Phantasma Labs

Can AI unlock capacity without new machines?

Yes. By smarter sequencing and setup timing, AI surfaces idle gaps and underused shifts. Many plants reclaim several hours per machine per week — enough to meet demand spikes without CapEx.

How does AI scheduling integrate with my existing ERP/MES and planning board?

You don’t need to replace your systems. The scheduler reads core data from ERP/MES (orders, routings, calendars) and writes back approved plans or confirmations through standard interfaces. Most teams keep their familiar planning board and use AI to generate options, compare trade-offs, and push the selected plan. This keeps your workflow intact while adding speed and stability.

What data is needed to use AI for production scheduling?

You can start with a lean dataset from your ERP/MES: orders with quantities and due dates, routings and operations with setup and run times, and machine or work-center calendars and capacities. Add shift models for people and equipment, plus basic planning rules like freeze windows, WIP limits, and sequencing preferences. This is enough to build feasible, capacity-aware schedules and to replan quickly when something changes. As you mature, you can add material checks, maintenance windows, and skills or crew constraints.

Can AI actually replan in real-time after a machine breakdown or a rush order?

Replanning typically happens in minutes because the system evaluates only feasible alternatives under your real constraints. You get a minimal-change update that keeps most of the plan stable while resolving the disruption. Planners review the proposed adjustments, freeze what must not move, and publish the new sequence. The goal is to protect promise dates and keep work flowing with the least possible disturbance.

How does AI improve production scheduling?

AI speeds up planning and replanning, so you recover quickly from rush orders and breakdowns. It respects real constraints, which makes delivery dates more reliable and improves OTD/OTIF. By grouping similar jobs, it cuts setup time and smooths flow through bottlenecks. It also balances machines and shifts more effectively and explains trade-offs so planners can make confident decisions.

What does production scheduling AI do?

It creates and updates feasible schedules that respect machines, shifts, routings, changeovers, and due dates. The system compares alternatives against your KPIs (for example on-time delivery, setup time, or throughput) and explains the impact of each choice. When a disruption occurs, it proposes a minimal-change update so the plan stays stable. Planners remain in the loop to accept, adjust, or freeze parts of the schedule.

FAQs: What Production Scheduling AI Is and Does