Well, those drifter’s days are past me now,
I’ve got so much more to think about:
Deadlines and commitments,
What to leave in, what to leave out.
-Bob Seger
That lyric is for my mom, but it perfectly sums up time management as a new mother. That’s probably not the situation for which Bob Seger intended it, but it works, and I’ll use any chance I get to throw out some good lyrics.
Alright, down to business. One of the best time management tricks I’ve learned is that keeping a to-do list is not enough, you need to schedule a time for everything, or it will just stay on the list. People frequently ask me how I juggle a full-time job, two part-time jobs, taking care of two kids, and all my hobbies. I have an easy answer: planning and scheduling. Actually, I have a lot more free time than most people I know. I’ve also learned that structure is freedom – rather than being a slave to my schedule, I feel in control of all my responsibilities, and my free time is truly free time.
The other important aspect of time management is to practice minimalism. If you choose to spend time on something, it should meet one of these three qualifications: 1) it is something you need to do, (2) it is something you love to do, or (3) it makes your life significantly easier. It’s better to completely devote yourself to a few significant tasks instead of taking on multiple responsibilities that aren’t that important to you. As you make your master schedules, try to decide if it meets one of the three qualifications, and if it doesn’t, it’s time to let it go.
Because the frequency of your responsibilities completely varies, it’s easiest to create four master schedules: daily, weekly, monthly, and annual. Daily schedules are especially helpful for children and for times during which there’s a change in your routine, such as different work hours or a new baby. They may not be needed for everyone. These master schedules should only keep track of routine occurrences; non-routine events should go on your Family Calendar or Personal Calendar. Here are a description and example of each type of schedule:
Daily Schedule
The daily schedule can be kept in the Family Notebook or posted somewhere that you’ll see daily. A trick with the daily schedule is to do as much as you possibly can to prepare for the next day. Here are some ideas of what you can include on the daily schedule:
- Beauty/Hygiene: showers, preparing for work, preparing for bed
- Pack: anything needed for school or childcare the next day, lunches, anything needed for the next day’s errands
- Food: do as much as possible for breakfast the next day, thaw meat for dinner the next day
- Plan: lay out clothes for the next day for all family members, put cleaning supplies where you will need them for the next day
- Reward Chart: https://easylivingmom.com/?p=32
- Clean up clutter around the house
- Wipe down kitchen table and kitchen counters
- Dishes
Weekly Schedule
The most organized people I know plan almost everything they can on a weekly basis. This includes outfits for all family members for each day of the week and hairstyles for each day; however, this can also be done each night. Here are the tasks that should be scheduled each week:
- Planning errands including the library, post office, and bank: I run errands the same day each week, but you still will need to plan what you need to do at each place
- Determining which gifts and cards you need to purchase and send that week
- Chores: Laundry, lawn care, auto care, send cards and gifts for the week, take out the trash
- Exercise routine: workout videos, gym, outside exercises, in-home exercises
- Beauty/hygiene: shaving, nails, hair, and skin treatments
- Cleaning and decluttering: bedrooms, bathrooms, floors, dusting, decluttering, refrigerator and small appliances, automobile
- Parents’ Activities: clubs, meetings, hobbies, volunteering
- Children’s Activities: clubs, sports, school, playgroups
- Miscellaneous
Monthly Schedule
Most people have responsibilities that need to be done one to three times per month – enter the monthly schedule. On this list below you’ll see some inclusions that are also on the weekly schedule – this is because some tasks (such as certain cleaning, errands, and activities) are not done weekly, and thus, do not belong on the weekly schedule. Here are some ideas of what to include on your monthly schedule:
- Beauty/hygiene: waxing, manicures, pedicures, massage or chiropractic visits
- Date nights
- Activities with the kids: Mommy/Daughter day, Daddy/Daughter day, Mommy/Son day, Daddy/Son day
- Events and social gatherings
- Auto care
- Deep cleaning and decluttering: clean out the garage, clean oven, blinds and fans, windows, curtains, clean inside cupboards
- Planning: look over your schedules, finances, goals, and events for the upcoming months
- Miscellaneous: pay bills, donate unneeded items, shopping for clothes and household items
- Parents’ Activities: clubs, meetings, hobbies, volunteering
- Children’s Activities: clubs, sports, school play groups
Annual Schedule
The annual schedule is my favorite because I like to look at the big picture of everything I have going on. I add an extra row on my annual schedule for my challenge for that month. To see what I mean, check out the “My Annual Schedule” below. Please note that the list of annual tasks should include any tasks that are done less than once per month, and at least once per year; many should be done quarterly. Here are some ideas of what to include on your annual schedule:
- Events: birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, events, traditions
- Auto care: oil changes, tire rotations, deep cleaning
- Health: physicals and check-ups, dental exams
- Home maintenance: check smoke alarm batteries, change the furnace and air conditioning filters
- Miscellaneous: clean jewelry, shine the silver and China
- Lawn: plant garden, blow out sprinklers, aerate the lawn, fertilize
- Review finances: assess budget, insurance plans, and retirement plans
- Evaluate self and family: set and review goals
Printables!
