Factory Profit Optimizer Workflow
The workflow section is where you create all the processes of your factory.
Adding, copying and removing processes
You can add, copy, select or remove a process using the appropriate button located in the top right corner. The name of the process is editable.
Rules
Each process must respect the following rules
- A process must start with a raw material or a work in process
- A process must end with a finished product or a work in process
- Only workers and equipment can be in-between the start and the end of a process
Creation of a process
To create a process, you must first drag a raw material or work in process from the toolbox into the top left corner. Watch the cursor of your mouse. When a resource or product is ready to be added to a process, the cursor will change from a red X to a green + sign.
Double-click on the raw material to get an option dialog where you can set the quantity used by this process.
You must now add a series of resources (worker and equipment). Just drag them to the correct position in the process.
Double-click on the raw material to get an option dialog where you can set the parameters of the resource.
Action: Describe the action done at this step of the process.
Quantity Available: Quantity available from the pool of resources to perform this step in parallel.
Cycle Time: Time taken to perform this step. Enter a numerical value followed by a time unit such as: ms, s, m, h (milliseconds, seconds, minutes, hours). The cycle time should always be the same, even if the quantity of resources available to perform this step is superior to one (ie: each resource takes 5m to perform the step).
End the creation of a process by dragging a finished product or work in process at the last position.
Alternate Path
Sometime, different resources can perform the same step. To create an alternate process path, just drag a resource underneath another one until an arrow appears facing down.
Linking Process Together
The key to linking processes together is to use a work in process item as an input or output.
Be careful not to create an infinite process loop (Process A linked to Process B linked to Process A). Factory Profit Optimizer will detect these loops, but will not be able to generate an optimized solution.
One-to-One (I-Plant)
The first process ends with a work in process and the second one starts with the same work in process item.
One-to-Many (V-Plant)
The first process ends with a work in process and multiple processes start with the same work in process item.
Many-to-One (A-Plant)
Multiple processes end with a unique work in process item and another process starts with all of the work in process items as input.
