Production Gantt Chart in Microsoft Dynamics 365/AX: Functional details you probably did not know

Gantt charts for Production orders have existed since the earliest versions of Microsoft Dynamics AX. Recently in Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations (D365FO) significant improvements have been made to the graphics and a new feature for material shortage has been added.

This link shows the Gantt chart’s history - https://www.gantt.com/.

The Gantt chart is more commonly used in Project software. In Microsoft Project the Gantt chart is the main screen. It is just as applicable for Production order routings. Because Production order routing times are typically not in the range of weeks and months but more in hours and minutes, a Gantt chart for production has a shorter timescale. Another difference is that routing operations are typically linked FS (Finish/Start) while project activities have a network of activities with all kind of links.

For the Gantt chart it means that the chart for Production orders is much more simple then for projects.

This article will show how the Gantt chart can be of use for production schedulers and supervisors in discrete manufacturing.

Basics

The Gantt chart only works after running Job scheduling first.

The Gantt chart can be found on the Scheduling tab in the action area. It also exists as a separate menu choice in Production Control.

There are two choices. The “Gantt chart” shows all job scheduled production orders in its Resource view. The “Gantt chart – fast view” only displays the production order you are on. That is not the only difference. Graphical (re)scheduling is not possible in the “fast view”, only in the “Gantt chart”.