These calendars are saved in Office format so that you can tailor them to what works best for you. If you do not have Microsoft Office, just e-mail me (Angie@easylivingmom.com) and I’ll send you a pdf format. Be sure to keep your schedules in your Family Notebook, but if you’d like to display them as well, there are some fun ideas of ways to do this below the printables.
Daily Schedule Blank Template: Daily Doings
Weekly Schedule Blank Template: Weekly Template
My Weekly Schedule (for an example): Weekly Schedule Example
Monthly Schedule Blank Template: Monthly Blank Template
My Monthly Schedule (for an example): Monthly Schedule Example
Annual Schedule Blank Template: Annual Template
My Annual Schedule (for an example): Annual Schedule Example
Display Your Schedules:
I like to use these display ideas for my non-routine events (tasks and events that I know about in advance, but do not happen in a recurring pattern). They are also great to use for your master schedules if you’d like!
Creative daily routine display: http://mandicresswell.blogspot.com/2009/09/home-notebook-daily-routines.html
Cute picture frame weekly schedule: http://thecreativecrate.blogspot.com/2011/09/weekly-calendars-great-gift-idea.html
Weekly Schedule Chalkboard Magnets: http://gadgetsin.com/chalkboard-weekly-calendar-fridge-magnet-set.htm
Monthly Schedule Chalkboard Wall Decal: http://www.dezignwithaz.com/reusable-chalkboards-whiteboards/chalkboard-reusable-wall-clings/monthly-calendar-sunday-monday-p-1231.html
What is Master Scheduling?
A project’s management and operational procedures are outlined in master scheduling, a planning and scheduling method that is frequently used in industrial operations. The project’s timetable and necessary activities are outlined in the schedule that was created. Additionally, it often assigns team members and resources, spots any process bottlenecks, and follows the project through each stage to ensure that all deadlines are reached.
What details ought to be included in a master schedule?
All the details required to complete and execute a project on time and within budget should be included in the master schedule. Depending on the undertaking, this might involve
- All activities necessary to finish the project, including all WBS elements
- Each and every resource required to finish the project, including personnel
- information about deliveries
- The major project checkpoints
- Every date in the project’s timetable that is relevant
A master schedule will increase your productivity
A master schedule is one of the most effective tools you can use to keep your project on track for completion on time and within budget. To avoid having your team members struggle to manage spreadsheets, calendars, and sticky notes, work with Monday.com to easily build master schedules. You can manage every part of your projects and promote communication among all of your team members and stakeholders using customizable templates, which will help your project succeed.
Master Production Scheduling Process and its output
Master production scheduling, also known as MPS, is a method of production planning that generates a single document that lists all the products your factory must produce in order to fulfill sales orders or make-to-stock orders, along with their quantity and completion dates.
The master scheduling procedure produces the following results:
- The most make-to-stock / sales orders that the shop floor can complete in the allocated amount of time
- Potential production limitations and bottlenecks
- where resource distribution has to be improved to increase throughput are work centers
- At various manufacturing phases, inventory levels for raw materials, work in progress (WIP), and finished goods
Because these outputs make up the MPS, sophisticated master production scheduling considerably enhances manufacturing performance. The MPS provides the framework for a precise production plan, which in turn provides the framework for developing dependable, workable schedules.
