Planning MTO with buffer time in each level

​@MUNAJANSE - this is a challenge in complex multi-level manufacturing environments.

Based on my past experience with similar scenarios, I think that you're right that the standard IFS approach doesn't directly support uniform buffer time between DOP levels… here are a few approaches to consider:

Potential Core Solutions

Lead Time Offset with Dummy Operations: you mentioned components must be connected to operations, you could potentially create a "dummy" or "buffer" operation at each level:

• Add a final operation to each routing (e.g., "Buffer/Release" operation)
• Move component connections from the actual production operations to this buffer operation
• Set the Lead Time Offset on components to create your desired gap
• This would give you consistent spacing between levels while maintaining operation connections

This is based on memory since my company doesn’t do any manufacturing - you would want to test this in your system (I could have some of the details wrong, but I think the concept is right) 

Alternative Routing Structure:  you might consider restructuring your routings to include dedicated "preparation" operations at the beginning of each level where components are consumed, separate from the actual production operations. This would allow you to use Lead Time Offset more effectively.  This might complicate things too much though. 

CRIM Approach

For a custom solution, you'd likely want to hook into the DOP structure creation process:

• Dop_Head_API.Create_Dop_Structure - This is where the dates get calculated
• Dop_Order_API - Contains the date logic for individual DOP orders
• You could modify the date calculation to add your buffer time based on DOP level

The CRIM would need to:

1. Identify the DOP level for each order
2. Apply progressive buffer time (1 week for level 1, 2 weeks for level 2, etc.)
3. Adjust all downstream dates accordingly

Obviously, doing this as a mod adds more technical debt that becomes harder and harder to manage keeping up with the IFS releases. Do you currently have other mods in your implementation? 

Alternative Consideration

Have you explored using Transport Time in a more systematic way? … you mentioned it's not ideal due to the number of routings, it still might be worth evaluating if you could standardize the last operation across similar sub-assemblies to make this more manageable. (hard to know if this is feasible without knowing more about your configuration)

I think that this is a gap in the standard functionality for complex MTO environments. I'd be curious to hear if any of these approaches might work for your specific setup, or if you've discovered other workarounds.  Although I don’t currently have any manufacturing at the company I currently work for, I have in the past and would like to know how you end up solving this or if any of these suggestions work for you. 

-jason