Production Exception Agent
Monitors open production orders and resolves scheduling exceptions as they arise.
Monitors open production orders for scheduling exceptions, including missing components, capacity conflicts, slipped dates, and mid-run BOM or routing changes. For each exception, it identifies a resolution from available stock, open purchase orders, and capacity data, applies it where the path is clear, and escalates cases that require a trade-off against customer commitments.
- −30 to −50%
MRP exception resolution time
When production problems come up (missing parts, slipped dates, capacity conflicts), they get resolved in roughly half the time.
Monitors open orders for exceptions
Reads the exception list on active production orders and categorizes each issue, covering missing components, capacity conflicts, slipped dates, and mid-run BOM or routing changes.
Identifies resolution options from live data
Cross-references current stock levels, open purchase orders, supplier confirmations, and available capacity to determine a viable fix for each flagged exception.
Applies fixes where the path is clear
Executes resequencing and schedule adjustments in the planning system for exceptions where a resolution is unambiguous and no customer commitment is at risk.
Escalates trade-offs to a human planner
Routes exceptions that involve a conflict between customer commitments to a designated owner, with the relevant context attached for a final decision.
- Trigger
Monitors open orders for exceptions
Reads the exception list on active production orders and categorizes each issue, covering missing components, capacity conflicts, slipped dates, and mid-run BOM or routing changes.
- Step 1
Identifies resolution options from live data
Cross-references current stock levels, open purchase orders, supplier confirmations, and available capacity to determine a viable fix for each flagged exception.
- Step 2
Applies fixes where the path is clear
Executes resequencing and schedule adjustments in the planning system for exceptions where a resolution is unambiguous and no customer commitment is at risk.
- Resolution
Escalates trade-offs to a human planner
Routes exceptions that involve a conflict between customer commitments to a designated owner, with the relevant context attached for a final decision.
Exceptions resolved without planner intervention
so that planners focus on trade-off decisions that require judgment, rather than working through a queue of fixable scheduling conflicts manually.
Slippage caught and resequenced while orders are still open
so that customer delivery dates are protected and the cost of expediting or short-shipping is reduced.
- Live read/write access to the ERP
- Connects to the production planning system (e.g. Infor LN/M3/CloudSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365, IFS Cloud, or SAP S/4HANA) to poll open production orders, read current stock levels, and write back resolved exceptions and resequenced schedules. Without this connection the agent cannot detect deviations or apply fixes.
- Open purchase order and supplier data
- Reads open POs and supplier confirmations from the ERP procurement module or a connected supplier portal. The agent uses this to determine whether inbound material can cover a missing component before escalating to a planner.
- Live capacity and routing data
- Reads work centre capacity, queue lengths, and routing definitions from the ERP or a connected MES (e.g. Infor Factory Track, Opcenter). Required to assess whether a capacity conflict can be resolved by resequencing or must be escalated.
- BOM and routing change feed
- Monitors engineering change notifications from the PLM or ERP bill-of-materials module (e.g. Infor LN engineering, SAP S/4HANA PLM). Without this feed the agent cannot detect mid-run BOM or routing changes and will miss a class of exceptions entirely.