Ask anyone in manufacturing or in a project-driven company who has the most difficult job, and without hesitation they will say: the scheduler/planner.

It’s no wonder. Foolproof scheduling is critical to the smooth operation of most companies. Yet, planning and scheduling the workflow is akin to juggling 150 different balls at once. Except the balls are all different shapes and sizes—some move faster or slower than others, and while you’re juggling, other people are constantly pulling some of the balls out of the air and throwing you new ones.

It’s not surprising that many schedulers work 60- to 70-hour weeks and still feel like they need another 20 or 30 hours to get the job done.

Job scheduling function has a huge effect on productivity and profitability. It also affects the customer relationships your company depends on. Your ability to manage limited resources, satisfy customer demands, and respond to the ever-changing conditions on the shop floor determines, to a large degree, whether individual orders and the company as a whole make or lose money.

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