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    GlossaryFloor Operations

    Dispatch List

    Definition

    A dispatch list is the ordered sequence of operations a specific work center, machine, or operator should perform next. It is the operational output of the scheduling system — the concrete answer to the question, "What do I run after this job?" A useful dispatch list is current, feasible, and visible at the point of work; a stale list is a printed wish.

    Why it matters

    The dispatch list is where the schedule meets reality. If it is wrong, operators improvise; if it is right, the floor runs the planned sequence. Most shops still publish dispatch lists once per shift on paper, then watch operators ignore them by mid-morning. A dispatch list that is republished with every recompute — on demand, on ERP event, or continuously where wired — is the single largest visible behavior change a scheduling engine produces.

    Common failure mode

    The dispatch list is printed at 6 a.m. By 9 a.m. a hot job has been inserted verbally, two operations have run long, and a machine is down. The printed list no longer matches the supervisor's instructions. Operators run by gut for the rest of the shift, and the system reports on-plan execution.

    How Skody approaches it

    Skody publishes the dispatch list to operator screens and updates it within seconds of each floor event. Operators always see the current sequence, with the change cause attached. The supervisor stops re-explaining the plan and starts handling exceptions.

    Related terms

    Dispatching
    Telling each operator and machine which job to run next, in what order, right now.
    Dynamic Replanning
    Recalculating the production schedule continuously as floor conditions change.
    Operational Trust
    The condition where the floor believes and executes the schedule the planner publishes.
    Schedule Instability
    When the schedule changes so often that the floor cannot rely on it.

    Questions

    Whenever a floor event changes the optimal sequence — typically dozens of times per day in a healthy shop. The vast majority of those updates do not visibly change the top of the list; they keep it correct.

    Both. The next job is what they execute now; the list ahead lets them prepare tools, fixtures, and material for upcoming operations. Visibility into the next 2–3 operations is the practical sweet spot.

    Trust, which is earned only when the list is consistently correct. A live, current, well-reasoned list earns adherence faster than any policy enforcement.

    See dispatch list in your shop

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