Implementation schedule

As indicated above, most time will go into collecting the data required for proper functioning of the workforce planning. Especially the assembly time of each product has to be established. Also time must be invested in training the supervisor how to use the workforce planning. Although collecting data mostly has to be done by PS itself, the training has to be given during the master thesis period. After data has been collected for about 70% of the workload, a test period should be used to define the right control and input values for the situation at PS. In figure 10 below a schedule is given for the implementation of the Workforce planning

Figure 7: Workforce planning implementation schedule

As can be seen in figure 7, collecting input takes most time in the implementation process. This is caused by the time it takes to gather the assembly times for the spare parts. The assembly times are very important in creating an accurate workforce planning, making it important that this data is correct. At this moment about 400 production orders per week are completed. As 800 products make up of about 80% of the total production quantity this means that in about two weeks most of these 800 product types would have been processed. To receive accurate measurements more than one production order for each product type should be measured. This means that by using this method for two months enough data can be collected to make a start with the workforce planning. However, data should be continued to be collected to receive more detailed information and information on the other 20% of product types. Also continuous updating of data can be used to make sure the data is still up to date even though products or production processes are changing. Before the workforce planning can be implemented, it is important that the supervisor can work with the planning. To do this a work instruction was made and the supervisor should be trained by the researcher. Besides production times, all other input described in paragraph 6.1 should be collected as well. Because this data is mostly readily available, one week time is reserved to do this.

For testing, three weeks are reserved. After testing the workforce planning can be used to plan the workforce. Although this is estimated to start in seven or eight weeks, the actual time is depending on when enough data is collected to make reliable estimates.

ID Task Name Start Finish Duration

aug 2012 sep 2012 5-8 12-8 19-8

1 Creating work instruction 6-8-2012 17-8-2012 2w

2 Training of Supervisor 13-8-2012 17-8-2012 1w

3 Collecting input 6-8-2012 21-9-2012 7w

4 Shadow running 3-9-2012 21-9-2012 3w

5 Adjusting input variables 10-9-2012 21-9-2012 2w

26-8 2-9 9-9 16-9

6 Start operation of workforce planning 24-9-2012 28-9-2012 1w

7.7 Conclusions and Summary

This chapter aims to support PS in implementing the workforce planning in the daily activities of PS. The chapter pays special attention to the gathering of information, discussing methods to find the required input. Especially collecting data concerning the production times of each product type requires attention and time before the workforce planning can be used. To gather this data, three methods are proposed being: MTM analysis / throughput time measurements, time registration and calculating of production time. Because of the accurateness and quantity in which it makes data available the time registration method is preferred. Even when using this method it is estimated to take two months before enough data is gathered for proper workforce planning. When the planning is used, time measurement cannot be stopped as not all data is gathered yet at this point in time and production times may change over time. The other data required for the workforce planning is available within PS and can thus be collected within a short time period. This leaves enough time for testing the input parameters of the workforce planning before the workforce planning is used to actually determine the assignment of employees. During this time of testing the proposed workforce planning can be used as a shadow planning to the current workforce planning methods. This allows adjustments to the current planning if the proposed workforce planning gives strong deviations from the current workforce planning methods.

Operating the workforce planning as well as testing and implementation is the responsibility of the supervisor. The supervisor will be the most knowledgeable employee on the workforce planning and has the right to make the required decisions. This makes the supervisor the most capable employee for successful implementation and testing of the workforce planning.

The implementation can best be performed based on a top-down approach where the supervisor is responsible for the implementation for the workforce planning. The main reason is that the workforce planning and most information gathering methods are already pre-defined. Thus no new solution has to be devised during the implementation process. Ensuring that delivery dates are correct as well as gathering assembly times will require a bottom-up approach. Here the SA department should work together with the planning department and process engineering in implementing data collection methods and devising policy to support them.