Planning on Board

In this computer age surely manual planning boards and T- card systems disappeared with flairs and tank tops?

They did. Planning boards were replaced by software systems but they have now returned in surprising volumes playing a changed role by working alongside and supporting computer systems. Visit any office or factory and you will see whiteboards or paper charts displaying information alongside the computer. These are forms of planning boards. We all plan with computers. They provide task loading schedules to ensure accurate and current compliance situations. However, we still lack that essential summary or complete overview of a schedule and scrolling or outdated printouts are of no use to the modern manager. He requires a ‘big picture’ of his total plan that is totally visual and simply updated. It must provide a summary of the current situation, highlighting spare capacity or possible bottlenecks and predicting the consequences of any change to plan. Perfect for group discussions and team meetings.

The supply of accurate data to the computer master plan often depends on a sub-level supplement of factory or office manual planning systems. These are sometimes mistakenly viewed as a backward step by computer blinkered management but play a vital role in ensuring the computer performs to its maximum effect. After all, information is more valuable when it is accurate and current.

Best Practice, Lean Management, Continuous Improvement and Kanban Production management methods demand the display of ‘must see’ information. These may take the form of factory floor workstation displays, planning room management systems or rapidly updated information display boards. These are all part of the new planning board role.

Eurocharts (UK) are leading planning systems specialists Who have been in operation for over 25 years and have played an integral role in the transitional move of the planning board to a computer support product.
Requirements vary and Eurocharts have launched possibly the UK’s only planning board systems specialist catalogue.

This features familiar old friends like T-card systems but also introduces new kit and bespoke project and production systems, magnetic scheduling boards, Kanban production systems and Lean Management visualisation boards and products. Eurocharts provide samples and operate a Free Planning Advisory Service involving telephone and email assistance or on-site visits to help with any planning system design.