Master Data and Constraint Management¶
Make constraints explicit, editable, and validated, so schedules stay correct as operations evolve.
What it does¶
- Part-and-operation sequences and standard times.
- Machine capability mapping plus preferred resources.
- Operator skill and certification, plus shift availability.
- Tooling and fixture constraints (renewable resource limits).
- Validation checks and discrepancy reporting.
What's broken today¶
A schedule is only as good as the constraints it knows about. In most manufacturing operations the constraints live in three places: the ERP item master, the heads of senior planners, and informal notes on the shop floor. When any of these drifts, the schedule drifts with it, and planners burn time rebuilding plans that never quite match reality.
Master Data and Constraint Management makes the constraints first-class data in Nexus, with explicit ownership, validation, and change tracking.
Inputs¶
- ERP item master (parts, BOMs)
- Routings and BOMs (as available)
- HR or shift data
- Tooling lists (as available)
Outputs¶
- Governed resource and route model
- Constraint completeness scores per part or family
- Discrepancy packs identifying gaps that will break schedules
KPIs impacted¶
- Schedule trust
- Planner rework hours
- Execution errors
- Rework
What gets modeled¶
| Constraint type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Part and operation | Standard times, allowed routes, alternate operations |
| Machine | Capabilities (what each machine can run), preferred resources, capacity limits |
| Operator | Skills, certifications, shift availability, qualified work centers |
| Tooling and fixtures | Renewable resources, sharing constraints, preventive maintenance windows |
| Material | Inventory readiness signals, lot tracking, allergen or contamination separation |
| Sequencing | Operation order, outsource steps, changeover rules |
Validation¶
Master Data Management runs validation against every published schedule input. If a routing references an operation that has no standard time, or a part requires a skill no operator on shift has, the discrepancy is surfaced in plain language with an owner.
Validation outputs:
- Completeness score per part or product family, expressed as a percentage of fully-modeled constraints.
- Discrepancy report ranked by impact on schedule trust.
- Change history showing what changed, when, and by whom.
Integration points¶
Master Data Management is the foundational layer underneath Trusted Scheduling, Shop-Floor Execution, and KPIs and Insights. It reads from ERP, HR, and tooling sources; it does not write back to them by default.