Finite Scheduling on Time-Continuous Capacity
The bucket-oriented capacity check is the standard procedure in the CTP process. However, you can also use finite planning based on time-continuous capacity using the strategy Find Gap . This process has the following disadvantages :
When scheduling on the basis of the time-continuous capacity of a resource, gaps of various sizes may arise when reserving the resource that cannot be used by other orders.
If you use sequence-dependent setup activities, the orders may be scheduled in an unsuitable sequence due to the random order in which the orders are received. This consumes too much capacity for setup and the capacity load is not ideal.
Another problem is the use of the time-exact CTP check over several production levels. The irregular utilization of the resources increases with each production level checked and results in longer lead times for the orders. The delivery date calculated by the CTP check may lie so far in the future that it is no longer realistic.
However, you can obtain good planning results with finite scheduling on a time-continuous basis when it is used with block planning . This is always the case when the capacity requirements of the setup activities make up a large part of the total capacity requirements.
The following prerequisites must be met:
You are using a strategy profile with settings for time-continuous CTP .
The plan (PPM or PDS) contains only one resource to be finitely planned.
The blocks are defined on the resource. The planned orders created by CTP are scheduled in a suitable block with free capacity. The capacity requirements can be taken into account for sequence-dependent setup activities. The CTP check finds the correct dates in predefined setup cycles.