> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bold-factory.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create a production plan

> Calculate and review a production scenario before applying it to the plant.

**Path:** **Production > Sequencing > Plans**

Create a **production plan** to calculate the sequence of many operations and review the result before changing shop floor work. The plan starts from the factory's state at that moment: available stock, machines, routing restrictions, and delivery dates.

To directly adjust just a few orders or operations, see [Sequence manually](/en/guides/manufacturing/sequence-manually).

The plan lets you test calendar changes without affecting actual work. You can ask Bold to calculate a sequence considering restrictions such as employee or raw material availability. Changes do not reach operator screens until you review the result and apply the plan.

## Steps to follow

### 1. Create a plan

**Plan name:** the system proposes the current date. Change it to a name that identifies the scenario's objective in history.

<Note>
  **Examples:** `Morning shift planning`, `Urgent order simulation Customer X`, or `Sequencing without stock restrictions`.
</Note>

**Restrict by raw material availability:** determines whether available stock limits planning.

* **If enabled:** Bold checks stock and expected arrival dates. If a component is missing, it does not schedule the operation until the material is available.

* **If disabled:** the system does not limit the plan for stock shortages. This lets you analyze manufacturing capacity without supply restrictions.

**Consider employees as a limiting factor:** includes employee availability in planning.

* **If enabled:** the algorithm accounts for employee availability. If you have five available saws but only two operators on that shift, it schedules at most two cutting operations at once.
* **If disabled:** the system plans according to machine or workstation availability and assumes sufficient people will operate them.

**When creating the plan:** choose what Bold does after preparing the scenario from the current manufacturing state.

* **Create only:** saves the scenario. You can then open it and click **Solve** to calculate a proposal.
* **Create and solve:** starts calculation when the scenario is created.
* **Create, solve and apply:** starts calculation and automatically applies the proposal if it finds a solution.

If you choose an option that solves the plan, select **Solving mode**. **Basic (fast)** finds a feasible sequence using a heuristic. **Advanced (optimized)** refines the sequence through mathematical optimization and may take several minutes. The form initially selects **Basic**.

### 2. Analyze the plan

* **Execution dates:** shows the first operation's **start date** and the last operation's **end date**.
* **Average delay per order:** indicates orders' average delay relative to their planned dates. A high value, such as `50d 2h`, indicates the scenario does not meet those deadlines.
* **Workload volume:** indicates how many **Orders**, **Operations**, and **Resources** the calculation includes.

The **Diagram** tab translates orders into a visual occupancy calendar:

* **Vertical axis (resources):** lists factory machines, work centers, and lines (for example, *Assembly bench*, *Paint booth*, or *Belt sander*).
* **Horizontal axis (time):** divides days into hours and work shifts.
* **Colored blocks:** represent operations scheduled on each resource.
* **Legend panel (right):** lets you color by manufacturing order, operation, restriction violation, expected delay, product, item, or process. If you select manufacturing order, the system assigns a color to each order so you can visually follow its route through the factory.

### 3. Manage the scenario

* **Clear:** removes the current proposal from the chart to start organizing manually from scratch.
* **Update:** rereads warehouse and workshop state to incorporate the latest data into the scenario.
* **Solve:** runs the calculation again to reorganize the work queue. Choose **Basic** for a feasible sequence quickly or **Advanced** to optimize it. The dialog initially selects **Basic**. In advanced mode, the objective gives more weight to order delay than work in progress (WIP) and also considers the plan's total duration.

<Info>
  Each time you run **Solve**, the algorithm recalculates allocation from scratch. The new proposal replaces any previous automatic ordering.
</Info>

### 4. Review the Gantt chart

Check dates, resource occupancy, delays, and restriction violations before applying the plan.

### 5. Adjust manually

* **Drag and drop blocks:** if an operation must be delayed, brought forward, or run on another compatible machine, move its block in the Gantt chart.

* **Dynamic cascading changes:** Bold maintains manufacturing restrictions when you move a task. If you delay an initial task, such as *Tabletop cutting*, the system moves dependent later tasks, such as *Sanding* and *Assembly*. Review the result before applying the plan.

### 6. Save or apply the plan

**Save:** stores changes in this scenario so you can close the screen and continue adjusting later, **without changing workshop work**.

**Apply:** sends the calendar to the shop floor. Work mode queues update with the new sequence.

<Warning>
  If operations, resources, or requirements change after solving, refresh or solve the plan again before applying it.
</Warning>


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