Finite Capacity Scheduling
by Gerhard Plenert PhD and Bill Kirchmeir

I met Gerhard and talked with him for an hour at a customers office of one of our franchisees in Reno NV, which specializes in antique car restoration and maintenance. Gerhard was in the waiting room reading what may have been Steven Hawkins, so we began talking. Imagine my surprise to find he had worked with so many great companies in the early computer days and with the automotive industry and many other heavy Equipment Industries. Well since I had him there for 1 hour, I barraged him with questions from converting Space Energy (radiation and different light spectrums into energy for our planet), to taking his methods to the service industry. He too barraged me with questions on franchising, and later we talked about the status of expert and we both laughed when we found out we were both published in our fields of expertise. He admitted to writing books about his subject so I ordered one and it shocked me that it was $55.00 plus tax, after reading it, I was shocked that so much information on the reality of efficiency had ever been compiled in one place.

First off I would like to say that this book is not just for Manufacturing Executives. I believe this book should be read by our Military for infantry Logistics and moving forces into a hostile area for possible future engagement. It should be read by NASA who occasionally has missed appointments with Asteroids or launches. As NASA learns how to attain multi-dimensional space travel it will be imperative to be a the right place at the right time and to jump dimensions of space time otherwise it does not appear that travel beyond the speed of light will occur in our life time. Computers are here to stay and they can help us streamline efficiency and allow all business models to work in real-time. The new way of manufacturing will be FCS and not Infinite Scheduling Backwards Pass (ISBP). Many aspects of this book dealt with the implementing of such a system and also with the reality of change and the fear and roadblocks by conventional wisdomers.

Great Quote;

Newtons Law to manufacturing;

For every expert with a perfect solution there is an equal and opposite expert with a perfect solution.

Now, there in lies the problem. How to get there. We all want the same results in government, we want utopia. In Economics we want stabilization, in manufacturing we want the ultimate efficiency. So in US governments we have Democrats, Republicans and now we have CHADs. In Economics we have Friedman and Keynes. In manufacturing it use to be Deming and TQM vs. the old way of thinking. Today it is finite capacity scheduling (FCS) with software scenarios vs. other systems we have been taught, such as Material Requirements Planning (MRP). Supply Chain Management (SCM), Schedule Based Manufacturing (SBM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) all of which may appear to be viable on first glance and work for a limited purpose if all things are equal. However it does not appear that in the history of our Planet all things have ever been equal. In theory maybe, yet even on the most level of playing fields, they are skewed in one way or the other, by size, weight, strength, materials, wind, etc. There is always a variable or a gray area (thank god otherwise attorneys would all be out of work eyh?). Incidentally god did not make attorneys, otherwise they would still be arguing if Adam and Eve should receive belly buttons, and with no supreme court yet established to kick it back to a lower court the human race would never have come to be, during those last days before the rest. Or maybe god got so tired of dealing with attorneys he had to rest.

The book went into detail the cost to expedite a job, and to deliver on promises made by sales staff to acquire the order, which were impossible considering all the other promises, which were to be scheduled simultaneously. This caused over time and accidents and problems with compliance issues with many agencies and still did not get all the jobs done so the customer base was in constant attrition. In wartime you need to expedite everything and one of the reasons that we beat the Germans was because we built 96,000 aircraft to their 30,000 that last year of the war. It was not that we had better aircraft. They had equally brilliant minds on their side, and a hell of a head start. We of course had the desire to win. And we had the manufacturing and the resources as Germany was running out of everything. Charles Lindbergh warned us on his visit of the Luftwaffe and their incredible planes and weapons of war that the Germans already had pre-war (many called him a NAZI sympathizer, which is hard argue, but we should have still listened. He was definitely enthralled with their innovations). It truly was the manufacturing and the great American push to move mountains that won us the war. Everyone participated and helped in the war efforts. Breaking the backs of the Germans was not easy, breaking their manufacturing abilities and running them out of resources is what helped almost as much as the actual fighting. It will be hard to fight waving sticks when B-1 Bombers are flying overhead; because by the time you see them it is too late. Saddams army never had a chance since we had logistically won the war before it started. Many battles in history, even our own civil war was about train tracks, supply and troops moving and feeding armies. The South had factories but found it hard to match the output of the North. Larger Armies more guns, better stabilized currency. Innovation helped when they changed the bullets and muskets, which could shoot farther with better accuracy yet within months both sides had all the same technology. In WWII Germans were working on the hydrogen Bomb and so were we, at least Einstein in his letter to the president indicated he believed they were working on it when he asked for funding of the Manhattan Project.

