Configuring Production Schedule Jobs

For the Air module, the Production Schedule Job form automates the process of establishing operating (production) schedules for the activities occurring at each of your entity's production units. The production schedule job configuration provides specifications, such as the production unit, emission model/scenario, operating percentage, and duration, that are used to automatically create production schedules. A job schedule is also included with the configuration and defines when a production schedule job will run—just once to allow for the creation of past, missing production schedules, or on a recurring basis so new production schedules can be automatically created at regular intervals in the future.

Tip:  Individual production schedules can be set up on the Production Schedule form and the Production Planning form.

For instruction on setting up automated production schedule jobs, click the following links or use the scroll bar to scan the page.

Production Schedule Job Configuration

A production schedule job configuration consists of a unique job name, a job run schedule, and the production schedule criteria described below:  

• Date Range - The date range effective date is used as the Start Date for the initial production schedule created by the job. The last production schedule created by the job must have a Start Date on or before the date range end date. A No End Date option is available and when chosen, the job run date is used in place of the date range end date.

• Granularity - The granularity, or frequency, determines the duration period of a production schedule, e.g., hourly, weekly, monthly, etc., as well as the production schedule's End Date. Since the Start Date for a production schedule can begin on the date range end date of the production schedule job, it is possible that the last production schedule created will have an End Date that extends beyond the date range end date of the production schedule job based on the granularity.

• Source of Operating Percentage - Emission results are based on the percent of time the production unit operated during the production schedule. If your facility is not working at 100% of the total hours, the percentage representing the actual operation can be specified for the Default Operation Percentage on the Production Schedule Job form. Additional operation percentage sources are available. Refer to Operating Hours Determination for additional information.

• Production Units - Include the production units, with associated process units, operating during the Start Date and End Date of the production schedule(s) to be created.

• Emission Models/Scenarios - Emission models and scenarios describe the product being produced or the activity occurring during the production schedule's Start Date and End Date. Just the emission models and scenarios for process units that belong to the production unit(s) selected can be associated with a production schedule job.

Job Run Schedules

A job schedule defines when a production schedule job runs. The particular day, hour, and minute can be defined. The production schedule's date range is used as the start and stop dates for the run schedule. Once a job schedule has been defined, the production schedule job can be run on-demand. When the production schedule job runs, the production schedule criteria entered is evaluated and if possible, one or more new production schedules are created. Production schedules with the same emission models/scenarios will not be created with overlapping date ranges to ensure accurate emissions calculations. Refer to Overlapping Production Schedule Rules for additional information.

The logs in the Job Log section on the Production Schedule Job form provide information about the run status and final results, The Production Schedule Jobs browse view also provides information about run status, such as the last run date, next run date, schedule type, the current run status, and the last run status. Completed job schedules are jobs that are not scheduled to run again, e.g., a Once, next available time Schedule Type, and are automatically filtered out of the list. To see completed production schedule jobs, click the Include Completed Schedule check box.

Production Schedule Job Evaluation Process

Active production schedule jobs are evaluated for each production unit included in the job as described below. Active production schedule jobs are jobs that have not run yet or are scheduled to run again.

1. Determine the production schedule Start Date:

   • If an entry in the Production Schedule Job Log exists, use the end date of the last run.

   • If there is no entry in the Production Schedule Job Log, use the start date of the Date Range on the Production Schedule Job form.

2. Use the granularity specified to determine the production schedule End Date.

3. Locate the active emission models/scenarios for each process unit that is associated with the production unit. (An emission model/scenario is assigned to a production schedule only when some part of the effective date range for the emission model falls within the Start Date and End Date of the production schedule being created and the emission model's shutdown date is after the End Date of the production schedule being created.)

4. Calculate the operating percentage.

5. Check for overlapping production schedules.

6. Create each production schedule possible where the last one to be created by the job has a Start Date that is on or before the end date of the Date Range specified on the Production Schedule Job form or the run date whichever is earlier.

Overlapping Production Schedule Rules

Production schedules with the same emission models/scenarios will not be created with overlapping date ranges to ensure accurate emissions calculations. The Start Date of the first possible production schedule is the start date of the Date Range on the Production Schedule Job form or the end date of the last run, whichever is later. The granularity determines the possible production schedule's duration and End Date. If a production schedule already exists for all or part of the possible production schedule's duration, the possible production schedule will not be created. As long as the production schedule job end date is still in the future, the next possible production schedule is evaluated. In this case and all subsequent evaluations during the run, the Start Date is the End Date of the previously evaluated production schedule whether it was actually created or not.

