Gatema PCB, a leading PCB prototype manufacturer with 30 years of experience, has been successfully using the BERGHOF Adaptive/SRM software module to support inventory management since 2022. Since October 2024, another BERGHOF Adaptive module called DPA (Digital Process Adjustment) addressing advanced production planning (APS) has been deployed online.
The existing production control method was already insufficient and the deployment of APS algorithms was an inevitable step to further increase efficiency. The production control method was inadequate due to the increasing volume of orders and the increasing technological complexity of the PCBs produced. It is not uncommon for production processes to include 60 or more operations.
Production Manager, Radim Vítek, comments on the deployment of the module as follows:
"We decided to implement DPA in our production process, mainly because of the change in our product portfolio, which now requires higher planning accuracy and frequent replanning. We chose BERGHOF SYSTEMS for this project because they met our requirements for enormous rescheduling speed. In addition, we had successfully completed a previous inventory management project with them, which gave us great confidence in their capabilities and professionalism. In the future, we expect more accurate scheduling and delivery times, which will improve our reliability and customer satisfaction. We look forward to a future with DPA where our manufacturing processes will not only be more efficient, but also more flexible and reliable, allowing us to better serve our customers and grow in the marketplace."
A complete schedule recalculation, including bi-directional data updates, including write-back of key outputs to the ERP, takes 5 to 7 minutes every hour!!!
From the beginning, the project was divided into two basic phases. The currently completed phase described above focuses on supporting the operational planning of production, i.e. processing orders released for production in the ERP HELIOS Nephrite for a maximum of 14 days. The goal of the second ongoing phase is the simulated addition of further orders to the capacity plan in the longer term for which there is not yet an accurate production plan and a TPV has not been processed, or the unique deployment of the so-called Digital Twin Organization (DTO) using the logic of type representatives without creating data in the ERP.
The material coverage of production is ensured through automated SRM forecasting. DPA outputs are primarily used for capacity utilization planning in multiple capacity scenarios and work sequencing at key sites. Information is quickly available on the feasibility of the required deadline and this enables an informed decision to be made early on whether specific orders are prioritised in the production process, or a later delivery date is communicated to the customer but then met!
