MANUFACTURING AND CAPACITY PLANNING
Enhance your capacity planning
Predictability
Eliminate guesswork with accurate forecasts by using a capacity planning tool that anticipates dynamic market demand & supply risk
Simplicity
Easily run forecasting models for best and worst-case scenarios
Speed
Integrate order data with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems for smarter, real-time demand, inventory, and production visibility.
Putting the “finite” into capacity planning
Netstock Predictor IBP’s Finite Capacity Planning (FCP) optimizes production plans using monthly, weekly, or even daily time periods. It ensures optimal resource allocation by suggesting strategic inventories to level load production while automatically spreading production requirements across alternative resources or vendors, optimizing cost and profitability. FCP prepares your business for seasonal peaks, planned outages, and rapid growth.
Rough-Cut capacity planning
Rough-Cut Capacity Planning offers a high-level view of capacity requirements for long-term and what-if scenarios. It helps evaluate whether your resources, guided by a master production schedule, can support strategic growth plans, such as increasing a product category or region by a certain percentage over a specific period of time. This approach enables companies to anticipate potential constraints and make informed decisions for future capacity needs.
Exception event adjustments
Adjust capacity for anticipated events, such as planned maintenance, plant shutdowns, or increased staffing, synchronize demand with supply, and optimize your production and procurement plans.
Enhanced inventory visibility
View inventory, backlogs, demand, and planned supply at any level of aggregation and in any unit of measure using advanced resource management tools. This ensures all stakeholders have a comprehensive and timely view of key information for managing a global supply chain.
Scenario planning & business analysis
Align your sales, production, procurement, and financial plans with scenario-based planning and a thorough understanding of the production process. Create and compare multiple demand-supply scenarios, and easily share them with stakeholders. Netstock Predictor IBP facilitates a more timely and agile Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) cadence, improving business responsiveness, profitability, and resilience.
Learn more about Netstock Predictor IBP
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Improve Supply Chain Reliability with Collaborative Planning and Predictive Analytics
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Our solutions
Netstock has the solutions you need to help you achieve and manage optimal supply and demand levels.
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S&OPFAQs about capacity planning software
Manufacturing capacity planning is the process of determining the production capacity needed by a company to meet demand effectively. It involves assessing available resources—such as labor, machinery, and materials—and aligning them with production goals. Capacity planning ensures that manufacturers can scale operations efficiently, avoid bottlenecks, and optimize costs while maintaining high productivity.
Modern capacity planning software helps automate this process by providing real-time insights, predictive analytics, and scenario planning, allowing manufacturers to make data-driven decisions about resource allocation and production scheduling.
When selecting capacity planning software, businesses should consider several critical features, including:
- Demand forecasting: Predict future production needs based on historical data and market trends.
- Real-Time resource tracking: Monitor machine availability, workforce capacity, and material stock levels.
- Scenario planning & simulation:Model different production scenarios to anticipate capacity constraints.
- Automated scheduling: Optimize production workflows and eliminate inefficiencies.
- Integration capabilities: Ensure seamless connectivity with ERP, MRP, and other manufacturing software.
- Scalability & customization: Adapt the software to business growth and unique operational needs.
By focusing on these features, manufacturers can choose a solution that enhances efficiency, reduces downtime, and improves overall production planning.
Implementing capacity planning software requires a strategic approach to ensure a smooth transition and maximum efficiency. Here are the key steps:
- Assess Current Capacity & Identify Pain Points – Evaluate existing production capabilities, resource utilization, and bottlenecks to understand what improvements are needed.
- Define Goals & Requirements – Establish clear objectives, such as reducing lead times, improving efficiency, or scaling operations, and determine the features your software must have to meet these goals.
- Select the Right Software – Compare different capacity planning tools based on key features like demand forecasting, real-time tracking, automation, and integration with existing systems (e.g., ERP, MRP).
- Integrate with Existing Systems – Ensure seamless connectivity with your current manufacturing, supply chain, and scheduling software to maintain data accuracy and streamline workflows.
- Train Teams & Set Up Workflows – Provide comprehensive training for employees to maximize software adoption and efficiency. Define standardized workflows to maintain consistency across operations.
- Run a Pilot & Adjust Settings – Test the software on a smaller scale before full deployment, making necessary adjustments based on real-world performance and feedback.
- Monitor, Optimize, & Scale – Continuously track performance metrics, identify areas for improvement, and scale the solution as your manufacturing needs evolve.
By following these steps, manufacturers can ensure a smooth implementation process and maximize the benefits of capacity planning software, leading to better resource utilization and improved production efficiency.
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