| Now add ten more car wash trucks, with the | | | | hunches yet FCS scheduling would have |
| corresponding work to be done and add two | | | | prevented this error. They screwed up. We |
| more shifts to each truck to achieve maximum | | | | would have beat them anyway, but it would |
| capacity and what do you have? 12 hours | | | | have come at a much higher price as in one or |
| worth of scenario scheduling and moving | | | | two of our carriers also. Ask our torpedo |
| around resources to see what fits best. What | | | | bomber hero, and former President George Bush |
| if a computer did it in 20 minutes? It can | | | | Sr. he was involved in this type of tactical |
| you know. Even though Swartzkoff has an IQ | | | | strategy at a very personal level. It almost |
| of 165 it does not mean he does not need to | | | | killed him. 3 days in a tiny one-man life |
| use the finite capacity scheduling methods to | | | | raft in the Pacific was bad enough plus throw |
| help him arrive at the most efficient | | | | in ditching a torpedo bomber in the water |
| scenario. It just so happens that it will | | | | without flipping it when it has been battle |
| work and he can use his brainpower to decide | | | | damaged.Will Rogers was quoted in this book |
| which scenario will work based on his | | | | when he said Common sense is not common. |
| knowledge of human motivation which may or | | | | With that truth revealed. It is much easier |
| may not be computer ready, based on the | | | | to fix the problem, first admit you have the |
| battle at hand. Another reason why it is not | | | | problem and then reason through a logical |
| such a bad idea to send unmanned fighter | | | | answer using ALL the facts. This is why I |
| planes into a battle zone to fight and why it | | | | also recommend the book Total Capacity |
| is necessary to have a missile defense system | | | | Management by CJ McNair and Richard |
| set up at our perimeters. FCS scheduling | | | | Vangermeersch. It is interesting the |
| works in all the tests our strategic team has | | | | differences cited in this book in types of |
| placed on it from a Blitz marketing mission | | | | capacity management in that you cannot |
| to a customer response system for services | | | | predict total capacity management unless you |
| real time using e-commerce. FED Ex does use | | | | have pushed the envelope to new heights and |
| a finite capacity approach to overnight | | | | find that in fact the capacity was |
| package delivery. It does not look like one | | | | underestimated as new innovations occur out |
| on the surface yet it most certainly is. As | | | | of necessity. Such as attempting to build |
| teams of people use all resources at hand and | | | | more muskets in the North in the Civil War to |
| move the flow real time to the next job as | | | | arm the troops to fight the South. |
| completed. All with such precision that it | | | | Remembering the at the same time the South |
| is truly predictable to schedule. | | | | was commandeering factories and turning them |
| Impossible? Go to Memphis at midnight and | | | | into war manufacturing plants to compete to |
| take the $200.00 tour. Every President of | | | | arm their side. Total Capacity today is not |
| the US should go see it once. Every | | | | the same as tomorrow when some lunatic |
| executive of every company who wants to be | | | | entrepreneur goes and breaks all the norms |
| here in five years ought to see it. Few | | | | and industry standards. Once the barriers of |
| companies do it as well as Fed Ex. I believe | | | | thought and the limits of time, space, |
| the FCS model taken to its fullest could | | | | distance and speed are reduced or increased |
| actually increase the Fed Ex system, although | | | | then the boundaries of that industry are no |
| at first glance it would be hard to believe | | | | longer relevant. It would also be |
| that anything could be more efficient than | | | | interesting to consider that the total |
| that.FCS can handle just about anything, I | | | | capacity of anything is everything or |
| put together scenarios of rain, energy shut | | | | nothing, depending on how you look at it. As |
| downs, union walkouts, overruns, demand | | | | many motivational speakers will tell you with |
| increase post commenced projects, delivery | | | | the connect the dot trick, make one cut trick |
| date changes, weekends, holidays, force | | | | or paper cut out trick. The glass may |
| majuers, increased prices, material missed | | | | actually be bottom less and completely empty |
| shipments. It can all be accounted for a | | | | although to you it appears half full. In the |
| re-scheduled without stopping production | | | | instance of Gold Mining when raw dirt and |
| using these methods. When Nokia and Erickson | | | | rock are processed and what appears to |
| lost the chips they needed, which were | | | | contain no gold has over 8 ounces in it. And |
| produced in NM and the fires burned down the | | | | therefore if all the cubic dirt and rock |
| Philips plant producing the chips last year. | | | | where processed then the total capacity of |
| FCS would have saved Erickson, and perhaps | | | | that element within that area would be |
| they would still be in the cell phone | | | | astronomical in economic terms. Problem is |
| business today, instead, huge write-downs | | | | how to mine it efficiently and there in is |
| unfulfilled orders and exiting of the market | | | | the other Total Capacity problem. If one |
| sector. Nokia would have been killed too, | | | | could convert lead into gold it sure would be |
| except they scrambled and produced half the | | | | easier, the total capacity of conversion |
| demand necessary. Each company although | | | | would be the issue. These authors talk about |
| would have been effected would have been | | | | tactical and operational management and |
| effected less using these methods, that I am | | | | define the two types. Operational being |
| sure of. And producing a computer model to | | | | getting the supplies near the work stations |
| give the answers needed is possible because | | | | to use, which in itself involves many vendors |
