Characteristics
In planeus, Characteristics let you define special properties for both Technologies (routing and steps) and Resources (e.g., machines, tools, people..).
These properties help planeus make smarter planning decisions and ensure only suitable resources are used for certain tasks.
Why Use Characteristics?
Characteristics are powerful because they help you answer questions like:
- Can this machine handle this part’s weight?
- Is this tool suitable for this material?
- Should I produce all white parts before black ones to reduce cleaning effort?
They ensure planeus avoids planning work on resources that can’t handle the job.
Types of Characteristics
planeus offers three types of characteristics:
Physical Characteristics
Define measurable properties like weight, length, area, or volume.
For Physical Characteristics, you’ll choose:
- The type (e.g. Weight, Length)
- Units of measure (e.g. kg, meters)
Free Characteristics
Custom properties you define however you need — for example, “material type” or “surface finish.”
Characteristics for Sequence
Help control the sequence in which work steps should be scheduled, like planning colors from light to dark.
Physical & Free Characteristics
How They Work
- You can assign Physical or Free Characteristics to both Resources and Technologies.
- During planning, planeus checks whether the characteristics of the resource match those required by the Technology.
- If a resource doesn’t fit, planeus excludes it from planning.
Example: Physical Characteristic
Imagine you have a lift table (resource) that can handle up to 3 tons, and planeus ensures only parts under 3 tons are scheduled on that lift table.
- In the resource data, you set the characteristic Weight to a max of 3 tons.
- In the Technology, you define the part’s weight.
planeus handles unit conversions automatically if your Resource and Technology use different units of measurement.
Example: Free Characteristic
Free Characteristics work the same way, but they’re fully customizable.
For example:
- You might define a characteristic Material Type with properties like “Steel,” “Aluminum,” or “Plastic.”
- If a resource is only suitable for steel, planeus excludes it from jobs using other materials.
How to Create Characteristics
Go to Configuration > Characteristics to create your own characteristics.
Rules for Planning
When planeus schedules tasks, it follows these rules:
Scenario | Can Resource Be Planned? |
|---|---|
Resource has the same characteristic and matching value | ✅ Yes |
Resource has no characteristics | ✅ Yes |
Resource has same characteristic but wrong value | ❌ No |
Assigning Characteristics
You can assign characteristics in two places:
In Resources
- Go to the Resource Master Data.
- Add characteristics and set values (e.g. “Weight ≤ 50 kg”, “Material = Steel”).
Example: Create machine can only handle metal parts up to 50 kg.
In Technologies (Articles)
- Go to the Article Master Data.
- Edit article’s Technology.
- Assign characteristics and define the needed values.
planeus then ensures only resources with matching capabilities are considered for planning.
How planeus Uses These Characteristics
When you choose resources in a Technology or schedule production, planeus checks whether the characteristics of the resource match those defined in the Technology.
- If a resource matches the characteristics → it can be used.
- If a resource does not match, planeus automatically excludes it from planning.
Important Rule
Characteristics exist to exclude unsuitable resources.
How it works:
- planeus compares the characteristics of the Technology and the Resource.
- If the values conflict (i.e. don’t match), planeus hides those resources during planning so they won’t be used by mistake.
- Resources that have no characteristics assigned are still allowed and remain visible for planning.
Sequence Characteristics
Sequence Characteristics help you plan work steps in a specific order based on certain properties.
For example, in a painting process, you might want to paint light colors before dark colors to reduce cleaning time.
How to Set Up Sequence Characteristics
- Go to Configuration > Characteristics.
- Create a characteristic like Color and define a sequence:
- 1 = White
- 2 = Yellow
- 3 = Green
- 4 = Blue
- 5 = Black
- In the Technology, assign a characteristic value (e.g. Yellow) to the Work Step you want to apply.
How It Works in Planning
- When you schedule multiple Order Items at once, planeus arranges them in the defined sequence.
To use sequence planning correctly:
- All orders must be scheduled Forward (not backward).
- Throughput Time optimization should be turned off.
- Characteristics for Sequences cannot work with lower-level articles in assemblies. planeus only considers the top-level Technology in assemblies.
Document Attachments
planeus lets you attach files to any characteristic-related records, so your team always has the right documents, images, or instructions available in the Workbench.
Key Takeaway
Characteristics in planeus help you plan smarter by ensuring that only suitable resources are used for specific tasks. They keep your planning accurate, safe, and efficient — no matter how complex your operations are.