Innovation in Manufacturing is important it helped Pirelli and Firestone and a few other tire manufacturers increased production and leap frogged other technologies. But in the end they all had the new technology and the real problem was who could build the most using the same technology. Cold War days, we simply out spent and bluffed our way into winning the cold war. We may have to do this again. We and the Russians both had the technology, and the resources, yet our great economic machine was too powerful, probably due to the productivity derivative of a capitalistic society vs. a communist one. Even though none of the last three paragraphs were in the book, it is necessary to further point out why this book is so important.

Another great quote in the book;

Behold the turtle who only makes progress when he sticks his neck out.

I believe that FCS is the solution to DaimlerCryslers dilemma in Europe. Many countries there and their citizens favor a customized car like a Dell computer delivered in less than 30 days. Not the one size fits all car, which has been Fords answer to profit taking in Europe. Tomorrow and todays new demands are for zero inventory and immediate delivery with maximum efficiency; this can all be achieved with FCS. It also can work in training of new Army recruits, Navy pilots, and third world dictators. I believe car wash guys can easily implement such a training version of FCS even though no one has ever done it before. I also believe that we can deliver real time services to our customers and allocate the necessary resources without wasting by GPS tracking, real time scheduling changes, labor, supplies, equipment and crews. There is no difference fundamentally between labor at a manufacturing facility and labor on a job site or multiple jobs sites for that matter. A computer does not cry when you add perimeters and does not need more food or coffee to run by the seat of its pants. It is not an emotional issue, it just is. Likewise a computer can calculate many equations simultaneously, many can easily do 10,000 possibilities per second. Still want to play chess with a computer? So does that mean the death of the entrepreneur?

Does that mean the Howard Hughes days of innovation and flying by the seat of your pants are done forever? No there will always be prototypes, with no parts available yet, but what it does mean is that the entrepreneur can see his dreams come to fruition better because they may actually make a profit. Does it mean that there will be no more defective units? No, there will always be defective parts from manufacturers who rely on sub parts, which are not built in the same way. In Taiwan many company have experienced up to 35% more productivity by only changing to the methodology of Finite Capacity Scheduling. So for America to complete its productivity without affecting its bottom line we simply produce more with the same amount of labor and manufacturing abilities. Think of it. Even if the dollar is strong a shit we can still sell for less because we are producing more with the same fixed base costs. This means we can beat everyone still.

Let the innovators innovate and the manufacturing Schedulers schedule using FCM systems and we will increase our output and win, even if we are all using the same secrets stolen from our scientific communities. The book refers to Peter Drucker who stated that the true measure of productivity is the output per unit of time given the finite resources. Yes I believe this to be and have always said the money is in the time and not the completed job.

This should be obvious to anyone who has bid a job to low and later completed the job quicker than anticipated due to a new method of operation discovered upon commencing of the job. Sometimes it takes a few times to see how to actually do the work and then refine the technique, in actuality you are performing manual Finite Capacity Scheduling even though it is the most elementary part of the actual FCS model. Now add jobs, labor, and resources to the equation and then try to factor in all the materials and times the materials, soaps, supplies, etc are needed and what do you have? A complex mess, which requires lots of thought and time.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

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We are of the impression that the concept of exchanging of promise rings is a modern one. However, it should be known that the exchange of promise rings is, in reality, a tradition that has been around for quite some time. Promise rings have been and are still exchanged to seal a promise between two people. The promise can be anything from a promise made between two friends, a promise to abstain from sex until marriage or perhaps a promise of marriage between two people.

Promise rings come in various materials like titanium, gold, diamond and silver. Gold is a commodity that was once used as a monetary standard for many nations and is now popular for its value and beauty, which is the reason people like gold promise rings. Gold is a very strong metal that can be used to conduct heat and electricity. Since a promise ring is exchanged to signify the strength of the relationship between two people, gold promise rings can be best used to signify the strength existing between two people. It signifies the heat of the relationship between the couple that intends to marry in a short time. Of course, with the engagement, the promise ring is replaced with an engagement ring, and then this ring is replaced by a marriage ring.

When exchanging gold promise rings, it is very important for the meaning of the exchange of the rings to be clarified. This is because some people may think that the gold promise ring was exchanged with the intention of marriage to follow between the two people, when in reality, the exchange had been only with the feeling of friendship between the two. It is, therefore, important to state the reason for the exchange of the gold promise ring, to avoid any complications and misunderstandings in the future!

Promise Rings provides detailed information on Promise Rings, Diamond Promise Rings, Meaning Of Promise Rings, Titanium Promise Rings and more. Promise Rings is affiliated with Best Prom Dress.

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You will see a lot of vendors selling their roulette strategy on the net and most of them frankly are a waste of money and you can easily do it for yourself

The roulette strategy below gives you as much chance of winning as any other player and are totally FREE.

It’s proven mathematically this roulette strategy cannot be bettered, so let’s take a look at it and see how to win and win big!

Here is a roulette strategy that simply gives you the best chance of winning.