The following example shows how just one production schedule would be created for a production schedule job with a date range of 1/1/2011 - 1/1/2012, a Quarter granularity, and existing production schedules:

Operating Hours Determination

In the Source of Operating Percentage field on the Production Schedule Job form, select a method to determine the percentage of operating hours for the production schedules created by the job. The Air calculator integrates the emission result based on the percent of time the production unit operated during the schedule. The following methods are available:

1. Default Operating Percentage - specified on the Production Schedule Job form.

2. Production Unit Default Operating Percentage - specified on the Production Unit form

3. Entity Operations - calculated based on the hours entered in the Operating Schedule subsection of the Operating Information section on the Entity Operations form. If there are two entity operation records in effect during a production schedule, the one in effect at the start of the production schedule is used.

4. Process Operating Status - calculated based on the hours entered in the Normal Schedule fields below on the Process Operating Status form:

1. • Hours/Day

   • Days/Week

   • Week/Year

Tip:  This method can be used in calculations only when one process unit is associated with one production unit.  

Operating Percentage Calculations

The calculations used to determine the operating percentage for the Entity Operations and Process Operating Status sources are described below for each level of granularity:

Note:  If for any reason, such as missing data, the operating percentage cannot be determined based on the selected source, 100 is used as a default.

Performance Considerations

The production schedule job process creates all production schedules that can be created when the job is run. In extreme cases, this may have a significant impact on performance. It is important to set up manageable production schedule jobs and develop a strategy that allows for the gradual creation of past production schedules. Use the following guidelines to help prevent performance issues:

• Set up production schedule jobs to create past production schedules in several passes. For example, set up a production schedule job for one year. After that job runs, copy the existing production schedule job, change the date range to the following year, and run the job. Repeat this process until the present day.

• Run a large production schedule job overnight.

• Use additional APE servers to speed up performance and to avoid freezing the APE jobs queue for completion of a large production schedule job.

Production Schedule Job Setup

Use the Production Schedule Job form to enter production schedule criteria, i.e., date range, granularity, operating percentage source, production units, and emission models/scenarios. In the Preview section, review potential production schedules based on the production units and emission models selected. In the Job Schedule section, define when a production schedule job will run. The particular day, hour, and minute can be defined. The production schedule's date range is used as the start and stop dates for the run schedule. Once a job schedule with a recurring Schedule Type has been defined, the production schedule job can be run on-demand.

To establish production schedule jobs

1. Click Data Entry > Emission Management > Production Schedule Jobs in the Navigation Tree to display the Production Schedule Jobs list.

2. Click the New button and enter a Schedule Description.

3. Enter the Date Range, and start/end times when applicable, for the production schedule job. Or, select the No End Date option instead of entering an end date.
   
   The Calendar button is available to select a start/end date.

4. Specify the Granularity of Production Schedule by entering the number in the first field and selecting the corresponding time unit from the list.

5. Select the method for determining operating hours from the list for the Source of Operating Percentage field. If the Default Operating Percentage is chosen, enter the percentage in the corresponding field. Refer to Operating Hours Determination for additional information.

6. Expand the Production Units section, select one or more entities, and click Add Production Units.
   
   The list of available production units is filtered by the entities selected.

7. Click the check box adjacent to each production unit to be assigned to the production schedule job and click Add Production Units.
   
   Each production unit is displayed as a line item. Click the Delete button adjacent to the line item to remove a production unit from the schedule.

8. Expand the Emission Models section and click Add Emission Models.
   
   The list of available emission models and scenarios are those associated with the process units that belong to the production units selected.

9. Click the check box adjacent to an emission model to select it and click Add Emission Models.
   
   Each emission model is displayed as a line item. Click the Delete button adjacent to the line item to remove a model from the schedule.

10. Expand the Preview section and review the production schedules that may be created based on the production units and emission models selected.
    
    If the expected production schedules are not listed, change the production units and/or emission models/scenarios selected. Refer to Production Schedule Preview for additional information.

11. Expand the Job Schedule section and select a Schedule Type from the list. Based on the schedule type selected, any required scheduling options are automatically displayed.

