Using Send-ahead quantity for multi-level items in Production

Dear All,

One of our clients has the following requirement: they produce items that have multi-level BOMs, and they would need to set send ahead quantities accross the different levels. E.g. they finish a certain amount of semi-finished product, and they would like to start working on the finished product (at the top level) without having to wait for the complete quantity of semi-finished product to be finished.
This would affect the scheduling of the production orders: according to the standard functionality, if we use the send-ahead quantity within a production order, there will be an overlap between the start-end times of the operations depending on the defined send-ahead quantity. What they need is a similar overlap between the start-end times of the production orders.

Is there a way to achieve this? Even with development it does not seem quite obvious to us how to do it.

Thanks a lot in advance,
Sandor

Sandor,

You are 100% correct. Send-Ahead Quantity works within the Routing, within a single Production Order. It does not cross outside to improve the start-end times relates to other Production Orders that are stand-alone, except for the fact that the Due Date for the Output of the sub-assembly, that pulls into another Production Order, will reflect its availability when finished.

I see what you are are attempting to do, which sounds interesting to update other Prod. Orders when Send-Ahead is used and the Output is posted and available for other Production Orders. It would be a great idea for BC and can be entered here so the Product Team reads it:

https://experience.dynamics.com/ideas/categories/?forum=e288ef32-82ed-e611-8101-5065f38b21f1&forumName=Dynamics%20365%20Business%20Central

Thanks,
Steve

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To achieve the requirement of overlapping production order schedules based on send-ahead quantities, you would need to implement a custom solution as it is not supported by standard functionality in Business Central. Here are a few approaches you can consider:

  1. Custom development: Work with a NAV/Business Central developer to create a custom solution tailored to your client’s specific needs. This could involve modifying the production order processing logic and introducing additional fields or calculations to handle the send-ahead quantities and overlapping schedules.
  2. Production planning extension: Explore the option of using a production planning extension from the AppSource marketplace or a third-party solution provider. These extensions often offer advanced production planning capabilities, including the ability to manage send-ahead quantities and overlapping schedules.
  3. External planning tools: Consider integrating Business Central with external production planning tools that support complex scheduling scenarios. These tools may offer more advanced features and algorithms for optimizing production schedules with overlapping orders and send-ahead quantities.

It is important to evaluate the pros and cons of each approach and consider factors such as budget, timeline, and long-term maintenance before deciding on the best solution for your client. It is recommended to involve a knowledgeable consultant or developer who can analyze the specific requirements and guide you in implementing the most suitable solution.