1. The Game

Roulette strategy starts with leaning the basics of the game.

Take time to learn the rules, the odds of roulette and all the bets, so you know exactly what to expect when you start to play.

It’s a very simple game to learn, but make sure you know the rules etc that your roulette strategy is based upon, it will only take you 30 minutes or less.

2. Games of Chance & Odds

Roulette balls have no memory, each spin is an independent event.

The last spin and has no influence on the following spin.

If a ball lands on black 3 times or 101 times, the chances of it landing on black next time are 50 - 50.
This is very important - each spin is an independent event and this is something you need to understand when playing to win with your roulette strategy.

If you understand this you won’t waste your money on roulette strategies that claim that previous spins are important. A roulette strategy based upon past events is a waste of money as you can’t use past data for the reasons stated.

3. Play European Roulette

Do you want to get the odds in your favor straight away with your roulette strategy?

It’s simple!

Play the European wheel, which has a house edge of j2.70%. These are far better odds than the American wheel, which has a house advantage of 5.26% and has an extra double zero to increase the edge against you.

If you want your roulette strategy to work you play the European game.

4. Best Bets

If you want your roulette strategy to succeed you must play the bets with the best odds of success.
The best bets are those whose odds are low, i.e. red, or black. These odds allow you to win around 45% and are great at keeping your bankroll intact.

5. The best bet of all

Look also to play this bet where the en prison rule is offered on even-money bets.
The house edge on even money bets with this en prison rule, is just 1.35% making it the best bet on the table and the one you need to play.

In your roulette strategy you need the best odds of success and this bet gives you just that.

6. Worst Bets

Avoid these bets in your roulette strategy at all costs!

Avoid, all single number bets and the five number bet of 0, 00, 1, 2, 3 (another great reason not to play American wheels) which has a terrible edge against the player of 7.89%!

7. Manage Your Money

With your roulette strategy make sure you set your bankroll in advance and only play what you are prepared to lose.

Once your bankroll is gone its time to quit, don’t ever chase losses.

On the other hand, if you have a big win have a profit target and quit - most players don’t do this in their roulette strategy so make sure you do - enjoy your winnings.

8. Don’t Believe In Myths & Luck

Luck will change, and a number is due a hit - this view stems from the fact that players believe that a roulette ball has a memory, but as we have seen this is a myth that is dangerous
Forget about previous spins in your roulette strategy simply concentrate on the best bets with the best odds.

9. Why are you playing

Why are you playing the game?

This is an important question to ask in relation to your roulette strategy.

If you want a fun and an exciting time then roulette is a fantastic game.

If however, you want to make consistent gains, play a game like blackjack or video poker, where the edge is in your favor not the casinos.

10. Can you beat the excitement and fun of roulette?

To be honest, blackjack is boring compared to roulette.

Ok, you cant get such a great edge as you can in blackjack, but for a game of chance with the above roulette strategy you can still get great odds, have some fun and maybe make some great money!

In conclusion, roulette is hard to beat as a game and novice and professional players can enjoy it and make some money with the above tips.

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One of the greatest joys of dog ownership is the tight bond we experience and encourage with our dogs. However, if your dog becomes too reliant or dependant on you, dog separation anxiety can develop.

Dog Separation Anxiety is an enormous problem to an estimated 10% of all puppy’s and older dogs. Somewhat ironically, it is the major cause for dogs ending up in animal shelters. I wish I could say dog separation anxiety is easily fixed , but the truth is it can be a very difficult and time consuming problem to turn around.

Let’s take a look at separation anxiety from your dogs perspective. You are the most important thing in your dogs life. Dogs are very sociable creatures and thrive on company for many reasons. If your dog had a choice he/she would spend every bit of his time with you. So it’s only natural that when you go out, your dog can experience varying degrees of distress and anxiety. He becomes confused, vulnerable, doesn’t know where you are going, why he can’t be with you and if you will be coming back to him. When you are separated all he wants is to be reunited with his pack - which is you.

Punishment is NEVER the answer to treating dog separation anxiety!

Does Your Dog Suffer From Separation Anxiety?

There’s every chance your dog is suffering from a Separation Anxiety disorder rather than another dog behavioral problem if:

1. Your dog gets really worked up and anxious when you are preparing to leave the house. Things like picking up your car keys or putting on your coat can trigger the behavior.

2. Your dog engages in inappropriate behavior only when you are separated. I expand on this topic further down the page, but behavior such as urinating inside, excessive barking and destructive behavior are common symptoms of Separation Anxiety in dogs.

3. Your dog follows you everywhere you go and immediately becomes distressed if he can’t be near you.

4. When you arrive home your dog is over the top with his greeting and takes a while to calm down.

Why Do Dogs Suffer From Separation Anxiety?

