User Permissions for Planning with the Scheduler
Prerequisite: To be able to configure the Scheduler, a user must be logged in to the Cockpit with scheduling permissions (full access). Most employees of a print shop should be able to view the planning board in the Cockpit but not be able to edit scheduling. Only the person in charge of scheduling and the administrator should have scheduling permissions.
Note: Manual checkpoints (paper available, spot color available, customer approval received, etc.) can also be confirmed with "read only permissions". In this way, a stock controller, for example, can confirm receipt of a delivery in the Scheduler. For more information about checkpoints, see the "Checkpoints" Tab.
You assign the appropriate permissions to users of the Prinect Manager in the Prinect user administration (see "Groups" Tab).
|
Permission Type |
Permission |
|---|---|
|
Read only |
Scheduler - read only |
|
Full access |
Prinect Scheduler |
Automatic Scheduling Sequence for Periodic Jobs
The default scheduling period for periodicals is 1 year. The system will prompt you automatically whether or not to extend the period for another year.
The "Specify a periodic job ..." function turns periodic jobs into real jobs. The respective dialog indicates the number of "pending" periodic jobs. The user can then decide if he/she wants to set up a new scheduling sequence. There is a new option for this in the dialog. With the option enabled, the dialog for creating a new scheduling sequence will open right away. This dialog is based on the scheduling rules that were initially used to create the current scheduling sequence. The date for the "First edition" is set such that the new sequence follows the current scheduling sequence seamlessly.
New options for enabling the automatic scheduling permission and the automatic "Activation"
In the "Views" tab of the Presettings, there are the following new options
•"Automatic Lock/Unlock behaviour" and
•"Automatic Activate after inactiv period of".
Option "Automatic Lock/Unlock behaviour""
With this option enabled, the "Lock/enable" switch for locking/unlocking the scheduling permission need no longer be pressed. The permission is requested automatically for each action requiring the scheduling permission. Among others, user actions are: opening Presettings, opening the Forward scheduling dialog, Drag&Drop in the Scheduler, etc.
The scheduling permission is enabled when it is no longer required after the user action. Example: The scheduling permission is locked automatically if it is available when the Presettings dialog opens. If it was set automatically, the scheduling permission is enabled again when the dialog closes. The scheduling permission is enabled again even if 'Activate' was pressed.
The "Lock/enable" switch remains visible and can be clicked.
Note: This automatic function is inoperable if the Schedule Set is active.
"Automatic Activate after inactiv period of" option
This option lets you initiate the automatic saving of changes to the scheduler if a specific period of time has elapsed. Activation will occur automatically if a mouse action was not detected over the scheduler for the specified period of time. Automatic activate is disabled (default) when 'Never' is selected. This function is not related to the option "Automatic Lock/Unlock behaviour".
Improved representation of overlapping operations
Video Tutorial: To this topic you can view the following video:
Prinect Scheduler - Easier to find overlapping operations
In the overall view, you can hide or view overlapping operations. When enabled, overlapping operations are marked with yellow arrows.
Representation of predecessor operations
The columns display the predecessor and the successor as follows:
•Status (only in the Predecessor column)
·Red: No operations have been started
·Yellow: At least one operation has been started
·Green: All operations are finished
•Number of operations
•Type of operation
•Total processing time of operations.
Fixed status of operations in periodic jobs
It is now possible to give operations of periodic jobs a fixed status to protect them from being moved by newly scheduled jobs.
The dialog for creating a scheduling sequence now has an option that gives new operations of all periodic jobs of the scheduling sequence a fixed status.
Long entries in the Machines view appear as tooltips
Long entries in the Grouping Tables of the scheduler (Machine list, Operation list, Job list) were simply trimmed off in earlier versions. Now, the entire text is offered as a tooltip if the column is too narrow to fully display the text. A tooltip being present in the column is indicated by dots (...).
Linking milestones and checkpoints
Milestones (operations) and checkpoints in Scheduler describe a quite similar situation: if the allocated resource is fully completed, the respective milestone or checkpoint is set to "Finished". The resources for milestones and checkpoints can be handled alike if they resemble closely. Example: The "Plates" milestone refers to the completion of all plates. The "Plates" checkpoint refers to all plates for a sheet being ready.
In the "Checkpoints" tab of the Presettings, a checkpoint can be connected to an operation (milestone). In this context, only one milestone can be allocated to each checkpoint, and this milestone cannot be linked to any other checkpoint.
The following synchronization rules apply:
•When a milestone is being set, all allocated checkpoints of the job are set to "Done".
•When all Checkpoints of a certain type (e.g. "Plates") are set to "Done" in Scheduler, the allocated milestone is also set to "Done" automatically.
•When a milestone is being reset, the allocated checkpoints are also reset if all were set to "Done".
List of unscheduled operations after scheduling is complete
Until now, the number of unscheduled operations after scheduling is complete is indicated as a "red figure", but it was hard to find out which operations these were and what the figure meant.
Now there is a new column scheme that identifies these operations. An additional tooltip for the red figure indicates the meaning of this figure.
Only active checkpoints are selectable columns
Until now, all checkpoints appeared in the columns of the list of operations, with the inactive columns remaining empty.
