Smart and Agile Production Planning with Ariatech Radix-MOM
Date
2025-08-08
Embracing Change: The Reality of Modern Manufacturing
On a bustling manufacturing floor, production schedules are rarely static. Unforeseen events like urgent orders, equipment failures, or material shortages happen frequently. In these situations, production managers must be agile, adjusting plans on the fly while simultaneously maintaining overall efficiency. However, traditional tools like spreadsheets or simple scheduling software make it difficult to instantly see how a single change will impact other processes and resource availability.
APS: The Foundation of Intelligent Production Planning
Advanced Planning & Scheduling (APS) is the solution to these challenges.
This sophisticated method uses algorithms and real-time data to optimize production schedules by comprehensively considering available resources, constraints, and shifting demand.
Unlike older systems relying on fixed parameters, APS continuously evaluates and refines the production plan, leading to improved resource utilization and on-time delivery. That’s where APS comes in, bridging real-time data with intelligent algorithms to dynamically optimize schedules.
- Real-time visibility into production capacity and resource availability.
- Constraint-based scheduling that accounts for equipment limitations, labor availability, and material shortages.
- What-if scenario analysisto assess the impact of potential changes before they are implemented.
- Automatic re-scheduling to quickly recover from unexpected disruptions.
Radix-MOM: Flexible Planning with a Visual Gantt Chart
Ariatech’s Radix-MOM (Manufacturing Operations Management) is a unified platform for small and medium-sized manufacturers, integrating APS with a Manufacturing Execution System (MES). When paired with its Material Requirements Planning (MRP) functionality, Radix-MOM provides end-to-end management from planning and execution to real-time monitoring.
Unlike conventional APS tools that come with hefty price tags and complex implementation, Radix‑MOM delivers a scalable, intuitive solution that anyone on the shop floor can adopt.
The Gantt chart-based interface offers powerful, user-friendly features:
Unlike conventional APS tools that come with hefty price tags and complex implementation, Radix‑MOM delivers a scalable, intuitive solution that anyone on the shop floor can adopt.
The Gantt chart-based interface offers powerful, user-friendly features:
- Drag-and-drop functionality to move tasks and adjust their duration.
- Flexible process management by splitting tasks based on time or quantity.
- Automated plan generation from BOM/BOP (Bill of Materials/Bill of Processes) data.
- Intuitive status visualization with color-coded process tasks.
- Automated conflict detection during scheduling changes for assigned equipment and operators.
- Integrated performance management to unify task, production, and historical data.
Radix-MOM Refines the Details of Production Planning
When an urgent order comes in, Radix-MOM enables a fast response with simple drag and drop rescheduling. The system immediately checks for any resource conflicts and alerts users with a color-coded visual cue, eliminating the guesswork from last-minute changes. In addition, detailed scheduling functions, such as task splitting, milestone setting, and real-time status tracking, give managers full control over dynamic production scenarios.
Real-World Application
Imagine you’re processing an order due in three days when a new, urgent order with a tomorrow deadline suddenly arrives. Radix-MOM’s Gantt chart allows you to immediately see which equipment and personnel are available, and you can intuitively decide where to fit in the urgent job. If you need to postpone a pre-scheduled task, the system shows the ripple effect across your entire schedule in real time.
The what-if analysis feature lets you instantly compare scenarios, such as “How will the schedule change if I process this on Machine A versus Machine B?” If a machine breaks down, its tasks are highlighted in red, allowing you to easily reallocate them to another machine or adjust the schedule to solve the problem.
The what-if analysis feature lets you instantly compare scenarios, such as “How will the schedule change if I process this on Machine A versus Machine B?” If a machine breaks down, its tasks are highlighted in red, allowing you to easily reallocate them to another machine or adjust the schedule to solve the problem.
Measurable Impact Across the Board
After implementing Radix-MOM, manufacturers commonly report significant improvements:
- Reduced planning time: Schedule adjustments that once took hours now take just minutes.
- Improved on-time delivery: Optimized resource use leads to better delivery performance.
- Increased equipment utilization: The system eliminates scheduling gaps, keeping your machines running.
- Enhanced agility: The ability to confidently handle urgent orders.
- Better communication: The visual planning tool bridges gaps between production, sales, and management teams.
Scalable and Easy to Adopt
Radix-MOM’s strength lies in its ability to be adopted incrementally, matching a company’s size and digital maturity. You can start with basic Gantt chart features and add more advanced optimization functions as your business grows. As a cloud-based service, it requires no hardware investment and can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, boosting your responsiveness to urgent situations.
Achieve Both Efficiency and Flexibility
Radix-MOM is far more than a simple scheduling tool. It automatically generates optimized schedules that balance efficiency and flexibility, and it quickly proposes the best course of action without complex calculations. With Radix-MOM, manufacturers no longer have to choose between flexibility and efficiency, as they can have both, without compromise.