Proceedings of the REAPS Technical Symposium. Paper No. 12: Network Scheduling of Shipyard Production, Engineering, and Material Procurement.

Following the premise of engineering standards, Standard planning Modules represent production work package arrangements which are predefined to simplify the creation of planning networks at the central planning level. The approach centers around the notion that a vast majority of production activities can be established without the aid of available, detailed engineering. The creation of workpackages under this approach is dependent solely upon historical production performance, adaptation of work from previous vessels of the same class, specific details provided by the vessel's specification, and general arrangement engineering drawings. Final production schedules, at the workpackage level, become a derivative of the planning schedule as detailed information becomes available from engineering, material procurement, and other sources. The nature of planning a ship's construction has historically dictated that most, if not all, of the ship's details be known. Working from production drawings, Planning generates the varied labor workpackages necessary to support the fabrication and installation of steel and systems, Since Planning waits for such detail to be available, the timing of the production schedule development tends to occur immediately before those schedules are needed by the yard. In fact, a common complaint of many shipyards is that the production schedules are often published after preliminary construction has begun, normally in the form of steel cutting and substructure assemblies.

The planning environment in American shipyards has undergone a change[of technique and attitude with the upswing in use of computers. Traditional planning mechanisms have given way to PERT networks and sophisticated data collection and reporting computer systems. This transition has not been as successful as was intended as evidenced by the planning and scheduling problems faced by many of these computerized yards. Data processing was moved from the basic accounting arena into operations research and massive production-oriented systems which has diluted the planning effort. This is caused by planners which have not evolved from production, a planning attitude that the computer can solve all problems. and management's inability to recognize the shortcomings of computer software. Technology is available to assist the shipyard with total planning and complete ship's plans and schedules. However planning. in itself, must be adapted to use this computer technology and not be driven by it.

In March of 1976, the decision was made at Port Weller Dry Docks to purchase an in-house computer system to expand our use of computer programs and to update our present systems. At that time two systems were in operation at Port Weller. The accounting and labor distribution programs were executed on a Litton-McBee paper tape oriented computer system, and the production planning and control, numerical control, and design programs were executed on a UNIVAC 1108 time sharing system using a remote batch terminal for data transmission.

This paper addresses the key functions of a closed-loop production and inventory, and planning control system generally applicable to the shipbuilding industry. A key feature of the shipbuilding closed-loop system is the application of made-to-order concepts not generally used in production and inventory planning, and control systems for other industries. The use of modular packaged software to make the system operational on a timely step-by-step basis are explored. Special considerations for tailoring the software to satisfy general shipbuilding requirements are reviewed. A summary of the potential benefits of a closed-loop system (i.e., "what if" planning) is also included.

Small and medium sized shipyards (200 to 1000 employees), particularly those growing rapidly from hands-on control by a few managers to a size requiring delegation of authority to superintendents and foremen, find that they have all the management control problems of the major shipbuilders but without the staff and administrative resources to easily cope with them. Typically we find the small shipyard operating at best with a schedule covering a few key events, no integration of engineering output with production needs, an accounting system which accepts cost charging to few accounts but without budgets or work packages to control scope, schedule and manning, drawings without bills of material and every supervisor in the company participating as a material expeditor. Although the depth of detail required in a small shipyard planning and production control system will vary with product complexity, personnel strengths, and contract construction period, the basic elements of a sound system are markedly similar and cannot be ignored without incurring loss of performance.

The Research and Engineering for Automation and Productivity in Shipbuilding (REAPS) program aims at increasing U.S. shipyard productivity. The organization, activities and current and planned development projects of the program are reviewed. The 1980 symposium focuses on developing a consensus on a format for long range facility plans, with an emphasis on cost effectiveness and environmental impacts.