Scrambling or Sitting Idle? Fix Your Production Plan!

In this month’s Dear Center of Excellence, we’re switching gears from video to blog to dive into a topic that’s causing real production planning headaches.

The Issue

Dear Center of Excellence,

“We’re either scrambling or sitting idle—Is there a better way to plan capacity? Some days we’re drowning in orders. Other days, we’re watching machines nap and crews twiddle their thumbs. It’s like our production schedule is auditioning for a soap opera—dramatic, unpredictable… and exhausting.”

The Response

Dear Capacity-Challenged and Chaos-Crazy,

“You’re in good company. Many manufacturers are stuck on the same ride—lurching between feast and famine, wondering if there’s a better way.

Spoiler: there is!

The secret isn’t more machines or longer hours. It’s clarity—the kind that comes from understanding your constraints and planning around them like a pro.

At the Center of Excellence, we help manufacturers trade chaos for calm using a few trusty tools:

Process mapping (because guessing isn’t a strategy)
Throughput assessments (to find the real bottlenecks—not just the loudest ones)
Production leveling (more on that in a minute)
ERP scheduling optimization (yes, your ERP can do more than print work orders)

Step 1: Understand Your True Constraints

Before you can plan capacity, you have to know what you’re working with. That means ditching tribal knowledge and gut feelings in favor of something more reliable—like a Value Stream Map (VSM).

A VSM helps you:

See your entire process flow (warts and all)
Spot bottlenecks and shared resource tangles
Compare actual performance to targets—and what’s theoretically possible
Identify overworked machines and underused talent
Get everyone on the same page (finally)

Quick Win:

Start small. Walk the floor and ask a few operators what slows them down most. Use their feedback to focus your first VSM on a single process, product, or piece of equipment. It’s a great way to build momentum and show early wins—without overwhelming the team.

Step 2: Plan Around Your Constraints

Even if you know your constraints, planning around them can feel like solving a Rubik’s Cube blindfolded. That’s where we come in.

Enhance ERP Scheduling Tools

Your ERP system might be more powerful than you think—it just needs a little TLC. We work with platforms like Infor VISUAL, Infor CSI, and Acumatica to unlock features like:

Finite scheduling
Dispatch lists
Real-time capacity views

We help you:

Set up accurate work center calendars
Implement constraint-based scheduling logic
Use visual tools and alerts to prioritize (like a boss)

Step 3: Apply Production Leveling (Heijunka)

Let’s be honest—no one enjoys the emotional rollercoaster of a whiplash production schedule. That’s where production leveling comes in.

Instead of reacting to every incoming order like it’s a fire drill, leveling helps you:

Balance high- and low-volume jobs
Sequence work more effectively
Reduce burnout and increase predictability

The result?

Fewer surprises, better resource allocation, and crews who don’t dread the schedule meeting.

Your Path to Smarter Capacity Planning

You don’t need to run at full speed every day to be efficient—you just need to run at the right speed, consistently. By understanding your constraints, leveling your production, and unlocking your ERP’s hidden talents, you can finally get off the rollercoaster and build a smoother ride for everyone.

Ready to Bring Calm to the Chaos?

Let’s talk about how an operations assessment or ERP scheduling tune-up can help you plan with confidence.