This page contains a few examples of the data files and the results you
can achieve with the GartPlan system. The examples are not exhaustive and
you should download and evaluate the DEMO version in order to get a
comprehensive impression.
The examples are illustrated by screen dumps and a brief description.
The data files
The program consists of several data files. One of the most important
is the crop file, where the overall properties of each crop are described.
In the picture above the selling prices tab is selected. The selling price
forecast is entered in the small table to the left. Only the changes in
the selling prices are to be entered. A price applies until the next
change. The graphics to the right displays the values entered. This
provides a better survey of how the selling prices develop through the
year, and it is a great "error catcher". The white bars represent the
current entry in the selling prices table.
Other data files describe the space available in the glasshouses,
operations, materials, how each batch is propagated etc.
Simulate your worst expectations
When all data necessary to describe a crop have been entered, the
consequences can be analyzed. In the example above the impact on the
profit margin of a 5% decrease in the selling prices is evaluated. The
white line above the green bars shows the expected profit margin. The bars
themselves show the profit margin when only 95% of the expected selling
prices can be achieved. The yellow line marks the medium value which also
is displayed to the left together with the minimum and the maximum profit
margins.
Try it out in the demo version and discover which changes really
matters and where your profit is most sensitive.
Find out what pays - Analyze your crops
GartPlan contains numerous reports. The above example is a sample from
one of the crop analyses and it is displayed as a print preview. The
report shows the costs and the profit margin for each batch in $ per sales
plant. All costs for plants wasted prior to the selling phase are
accumulated on the plants remaining, thus providing the actual costs
necessary for a reliable analysis.
Print out this and some of the other reports in the demo version and
see for your self.
Planning the production
The planning file is where you put in the starting quantities and the
placement in each phase. To the right of the top grid some key figures for
the current batch are displayed. In the bottom grid you put in the
placement (Dep. no.) per phase of the current batch. All the other fields
are informational and are calculated automatically on basis of the
information´s found in the crop file and the batch file.
Control your plan
The above example shows a planning environment with thorough control of
consequences. 4 graphics windows have been opened and placed around the
window containing the planning file. The current batch is displayed as
white bars, the current crop as green bars, and all other crops together
as red bars.
The graphics windows show the picture of a plan needing attention:
| |
| • |
The upper right window shows the
labour needed in order to implement the plan. There are some serious
peaks indicating that some batches ought to be started one week
sooner or later in order to smoothen the labour requirements. |
| • |
The middle right window shows the selling quantities. |
| • |
The two bottom windows show the space
utilization in department 1 and departments 2-3. They both show
periods, where the available space is exceeded and other periods
with poor space utilization. |
|
A bar plan shows where and when
A bar plan produces a great overview of where the batches will be
placed and what is to be started. The above example shows but a tiny bit
of bar plan. To the left the batch numbers and the starting quantities are
listed. In the grid you can see that the Begonias placed in department 3
are started in another department, as the first phase is hinted but not
colored. The red color denotes a selling phase.
There are no limits to the size of a bar plan. If you have a large
format printer it might be capable to print the entire plan on one sheet.
If you have a more normal sized printer but still want the entire plan in
one piece, you have to glue the sheets together yourself. Just like
printing out a large spreadsheet in e.g. Excel.
Optimization made easy
When you want something from GartPlan you must specify what you want.
This is done in a request dialog. The above example is one of the larger
ones, and it shows how to start an optimization that includes maximum
labour limits and minimum and maximum sales limits. An optimization can be
a tricky affair as countless details influence the result. In GartPlan
these matters have been simplified and everybody may produce "best laid
schemes", if not immediately then after a few tries.