| the computer can re-tabulate and change no | | | | and who also have a scheduling systems to |
| matter how far from normal.In wartime you | | | | deliver as promised. Tactical involves the |
| create the fires in the enemies supply chain | | | | decision making process used to decide while |
| or distribution channels, which pissed off | | | | flow of production is in process. I believe |
| the FTC when Microsoft played out side the | | | | that FCS can be integrated into this process |
| normal battle field of what was considered | | | | and improve it. There is one last component |
| and went to the supply side to wage war, as | | | | to add to move this to service based |
| skilled practioners of the game often do, but | | | | applications, such as with the car wash guys. |
| are seldom taught. Why would they not wage | | | | By adding the e-commerce and real-time call |
| war there since they built the distribution | | | | center demands from customers and knowing |
| channels in the first place? They were | | | | that we can deliver a car wash in 30 minutes |
| previous victories and trophies on the wall, | | | | or less, keeping in mind that Tom Monahan had |
| and Netscape wanted them for free, even | | | | a bigger problem and that was making the |
| though they had a half a billion dollars in | | | | Pizza, which had its own processes. Think of |
| an IPO to build their own. In the civil war | | | | the simplicity for initiating the system. |
| the North needed the rivers to move supplies | | | | Now look at the possibilities of watching the |
| and troops even though they were in the | | | | process real-time with GPS, systems, on-line |
| souths territory. Look at a disease, its job | | | | transactions, using a zone defense pattern |
| is to spread to procreate and take over | | | | which can change to man-to-man coverage with |
| living in its host, our job is to kill the | | | | some or all of the fleet of units. Now add |
| disease since it will kill us first. It | | | | in the possibility of 24-hour operations |
| spreads anyway it can. To prevent it, it | | | | washing multiple types of items, scheduled |
| maybe necessary to think outside the box and | | | | and known accounts and on the fly call in |
| quarantine an entire country like Africa | | | | Absolutely, Positively has to be washed |
| until volunteer efforts can go and stabilize | | | | overnight. Is this impossible? No it is |
| the situation, which might take 10 years. We | | | | easy, but complex. Look at the 1-800 flower |
| have to kill its supply chain. Each time a | | | | case-study, combine that with Fed Ex |
| person gets on a plane and travels to another | | | | delivery, and Dominos Pizza computer system |
| place it spreads, that is its supply chain. | | | | remembering the customers name and last |
| You could actually build a finite | | | | order. Well do not stop here, Mr Walton was |
| capacity-scheduling model to determine when a | | | | no idiot either, he knew what would sell and |
| disease will be eradicated or how a terrorist | | | | how much of it to whom and when. A life time |
| might attack the water supply of the US to | | | | of studying your market dynamics will |
| kill the most number of people in the | | | | essentially drive any man to act like that, |
| quickest time. Then by doing a reversal of | | | | think like him and come to the same |
| the FCS scheduling you could easily find a | | | | conclusions.With the whole World dirty and |
| way to combat such an effort or prevent its | | | | everything needing a wash and different |
| overall effect if not prevent its start. And | | | | elements being washed at different times, why |
| knowing this why would you not use such a | | | | would it not be possible to have crews on top |
| model on everything that is a system or | | | | of crews who had scheduled work and then fill |
| process either to roll it out or prevent | | | | in the gaps of any extra space. Total |
| it.Saddam continually knew that he had 90 | | | | Capacity Management right? Yes in the |
| minutes move surface to air sites and | | | | service sector. Does anyone else do this? |
| re-camouflage them, and to move aircraft | | | | Yes a few companies one out of Austin Texas, |
| while the satellites could not see them. Of | | | | which hauls dirt and does construction, |
| course we also playing the game to maximum | | | | another out of Sacramento and Bay area CA who |
| efficiency recommissioned some SR-71s for | | | | does this to do short deliveries. But they |
| random fly bys during the 90-minute lapse. | | | | are doing it half way. Richoccet in the Bay |
| Unknown to them we had the advantage of | | | | area has real time solutions for Palm PC |
| superior knowledge of our enemies position. | | | | users and it is easily possible to use the |
| We effectively took the time out of his | | | | C-Store methods for keeping track of |
| model. Nowhere to run, no time to hide. | | | | inventories to keep track of pizzas |
| Bingo.General Patton use to say an army moves | | | | delivered, Fed Ex packages taken in or |
| on its stomach, well then move them further | | | | Inventory realized and real-time ordering as |
| faster and feed them less between locations. | | | | in 7-11. By adding in a center half back as |
| The faster they move the more distance they | | | | in a soccer game to take care of the call in |
| travel between meals and therefore less food | | | | orders while the other crews handled the |
| per mile. Precisely the objective of the FCS | | | | normal accounts, until which times scheduled |
| model. The book does point out that if the | | | | crews reversed their positions and falled |
| whole team is not on the same page then the | | | | back on the increased call ins on a day |
| FCS methods do not work. Look at the Battle | | | | before a three day weekend. Thus taking all |
| of Midway where the Japanese were caught with | | | | the work and increasing cash flow and good |
| their pants down. Guessing rather than | | | | will amongst customers by servicing everyones |
| playing it safe, Heroes have been made of | | | | needs. |