There are many theories on this one. In some cases the cause or trigger can be pinpointed to a particular event, but often there appears to be no explanation for the Separation Anxiety to commence. What I can say is that Separation Anxiety in dogs regularly occurs:

1. Straight after a change in routine. Such as your work hours changing or a family member leaves home. Remember dogs are creatures of habit and any changes can be very unsettling to them.

2. If you have been on vacation or unemployed for some time and have been spending heaps of time with your dog. When you go back to work your dog becomes anxious and distressed.

3. Unfortunately dog’s rescued from animal shelters contribute a highly disproportionate number of Separation Anxiety cases.

4. After your dog experiences a traumatic event while on his own. If a thunderstorm lashes your home while your dog is alone, this can trigger Separation Anxiety in the future.

5. If your dog is rarely left alone and becomes overly reliant on his pack.

6. When you move house to a new neighbourhood.
   

How Does Dog Separation Anxiety Manifest Itself?

- Barking
- Whining
- Licking
- Destructive Behavior
- Chewing
- Howling
- Panic Attacks
- Digging
- Inappropriate Urinating
- House Soiling
- Self Mutilatio
- Escaping
- Diarrhea
- Loss Of Appetite
- Excessive Salivation
- Vomiting
- Jumping Through Windows
- Crying

What Can You Do To Help Your Dog Overcome Separation?

The treatment administered to your dogs separation anxiety problem depends on its severity. You will find lots of theories and suggestions regarding the correct way to treat separation anxiety - I’ll just inform you of what’s worked for me.

The 4 Step Program I Used To Fix My Dalmation’s Separation Anxiety Problem

My dalmation Harrison developed Separation Anxiety seemingly for no reason when he was about 7 years old. He would start digging and crying as soon as I left the house, even if my other family members were home. My Veterinarian suggested this training process, it achieved the desired result but took plenty of time and patience.

Aside from the 4 step program listed below, I continued to practice the general day to day duties of responsible dog ownership. By this I mean things like providing a safe and comfortable bed, plenty of exercise and obedience training.

Harry would start to get anxious (his whole body would shake) at the very first sign of me leaving the house. This typically would be putting my shoe’s on or turning off the TV or heater. It became a real problem for Harry, myself and the rest of my family, this is how we eventually solved it:

Step 1

Since Harry was always by my side when I was home I had to slowly teach him that he didn’t always need to be close to me. I started out by ignoring his attention seeking behavior (jumping up, barking etc.) and then did some solid practice of his down stay. Little by little we extended the time and distance we spent apart, until he was happy to be alone for up to 30 minutes. Of course, we still spent lots of fun time together.

Step 2

The next step was to get him used to being outside when I was inside. Again we started off with very small periods apart and gradually lengthened the time over a couple of weeks. If you try this Separation Anxiety treatment make sure that you don’t just leave your dog outside to get all worked up and stressed. The trick is to start out leaving your dog out for a few seconds, then going out and reuniting before he shows any signs of Separation Anxiety. Give your dog a treat or dog toy to keep his mind off missing you. Only initiate contact with your dog when he is calm and quiet.

Step 3

The next step in fixing Harry’s Separation Anxiety problem was to eliminate the distress caused by me getting ready to leave the house for work. What I did was write a list of all the triggers that started Harry’s anxiety. I then set about desensitizing him to these triggers. I’d put my shoe’s on, and not go anywhere. Put my coat on, then sit down to read the paper. Pick up my car keys and just carry them around with me, jangling along as I went about my business. After a while (about 3 weeks) Harry barely offered a sideways glance at my shenanigans.

Step 4

When Harry was completely calm in situations that would have unsettled him in the past, I left the house. At first I just stepped outside, shut the door and came back inside within 20 seconds - before he made a sound. Again this was a slow process, similar to step 2. I extended the time outside the front door and then graduated to starting the car, then driving around the block before I came back inside. You can provide a tasty treat to your dog on your way out the door, something that he can work on for a while. Harry’s favorite was a frozen Kong stuffed full of peanut butter and a few liver treats, this eventually kept him occupied for hours. Remember that when you return home, don’t make a huge fuss. Come inside, get changed, pour yourself a nice hot coffee, then greet your calm dog.

This process did prove effective for me and my anxious dalmation. All up the 4 steps took about 5 weeks to work through and fix Harry’s Separation Anxiety problem. My Vet suggested that I supplement this training with some medication. I didn’t go down that path, but it would have been my next step if required.

Whichever method you choose to treat dog separation anxiety, be sure to stick with it and don’t expect any immediate results.

Chris Smith is a dedicated dog owner and creator of http://www.dog-obedience-training-review.com

Find out the best way to correct dog behavioral problems and properly obedience train your dog. The latest cutting edge dog training techniques, for you to apply at home.

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