Attendant Resources
The Attendant Resources feature in planeus helps you plan for resources that need to stay with a job throughout several production steps.
Think of it like this: sometimes you need a special tool, rack, or piece of equipment that must stay with a product as it moves through multiple processes. Attendant Resources make sure that happens without any gaps or conflicts.
What are Attendant Resources?
- Attendant Resources are used across multiple Work Steps without being assigned to other tasks in between.
- They start at one Work Step and continue until a defined end Work Step.
- Any buffer time set for the end step is included in the planning.
Example
Imagine a transport rack is needed to follow an Article through the following projects:
- Turning
- Milling
- Gluing
- Drying (as Buffer Time)
This rack is reserved for the entire process and can’t be used elsewhere during this time.
How to Set Up Attendant Resources?
Enabling a Resource as an Attendant Resource
- Go to Resource Master Data.
- Mark the resource as an Attendant Resource.
- Only these marked resources can be selected as attendant in a Technology.
You cannot convert an existing regular Resource into an Attendant Resource if it has:
- Capacity Plans
- Gap entries
You’ll need to remove those connections first.
Using Attendant Resources in Technologies
- Go into the Technology of an article in the Article Master Data.
- Use the three-dot menu to add an Attendant Resource.
Rules
- You can assign multiple Attendant Resources in one Technology.
- Only resources marked as “Attendant” can be chosen.
- Attendant Resources cannot also be regular or parallel resources in the same context.
- You must set a Start and End Work Step.
- The Start Step cannot come after the End Step.
Restrictions
Attendant Resources will not have the following features:
- Capacity Plans
- Gap entries via the Gap List
- Frozen Zone assignments
- Allowing feedback reports
- Reports on daily available hours
- External resource designation
Deleting Work Steps with Attendant Resources
Deleting Work Steps connected to Attendant Resources is not always allowed.
Rules
- A Work Step linked to an Attendant Resource cannot be deleted.
- A Work Step with successors linked to Attendant Resources cannot be deleted.
- A Work Step and its successors can be deleted if they’re not linked to any Attendant Resources.
If you cannot delete it, planeus will either:
- Not showing the delete button, or
- Shows a warning like: “This Work Step cannot be deleted. Deleting it would affect Attendant Resources.”
How Attendant Resources Show Up in Planning
- Attendant Work Steps are marked during planning.
- In the Planning Objects Detail Panel, they appear in a dedicated section.
Gantt Chart Behavior
- Attendant Resources move along with the primary Work Step if you adjust the schedule.
- You cannot move them independently.
- planeus recalculates the duration of the Attendant Resource if you move the primary step.
Plan Conlictless
When you use the feature “Plan Conlictless,” planeus checks Attendant Resources for availability to avoid scheduling clashes.
View in the Workbench
In the Workbench (both versions), Attendant Work Steps are shown as informational details for staff.
For example:
- If a Work Step overlaps with an Attendant Resource, it’s highlighted in the Workbench’s detail view.
You cannot enter feedback for Attendant Work Steps since they’re excluded from all Workbench filters.
Reporting
Attendant Resources and their Work Steps are excluded from the following reports:
- Work Step Feedback
- Downtime/Machine
- Machine/Downtime
- Capacity Utilization
- Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
- Scrap Reasons/Machine
- Machine/Scrap Reasons
- Daily Resource Availability
Attendant Resources help ensure that critical equipment or tools stay dedicated to your products through multiple steps, keeping your production smooth and avoiding planning conflicts.