If you're using a traditional scheduling system, chances are it’s built around forecast-driven dates and ideal capacity models that rarely hold up in reality. Schedules get frozen. Constraints get ignored. And planners end up micromanaging every disruption.
That’s why more manufacturers are moving to Flow-Driven Scheduling (FDS)—a smarter way to manage the shop floor. FDS is part of the Demand Driven Operating Model and is tightly linked to DDMRP. Instead of scheduling based on guesses and due dates, you schedule based on flow, real-time alerts, and actual constraints.
It’s simple, it’s practical, and it’s fast. And once it’s in place, the whole factory runs better—with less firefighting and more focus.
So, What Is Flow-Driven Scheduling?
Flow-driven scheduling (FDS) is a shop-floor scheduling method that uses the priorities generated by your Demand-driven Materials Requirement Plan (DDMRP) model to control production execution. It’s built for flow, not forecasts.
Here’s how it works:
- ✅ Constraint-Aware Logic: Plans around actual bottlenecks—not theoretical capacity.
- ✅ DBR Focus: Uses Drum-Buffer-Rope logic to manage bottlenecks and control sequencing of the entire shop floor.
- ✅ Flow-First Scheduling: Maximizes flow and fill rate—not due dates or forecast accuracy.
- ✅ Alert-Driven Execution: Reacts in real-time to disruptions—no more frozen schedules.
- ✅ Simple by Design: Fast to deploy, easy to understand, and avoids unnecessary complexity.
Instead of running around trying to “hit the plan,” FDS locks schedules to real priorities, manages constraints, and keeps everything else in sync. It’s not just about doing work—it’s about managing flow.
5 Ways b2wise's Flow-Driven Scheduling Improves Your Process
1. More Flow, Less Friction
You schedule for throughput—not noise. That means better fill rates, shorter lead times, and smoother execution.
2. Responds in Real Time
FDS reacts when the environment changes. No more frozen schedules. No more daily schedule rebuilds.
3. Protects Your Constraints
Critical resources get protected. The rest of the system synchronizes around them. Bottlenecks are managed—not buried.
4. Fully Aligned with DDMRP
FDS takes the orders and priorities from your DDMRP model and pushes them straight to the factory floor—no gaps, no translation needed.
5. Fast, Lean, and Practical
FDS isn’t a monster to implement. It’s lean, clear, and keeps your factory in control without adding layers of complexity.
Flow-Driven Scheduling closes the loop between planning and shop floor execution. It brings clarity to chaos by aligning the factory floor with real priorities and real constraints. And because it’s built on the same logic as DDMRP, the entire system works as one—from inventory to schedule, from supply ordering to execution.
This isn’t about creating the perfect schedule. It’s about building a system that flows—even when reality hits.
Think flow,
Kevin Boake
