a buffer of 10% to 15% to the normal cycle and then promise: I would rather report good news three days in advance than apologize three days later. Early completion that occurs during the buffer period is customer satisfaction, not waste.
- Large orders are delivered in batches.Large orders are agreed to be delivered in batches. The first batch quantity is controlled within one-third of the total amount. The first batch of actual production data is used to calibrate the delivery dates of subsequent batches. The first batch is the touchstone, which is more stable than betting on a large delivery date at one time.
4. How to choose between order overload: sorting in three dimensions
When production capacity is insufficient and orders are queued, orders are prioritized according to three dimensions:gross profit contribution--Those who also account for bottleneck working hours, and have high gross profit are preferred;account period conditions--Priority will be given to those with a high prepayment ratio and quick payment, and funds will be equally tight during the peak season;customer level--Priority is given to strategic customers and major customers for repurchase, and small orders for new customers are placed behind without sacrificing quality. The ranking results are disclosed to the team, rather than making a single decision, so that the salesperson can have a unified voice when communicating with the outside world.
Orders that are queued later are handled by "changing conditions" rather than "hard delays": customers are given two options-accept a later delivery date, or accept a small fare increase and go to outsourcing for expedited delivery. Giving options to customers is much more decent than silently postponing, and it also retains people.
5. Rules for inserting orders: Insert orders is allowed, but a price must be paid
It is unrealistic to completely ban the insertion of orders during the peak season. The key is to turn the insertion of orders into regular actions:Insert orders requires approval--Business proposal, production scheduler evaluation of the impact on existing orders, and boss or factory director signing, all three links are indispensable;Insert orders costs--For orders that are delayed due to order insertion, the customer who inserted the order will bear the urgent fee or profit compensation. The order insertion that affects others cannot be free;Review daily--The peak season production schedule is checked every morning, and the risk of delay is exposed one week in advance, which is much easier to deal with than discovering it just before the deadline.
Capacity management in peak season is a compulsory course for foreign trade factories: calculate bottlenecks before receiving orders, leave buffers when making commitments, order choices, and pay the price when inserting orders. If these four things are achieved, the peak season will be the profit season; if you can't, the more you receive during the peak season, the more you will lose.
common problems
1. 1. What if the customer insists on a delivery date that our production capacity cannot meet?
It is divided into two steps: first, we will provide the plan that can be promised-delivery in batches, the first batch will be carried out according to the date requested by the customer, and the remaining batches will be given a clear interval; then we will explain the objective facts of production capacity constraints, and cooperate with the expedited option and outsourcing plan. The delivery time that cannot be achieved by hard promises is equivalent to signing the risk of breach of contract into the contract, and the later air freight costs and compensation are far more expensive than losing orders.
2. 2. The quality of outsourcing OEM is unstable. Do you dare to use it in peak season?
Dare to use it, but only outsource mature processes: Outsource some processes or standard parts with simple processes and clear inspection standards, and leave the core processes in the factory for control. A full inspection will be added to the factory for outsourced parts, and the sampling ratio will be higher than that of normal incoming materials. Outsourcing in peak season is a capacity leverage, and when used correctly at the border, you will earn money.
3. 3. The production schedule changes every day and what if the workshop doesn't buy it?
Change itself is a problem: orders are inserted without approval, plans are not frozen, and workshops naturally follow their own priorities. Establish rules first-freeze the production schedule every morning, and change it for approval; then link the production schedule achievement rate into the workshop for assessment. Rules come before human relations, and the schedule has authority.
--Qihang AI Foreign Trade Research Institute·Let China Intelligent Manufacturing Set sail to the sea| Foreign trade customer consultation: 180-0327-6609
