manufacturing
Strategy Explained: Finite Capacity Planning and Scheduling
Ever wondered what “finite capacity” means to scheduling and planning? We’ve broken it down for you here.
Even the simplest things can have real results in reducing stress in the workplace. Here are five ways inventory software can alter employee attitude.
Low employee morale can hit you like an arctic winter. The workplace transforms into a desolate dead-zone, where smiles are distant memories and the Office Space corporate dystopia comes to fruition. So how can you mitigate this nightmare from becoming a production floor reality?
Surprisingly, something as simple as inventory control software can have real results in reducing stress in the workplace. Below, I’ve compiled a list of five ways this seemingly vanilla solution can produce tremendous results in employee attitude.
Keeping Stock of Your Stock
The ability to pull inventory information at a moment’s notice becomes paramount in maintaining efficiency within a given business. Software reduces the required work to take an order, receive, pick, pack, and ship inventory, giving employees and managers more time to acquire new skills and diversify their positions.
Relieving Stress
Inventory software automatically answers typical inquiries regarding the day-to-day procedures in inventory management on the production floor. This is especially beneficial for those seasonal industries where most sales come during several “high season” months.
Client Comfort
Happy clients tell 10 people about your services; an unhappy client tells 100. In business, the customer is king. Inventory software allows you to make solid promises to clients. A happy customer equates to a satisfied business owner… and a satisfied you!
No More Surprises
Keeping track of what’s happening within your factory reduces those terrible inventory surprises that keep managers up at night. Reliable inventory software reduces the risk that a component order was insufficiently placed or that product wasn’t shipped on time. Streamlining complex processes and automating tasks could be the greatest sleep aid since Tennessee bourbon.
Growth Stability
It’s no secret that growth results from efficient practices and a balanced inventory. Keeping track of previous orders and production reports can provide a glimpse into future demand based on past buyer habits. This presents the unique opportunity to tailor your inventory around fluctuations in the yearly business cycle for minimum waste.
Clearly, there are benefits to streamlining your inventory scheduling, maintenance and shipping through automated inventory software. This software reduces stress from unnecessary stimuli while providing employees and managers with the freedom to diversify their work portfolio through acquiring new and rewarding skills.
Here is some more information on what inventory software can do for your business.
Video: How to Model Tools as Inventory in PlanetTogether APS
In this video, you’ll see how to model tools as inventory inside PlanetTogether Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS). By treating critical tools and fixtures as constrained inventory, you can prevent schedule conflicts, reduce last-minute surprises, and give employees more confidence that everything they need will be available when work starts.
Key takeaways from this video:
- How to represent tools, fixtures, and specialized equipment as inventory items in PlanetTogether APS
- How modeling tools as inventory helps avoid conflicts, double-booking, and last-minute shortages
- How APS links tools, materials, and capacity so the schedule reflects real constraints, not just parts and machines
- How better tool visibility reduces stress, downtime, and frustration for planners and shop-floor employees
- How integrating tool management into APS supports higher morale and smoother day-to-day operations
Show Your Team the “Before & After” of Better Inventory & Planning Software
Inventory management software doesn’t just keep track of stock—it changes how people feel about coming to work. When employees aren’t hunting for parts, arguing with spreadsheets, or dealing with constant surprises, stress drops and morale goes up. Pair that visibility with advanced planning and scheduling (APS), and you give your team a realistic plan they can trust.
Download our one-page “Before & After: Free Up Your Day with APS” infographic to see how modern planning and scheduling tools help teams:
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Spend less time chasing inventory answers and more time doing meaningful work
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Avoid last-minute crises caused by missing materials or misaligned schedules
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Collaborate better between inventory, production, and shipping
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Feel more in control of their day instead of reacting to constant emergencies
Use it in team meetings or improvement workshops to show how the right tools can transform both inventory accuracy and employee attitudes.