12. Use the guidelines below to complete the run schedule.

1. • For date fields, the Calendar button is available to select a date.

   • Select all applicable Days of the week for daily-related schedule types.

   • Select a Schedule Time from the list for each applicable field. No selection can be made for options that do not apply to the schedule type selected.

   • Enter a numerical value that represents the interval between runs in the Run Every field.

A schedule example for the Hourly type might be on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (Days), at 15 minutes after the hour (Schedule Time), every 8 hours (Run Every), beginning November 1, 2012 at 8:00 A.m. (Start Date). The import job would run at 8:15 A.M., 4:15 P.M., and 12:15 A.M. Monday through Friday starting November 1.

13. Click the Save button.
    
    See To run production schedule jobs on demand when applicable.

14. Repeat steps 2 through 13 to set up another production schedule job.

To run production schedule jobs on-demand

1. Click Data Entry > Emission Management > Production Schedule Jobs in the Navigation Tree to display the Production Schedule Jobs list.

2. Click the Description link to open the Production Schedule Job form for the applicable schedule.

3. Expand the Job Schedule section and click the Run On Demand? check box to select it.
   
   The Run on Demand option is not available for the No Schedule and Once, next available time Schedule Type options.

4. Click Save.
   
   Track the job status and the production schedules established by the job in the Job Log and Created Production Schedules sections.

Assigning Production Units

In the Production Units section on the Production Schedule Job form, assign the production units associated with the process units to be used in the evaluation of your emissions inventory.

 To assign production units

1. Click Data Entry > Emission Management > Production Schedule Jobs in the Navigation Tree to display the Production Schedule Jobs list.

2. Click the Description link to open the Production Schedule Job form for the applicable schedule.

3. Expand the Production Units section and select one or more entities to filter the list of production units available for selection.

4. Click Add Production Units and click the check box adjacent to each production unit to be added to the production schedule job. Or use the Select All/Clear All links to expedite the selection process.
   
   When applicable, the Next/Previous navigation links are available to page through the list. Click the Production Unit link to view the production unit record.

5. Click Add Production Units.
   
   Each production unit is displayed as a line item. Click the Delete button adjacent to the line item to remove a production unit from the schedule.

6. Click Save.

Adding Emission Models/Scenarios

Select emission models and scenarios for a production schedule job in the Emission Models section on the Production Schedule Job form. Just the emission models/scenarios associated with the process units that belong to the production units assigned to the production schedule job are available for selection. Assign production units in the Production Units section.

It is important to keep in mind that an emission model/scenario is assigned to a production schedule only when some part of the effective date range for the emission model falls within the Start Date and End Date of the production schedule being created. As a result, different emission models/scenarios may be associated with the production schedules created by a production schedule job.

 To add emission models/scenarios

1. Click Data Entry > Emission Management > Production Schedule Jobs in the Navigation Tree to display the Production Schedule Jobs list.

2. Click the Description link to open the Production Schedule Job form for the applicable schedule.

3. Ensure the appropriate production units have been assigned to the schedule. Refer to Assigning Production Units for instructions.

4. Expand the Emission Models section and click Add Emission Models.
   
   Each emission model/scenario associated with the process units assigned to the production units selected for the schedule is listed as a line item. Included are the model's effective date, shutdown date, and a Yes/No designation to indicate whether the model is a maximum potential emission model.

5. Click the check box adjacent to each emission model to be added to the production schedule job. Or use the Select All/Clear All links to expedite the selection process.

6. Click Add Emission Models.
   
   Each emission model/scenario is displayed as a line item. Click the Delete button adjacent to the line item to remove an emission model from the schedule.

7. Click Save.

Production Schedule Preview

The Preview section on the Production Schedule Job form shows the relationship between production units and emission model/scenarios based on the production units and emission models currently selected for the job. The date range of the production schedule job helps to determine which emission models apply—some part of the effective date range for the emission model falls within the job's date range and the emission model's shutdown date is after the job's end date. Each production schedule is displayed as a line item. The entity, production unit, emission model/scenario, and emission model effective/shutdown dates are provided. A Yes/No indicator identifies maximum potential emission models. The list also contains any production schedules already created by the production schedule job. No validation checks for overlapping date ranges are performed at this point in the process.

