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Vol 25 - No 10 - December/January 2000 Take off for APS Special Interest Group The Institute's first dedicated APS event, held recently at Warwick University, answered one question but posed another. The question answered was in the event's title: "Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS): Next Big Thing or Irrelevant Concept?"... The fact that 75 members and guests turned up for the half-day seminar showed that they believed that APS is much more than an "irrelevant concept". We'll come to the unanswered question shortly. Chaired by Carol Thomas (formerly at Nycomed Amersham), the seminar kicked off with a provocative presentation from Ernie Stene (Solution Selection Consultants) on "Critical Solutions or Just Nice to Have?" Rod Moulding (formerly at i2 Technologies) explored larger-company solutions with "Enterprise Applications" and Hugh Williams (Planning Partners) focused on smaller firms with "APS - Point Solutions for Small to Medium-sized Companies". Much discussion ensued after each presentation and during breaks. The unanswered question was suggested by a member of the audience (whose name we'll omit to spare his blushes) who proposed that the first task for a new APS Special Interst Group (see below) should be to define "APS". He's right, of course. There is no single accepted definition - even the acronym means "Advanced Planning Systems" to some and "Advanced Planning and Scheduling" to others. Recent articles in Control by Ernie Stene and by Günther Kruse have helped us to move closer to a definition, but here are some more contributions to the debate. The term "APS" encompasses many kinds of software system with a wide variety of application. The software may be self-contained (stand-alone) or part of a suite. The common features of all APS systems are that they all have some kind of optimisation capability, that they are directed towards planning rather than execution, and that they are not (primarily) transaction systems. APS may be applied to factory planning, factory scheduling, demand planning, demand fulfilment, supply chain planning, transportation planning, intra- and inter-enterprise collaboration including eBusiness, eCommerce and eTail (business-to-business and business-to-consumer) and strategic planning (to mention just a few). By the way, APS is not the same as Supply Chain Management, although it features strongly in much SCM software. Differ with this summary? Come to the next IOM APS event and explain, or write to Control. Encouraged by the high level of interest in APS and realising the scope for debate, a group of IOM members have now got together with the blessing of Council to form a new Special Interest Group for APS. The SIG plans a nationwide programme of APS-related events including visits to live APS users, presentations by APS software vendors and consultants, seminars and research activities. Wherever possible, these will be co-ordinated with IOM Branches. The SIG events will be available to all IOM Members and guests in the normal way, but there will be a special APS mailing list (via e-mail if possible), so in order to make sure you get priority notification please inform the IOM Coventry office (info@iomnet.org.uk quoting APS SIG) that you wish to be included. The new APS SIG has agreed a Committee, primarily to create and administer the programme of APS-related activities. Although the Committee has met once, they will be very pleased to hear from additional members who wish to join; the SIG is very informal. Please contact the Institute for more information. The SIG has also elected a Chairman (Rod Moulding: moulding@btinternet.com), a Vice-Chairman (Carol Thomas, now of Planning Partners: tho0686@ibm.net) and an Honorary Secretary (Judy Cotton, from Eli Lilly and Company: cotton_judy_a@lilly.com). Related Topics:
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