Task 4: Create Standard Process Chains

After the layout (including route network and routes) has been completed, standard supply chains are to be created in the following. These are used to standardize the material flow and facilitate the later detailed planning of the individual materials.

A standard supply chain (SSC) thus defines a standardized logistics delivery concept from a dock to the production/assembly line. It defines the number of stages and the logistical processes performed at each stage. The transport-related processes, such as loading and unloading processes, are thus recorded and assigned to a stage. The category of the means of transport - route train, stacker or AGV - is also selected and it is then determined whether an empty transport should take place (more information on SSCs and their creation can be found here).

The analysis of the flow of goods carried out in the previous step has shown that the supply of the assembly line causes six different flows of goods and passes through four stages (inbound goods -> storage/processing area -> supermarket -> assembly line).

With regard to the processes, however, such a fine-granular differentiation of the individual areas is not necessary, since it can be assumed that the same processes take place within the respective areas of the block warehouse, the processing center and the supermarkets. It is possible to map the six variants of the goods flow with the help of three standard supply chains. Accordingly, the SSCs differ in terms of the material area of the third stage of the supply process in the sense of the line-back principle (material area 3):

Therefore it is necessary to create three standard supply chains with four steps each. To do this, select the "Default Process Chain" button in the material flow planning menu area and click on "New".

Now create a standard supply chain for each of the three different inbound delivery concepts and name it accordingly.

(1) Click on the "New" button to create a new standard supply chain. (2) At each level, select the appropriate layout level from the layout structure so that the six variants can be covered (e.g. "bulk storage" or "rack storage").

(3) Since there is direct traffic between inbound goods and the first stage in your planning factory, select the appropriate option and assign a direct means of transport (not AGV) to a logistics employee. In addition, all materials that pass through bulk storage are transferred from a load unit (SU) to a load carrier (LT) before they are put away in the supermarket (4).

(5) Then select suitable process modules for each individual process step in each SSC.

Save your progress after creating an SSC.

Tip: First create a complete SSC. Duplicate it and then simply adapt the new SSC to the respective levels. This allows you to reuse already selected process chains as long as the logistical processes do not differ at the respective levels.

Note: In a subsequent release, the scope of functions will be extended to include the creation of standard supply chains. This function is then embedded in the task as soon as possible. The empty transports will not be taken into account until then.