Excel Queue management of moulds

A manufacturing company requires an automated queue management system to efficiently allocate moulds for their production process. Currently, the company uses a basic spreadsheet to plan finished product orders by customer. However, there is no functionality to optimize mould utilization across jobs.

The proposed project aims to develop a supplementary worksheet within the existing spreadsheet template. This new sheet should provide dynamic visualization of moulds currently in use, as well as a prioritized waiting list for upcoming productions. Mould assignments must be automatically updated in real-time as jobs are completed, to seamlessly transition resources to the next highest priority order.

Key requirements for the queue include reversible allocation of moulds to open job slots based on priority rules. Statistical data on mould lifecycles and typical process durations can help estimate theoretical throughput. Conditional formatting should highlight moulds approaching replacement thresholds or impending bottlenecks. Well-designed interfaces will facilitate intuitive management of the schedule by production planners.

By centralizing mould queue logic within their existing production planning framework, the company hopes to minimize disruptions from unpredictable tooling failures. Transparent scheduling aims to reduce overtime costs and expedite customer deliveries through optimized resource utilization across all manufacturing jobs.