Understanding the Consolidated Calendar in the Work Center of Business Central

Understanding the Consolidated Calendar in the Work Center of Business Central

Effective capacity planning is crucial for managing production operations efficiently. In Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, the Consolidated Calendar feature within the Work Center module is designed to optimize capacity management by aggregating the capacities of machine centers. This blog post will explain what the Consolidated Calendar is, how it works, and the best practices for using it.

What is the Consolidated Calendar?

The Consolidated Calendar in Business Central allows a work center to derive its capacity from the sum of the capacities of all the machine centers assigned to it. When the Consolidated Calendar field is selected, the work center itself does not have independent capacity. Instead, its capacity is a reflection of the combined capacities of its machine centers.

How Does the Consolidated Calendar Work?

Efficiency and Capacity Calculation:

•            Efficiency Conversion: The efficiency of each machine center is converted into the capacity of the work center. For example, if two machine centers have efficiencies of 80% and 70%, the combined efficiency is considered to be 100%.

•            Capacity Calculation: The total capacity is calculated by summing the capacities of all assigned machine centers. For instance, with the above efficiencies and an eight-hour shift, the total capacity would be 1.5 (i.e., 80% + 70% = 150% or 1.5) resulting in a total capacity of 12 hours (8 hours * 1.5).

Example Calculation:

•            Machine Center 1 Efficiency: 80%

•            Machine Center 2 Efficiency: 70%

•            Combined Efficiency: 100%

•            Combined Capacity: 1.5

•            Total Capacity (8-hour shift): 12 hours (8 * 1.5)

Application in Scheduling:

•            When using the Consolidated Calendar, it’s essential to schedule production operations at the machine center level rather than at the work center level. This ensures that the Work Centre Load page and reports provide an accurate overview of the aggregate load across all machine centers assigned to the work center.

Example Scenarios

Scenario 1: Different Machine Centers Assigned to a Work Center

•            If you have different machine centers, such as a packing table and a painting cabin, assigned to a single work center, each machine center's capacity significantly impacts the overall process. For example, the failure of one machine center could disrupt the entire workflow.

•            Planning must consider the individual capacities of each machine center to prevent bottlenecks.

•            If the Consolidated Calendar toggle is off, only the work center’s capacity is used in planning, excluding the machine centers’ capacities.

Scenario 2: Identical Machine Centers Assigned to a Work Center

•            When identical machine centers, like multiple packing tables, are combined in a work center, the work center’s capacity is the sum of all assigned machine centers.

•            The work center itself is listed with zero capacity.

•            Turning on the Consolidated Calendar toggle means the combined capacity is assigned to the work center, reflecting a true capacity based on the machine centers.

Conclusion

The Consolidated Calendar in Business Central’s Work Center module is a powerful feature for optimizing capacity planning by aggregating the capacities of machine centers. By understanding how to effectively utilize this feature, businesses can enhance their production scheduling, minimize bottlenecks, and ensure a smooth workflow. Implementing best practices for capacity management will help in achieving operational efficiency and meeting production targets.