Master Production Scheduling (MPS)
A thorough schedule of production over a specific time period is called Master Production Scheduling (MPS). Consumer demand, capacity planning, material flow, and inventory planning are all taken into account when production is planned. An MPS is often developed using software and human alterations made by planners and schedulers.
A master production scheduling program takes into account the capabilities and restrictions of the complete manufacturing operation, unlike production planning software, which just accounts for customer wants and desires.
A Master Production Schedule is a wonderful tool for businesses looking to streamline their processes and increase productivity. Since MPS’s benefits raise an operation’s productivity and earnings, it has become essential for many industrial processes.
Advantages of Master Production Scheduling
The following are a few benefits of master production scheduling (MPS):
Communication Tool
A master production schedule’s role as a communication tool between manufacturing and the rest of the organization is one of its key advantages. All manufacturing plans are clearly described in the MPS output, giving everyone in the company access to the production schedule.
Aid Supply Chain
By evaluating all criteria and determining which ones need to be finished first, a master production schedule also aids in prioritizing the requirements across the supply chain. Through the use of real-time demand and on-time delivery, effective prioritization will then assist in improving and sustaining supplier relationships, eventually battling any other supply chain inefficiencies.
Stabilize Production
For manufacturing processes to be efficient and make deliveries on schedule, a consistent flow of production is crucial. You may use the MPS method to analyze your production and identify any places that could be bottlenecks or other types of limitations in order to stabilize it. By doing this, you may make the most of your resources and meet deadlines for delivery.
Helps Order Promising
The master production schedule will provide everyone with a plan of what needs to be produced and how much capacity is available to make extra things, which may help in providing clients with realistic lead time estimations. By not accepting orders that cannot be fulfilled within the anticipated time limit, you will be able to keep the production departments from becoming overworked.
Is MPS a Planning or Scheduling Process?
Master production scheduling, despite its name, is a planning process, hence it functions somewhat differently from a typical detailed scheduling process.
Production scheduling often gives information on how to carry out a given plan of action within the manufacturing process. This will need the schedule to examine minute details and divide time into extremely brief segments, maybe as little as a few seconds. This is a short-term resource because the entire timetable typically covers the following one to two months of activity.
Mid-term planning for production often concentrates on the upcoming three to twelve months of operations. Because of this, planning concentrates on the fundamentals of manufacturing, such as what is being produced, how many units are required, and how many units have already been created, rather than delving into the nitty-gritty like schedule does. The location of production and the timing of the operation’s implementation will both be specified in the master production schedule.
Master production scheduling is a production planning process, not a production scheduling method, which may be misleading.
The Master Production Scheduling Process Involves Which Manufacturing Systems?
A separate master scheduling program does not exist. Instead, MPS is carried out via a system that combines enterprise resource planning, industrial execution systems, and advanced planning and scheduling software.
Systems for Manufacturing Resource Planning
Visibility into the availability of manufacturing resources and components is made possible by the MRP system and material requirement planning procedure. This enables the master productions scheduling procedure to precisely determine how much can be produced using the stocks on hand.
Master production scheduling can build master data using more advanced production planning software that compares the Bill of Material (BOM) to the supply that is now on hand or that is anticipated. The estimates take into account replenishment guidelines and safety stocks. The master production schedule can also act as a cue for material planning and ensures prompt ordering of fresh materials from suppliers.
Systems for enterprise resource planning
The master production schedule will also collaborate with enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools to guarantee that the project receives adequate funding and manpower. Teams will need to consult ERP systems while they create the MPS document to make sure that the right resources are accessible at the right times within the project’s timetable.
Systems for Manufacturing Execution
A manufacturing execution system may be used to monitor the project once the schedule has been created and the production process has started. (MES). The MES keeps track of a purchase order from the moment it enters the production process, all the way through the factory’s predetermined routing and activities, until it is packaged and prepared for shipping.
Cycle times, downtime, and efficiency are just a few of the performance metrics that the MES gathers from people and equipment. The master production plan for upcoming projects is optimized using the data from this source.