Now, inactive checkpoints do not appear in the list of operations any longer. You cannot activate them in the column scheme either. Changes to checkpoints (e.g. activating or deactivating checkpoints) are immediately visible after the Presettings were saved.
Confirmation dialog after activation of new planning can be disabled
In the "Views" tab of the Presettings, the option "Suppress activation result" is available. The confirmation dialog no longer appears after new planning is complete if you enable this option.
Optimizing the planning sequence for printing
Video Tutorial: Have a look at the following video to learn about optimization of the print order:
Prinect Scheduler - Optimizing the planning sequence
Aiming at reducing the make-ready times by way of job parameters, the planning sequence for printing is reduced.
There is a new context menu item "Optimize Print Order" between scheduled operations in the Overall view, Machines view, Daily view, and Weekly view. You can enable optimization for only one machine at a time. Optimization moves affected operations only within the defined period of time. The overall machine load does not change.
The context menu item opens a dialog where you can set up the parameters for the optimization and start it.
Optimization runs as follows:
1.The start date is preset when the optimization item is chosen in the context menu. You can edit the start date in the dialog. Changes take effect immediately.
2.You can change the period of time during which the operations will be optimized from the start date onward. The changes immediately apply to the operations affected by optimization.
3.The intervals between each of the print operations and the subsequent postpress operations will be kept automatically if the "Align Operations of a Job to Press Operations" option was enabled and the optimization dialog was closed with "Apply". The postpress operations will be moved if necessary.
4.You can choose an optimization rule in the dialog. The Optimizer will apply the selected rule to the list of affected operations.
5.You can edit or delete a selected optimization rule.
6.A new optimization rule is created.
7.Optimization starts with the selected rule and the affected operations. The result displays immediately in the list of operations.
8.A list of operations to be optimized displays. The "Job" and "Sheet" columns are always visible; the other columns depend on the optimization rule and display the optimization attributes used for optimization.
9.The "Apply" button is only enabled if at least one optimization has been performed. Pressing this button will readjust postpress operations if necessary and close the dialog.
10.Clicking "Cancel" closes the dialog and resets the start data of the affected operations to their initial values, i.e. optimizations that may have been performed until now will be discarded.
Press the "Edit" button to edit an optimization rule. The adjustment parameters are then enabled. You can change the following parameters:
•Name of the optimization rule
•"Keep operations of a job together" option With this option enabled, the operations of the same job are always kept together even if they contradict other optimization criteria.
•As many as six optimization criteria can be configured. Preceding figures (1— 6) define the order of optimization steps.
•Selection of the desired optimization criterion.
•Definition of sort order: ascending, descending, ascending and descending, descending and ascending. Arrows indicate the direction.
•Preview of the completed rule as it would be executed after parameterization is complete.
•Button to save the new rule.
•Button to discard the entries.
•Button to delete the current entry.
Display the result of a planning sequence for periodic jobs
The dialog for creating a planning sequence displays all new periodic jobs. This table displays the following properties:
•Name of the planning sequence,
•Start date of the first operation
•End date of the last operation,
•maybe a time shift if the active start date is more than one day after the expected start date. This may happen, for example, if there is no free time slot at the expected date.
Note: A time shift of several days may occur if the entered month was activated because the planning algorithm attempts to schedule the first operation on the same day of the week as for the first operation in the original job.
Improved configuration
The available space is used better in all views of the pre-configuration in order to display more information.
•Company calendar: Several shift schedules are displayed at a time now.
•User: The list of machines is longer.
•Operations: There is more space for the configuration of lead times and follow-up times.
•Checkpoints: Scrolling is no longer necessary to select the checkpoints.
•Colors: The list of colors is longer now.
The parameters for lead times and follow-up times can be set up in greater detail, depending on the machine
Up to now, the times for handling the "print" operation, for example, contained the following:
•Printing — Varnish,
•Printing — Coated,
•Printing — Uncoated.
To be able to distinguish between normal drying and UV drying, the "Handling Times Set" listbox was added in the "Machine Properties" Dialog. For print operations, for example, you can choose from "Default", UV inks" and "Long cycle". The entries in this listbox are dynamically generated from the Presettings. These lead and follow-up times are used to calculate the time gaps between each of the operations. This results in very short follow-up times between printing and trimming if, for example, "UV printing" was selected.
This function is not restricted to printing presses but is available for all machine operations.
Weekly view: dynamic width and adjustable height
The column width of the weekly view is matched dynamically to fit the entire window.
Two additional buttons in the caption of the Daily view or Weekly view let you change the height of the overall view by changing the height of the "Hours" rows. You can toggle the height between "narrow" and "normal".
Prerequisite: You can use the "Presettings" button and open the "Presettings" dialog only if the system is enabled for scheduling with the "Lock/enable" button (see "Lock/enable" button (5)). In addition, you need the appropriate scheduling permissions.
Caution: All operations currently not activated are discarded when you edit the assigned scheduling and apply the modifications (see Enable and Refresh)!
It is essential that you configure the presettings before you use the Scheduler for planning. Important elements such as machine shift times, public holidays, checkpoints, etc. are set in the presettings.
The "Presettings" dialog opens when you click the "Presettings" button.
The dialog has the following tabs: