Taking your first steps

now that you know the basics of planning and control, let’s look at how it works inside planeus this chapter gives you a guided tour the big picture, the first steps to set things up, and how to move around the interface with confidence the two levels of planning one of the smartest things about planeus is how it separates planning into two levels these two levels are process planning – the big picture activities around production production planning – the step by step execution of how products get made level 1 process planning the big picture processes are all the activities that happen before or after the actual manufacturing — like designing the product ordering materials shipping the finished goods these steps are managed using process templates , which you can customize per product (or article ) you’ll see these in the timeline gantt view , giving you a high level view of how your non production tasks fit into the bigger schedule good to know processes are not tied to specific resources (no machines or operators needed) they don't track quantities — they’re about progress milestones think of them as planning anchors across your project timeline level 2 production planning the core operations this is where the core operation takes place — and where your technologies & resources come into play each technology acts like a recipe it defines all the work steps needed to build your product which resources are used for each step (machines, people, tools) how long each step takes, including setup and buffer times every time you plan production, a production order is created for the product that order includes all the required work steps good to know work steps are directly tied to resources (unlike processes) they can be scheduled down to the minute they're visible in the manufacturing planning gantt view , where you can see who’s doing what — and when how both levels connect here’s how the two levels come together in planeus you start by creating a project that project contains one or more order items , which define what you’re making how many units are needed when they’re due from each order item production orders and work steps are generated based on the technology processes are added based on the process template for that product this layered approach helps you stay in control from start to finish — from project planning and design to the final delivery — with every detail in between mapped out and easy to follow everything starts with knowing what you need to make — and by when setting up the basics now that you know the two levels, let’s see how you get started planning always begins with demand (what needs to be done) and supply (what you have to work with) step 1 what needs to be done (demand) order items think of order item like a customer order at a restaurant! each one tells you what article needs to be made how many units you need when they should be ready this forms your "to do list" in the production world articles & technologies if the article is the dish you offer on the menu, then the technology is your existing recipe each article has at least one technology , which lays out the exact steps to make it (called work steps ) how long each step takes which machines, tools, or people you’ll need any setup or buffer times in between when you add all this up across all your orders, you get a clear picture of your capacity demand — how much work is on your plate, and what it will usually take to get it done step 2 what you have to work with (supply) next, look at your resources — everything you rely on to get the job done good planning means tracking resources and their limits so you don’t overbook or run into surprises resources resources are anything you rely on to get the job done — machines, people, tools, even storage space a resource can be a machine (e g cnc machine, paint booth) a person (e g skilled operator, inspector) a tool or accessory (e g mold, fixture, adapter) a vehicle or storage (e g rack, cart, forklift) even an abstract thing (e g a calibration setting) step 3 what's actually available availability just because you have a resource doesn’t mean it’s always usable a resource in planeus is anything that has limits on availab, like limited capacity (e g can only handle two jobs at a time) limited quantity (e g only one specific mold available) limited time (e g only available during certain shifts) limited space (e g weight or size constraints) limited wear and tear (e g tools that need maintenance) modern planning systems track these limits and give you realistic picture of supply —so you don’t overbook anything or run into surprises bringing it all together in short, planeus connects both sides what needs to be done (orders, articles, work steps) what you can actually use (resources, time, shifts) when demand and supply are in sync deadlines are realistic resources aren’t overloaded people know what to work on and when working inside planeus all in your browser planeus runs entirely in your web browser — no downloads, no installations for the best experience, we recommend using the latest version of google chrome or microsoft edge navigating the interface the main menu is on the left side of the screen click the hamburger icon (three stacked lines) to open or close the menu closing the main menu gives you more space to work , especially on smaller screens want to access administration or configuration settings? just click your user icon in the top right corner how to edit anything see the three dots icon (⋮) next to an item? that’s your editing menu click it to edit or update details add new entries access extra actions depending on the module working with lists lists are everywhere in planeus — they help you manage order items articles production orders and more click on any row to open a detail panel on the right from there, you can view full item information make edits and changes from a detail panel, you can jump straight into the gantt chart to see where that item fits in your plan filters & sorting made easy you can filter and sort any list however you like planeus will remember your setup for next time tip hold shift to sort by multiple columns at once need to sort by several columns at once? simply hold down the shift key while clicking the column headers batch editing multiple items planeus makes it easy to edit many items at the same time check the boxes next to the items you want to change planeus will show how many items you’ve selected click the select icon for batch actions want to edit multiple items at once? check the boxes beside the items you want to change planeus will show you how many are selected click the select icon to open batch actions for example, you can batch schedule or unschedule several order items in just a few clicks recap and ready to start with just a few clicks, you can navigate the workspace open and edit items use filters to stay focused and manage tasks in bulk planeus is designed to feel easy from the first day — and powerful for everything that comes next that’s it for getting started! 🎉 you’ve now got the foundation you need to begin using planeus with confidence ready for more? jump into the next sections to dive deeper into advanced planning, shop floor workflows, or explore integration possibilities let’s plan something great together