Standard search options are available to display just the records of interest at a point in time. When multiple pages of records exist, the Next/Previous navigation links are available to page through the list. Ascending/descending column sorting is also available; click a column heading to sort by the values in the column. The AutoRefresh option allows you to switch between a working mode and the refresh mode. In the refresh mode, the data is automatically updated when the currently selected production units and/or emission models/scenarios are changed. It is possible to use the search, filtering, and sorting options in the refresh mode; however, when there are new production schedules, the list is reset and all search/filtered/sorted results could be lost. By switching to the working mode, you can continue viewing existing data without interruption. Select the AutoRefresh check box to activate the refresh mode and clear the check box to switch to a working mode. The Refresh link can be used at any time to update the list.

If the expected production schedules are not listed in the Preview section, change the production units and/or emission models/scenarios selected in the Production Units and Emission Models sections. Then click Refresh in the Preview section if AutoRefresh is not selected to see the updated results.

Job Logs

The job schedule setup triggers the automated production schedule process. A separate job is created for each one-time instance and each recurrence. An entry is added to the APE Job Log for each job. The start and finish date/time, the run status, the final results, and the machine name are provided for each log entry. Jobs are processed according to a pre-configured priority in a managed, queue-based environment to minimize system contention.

The Application Log can be used to determine if application-related errors were encountered for production schedule jobs. The timestamp, severity, priority, and critical/error/warning message details are displayed. This log may not be available to all users; element-level security applies. Refer to Setting Field-Level (Element) Security for additional information.

The Production Schedule Job Log contains an entry for each production schedule that was successfully created and an entry for each unsuccessful attempt. The entity, production unit, start/end date, status (success, fail, exception, etc.) and related comments are provided.

All the logs are displayed in the Job Log section on the Production Schedule Job form. When multiple pages of log records exist, the Next/Previous navigation links are available to page through the list. Ascending/descending column sorting is also available; click a column heading to sort by the values in the column. The Application Log and Production Schedule Job Log contain standard search options to display just the log entries of interest at a point in time.

The AutoRefresh option allows you to switch between a working mode and the log refresh mode. In the refresh mode, the logs are automatically updated every 10 seconds. It is possible to use the search, filtering, and sorting options in the refresh mode; however, when the log is refreshed and there are new entries, all search/filtered/sorted results could be lost. The list of log entries will be reset to display the new ones at the top of the list. By switching to the working mode, you can continue viewing the list without interruption. Select the AutoRefresh check box to activate the refresh mode and clear the check box to switch to a working mode. The Refresh link can be used at any time to update the logs. For notification purposes, a Loading... message appears when the logs are being refreshed.

Tip:  Entries can be deleted from the APE Job Log when no longer needed via the Purge APE Log form. Use the "ProdScheduleTaskAPEContract" Job Type.

Created Production Schedules

A list of the production schedules created by the production schedule job can be viewed in the Created Production Schedules section on the Production Schedule Job form. Each production schedule is displayed as a line item with the most recent at the top of the list. The entity, production unit, and start/end date are provided. Click a link to view the production schedule record on the Production Planning form.

Standard search options are available to display just the production schedules of interest at a point in time. When multiple pages of records exist, the Next/Previous navigation links are available to page through the list. Ascending/descending column sorting is also available; click a column heading to sort by the values in the column. The AutoRefresh option allows you to switch between a working mode and the refresh mode. In the refresh mode, the list is automatically updated every 10 seconds. It is possible to use the search, filtering, and sorting options in the refresh mode; however, when the list is refreshed and there are new production schedules, all search/filtered/sorted results could be lost. The list of production schedules will be reset to display the new ones at the top of the list. By switching to the working mode, you can continue working without interruption. Select the AutoRefresh check box to activate the refresh mode and clear the check box to switch to a working mode. The Refresh link can be used at any time to update the list. For notification purposes, a Loading... message appears when the list is being refreshed.

Deleting Production Schedule Jobs

A production schedule job can be deleted by clicking the Delete button on the Production Schedule Job form. The association to any production schedules created by the job will also be removed with the job.

To delete one or more production schedules created by a production schedule job, use the Purge Production Schedules, Production Schedule, or Production Planning form. When a production schedule that was created by a production schedule job is deleted, the following applies:

• The production schedule will no longer appear in the Created Production Schedules section on the Production Schedule Job form; however, the log entry for the creation of the production schedule remains in the Production Schedule Job Log.

• The production schedule job will NOT automatically re-create the production schedule.
  

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