Manufacturing Planning Systems

Manufacturing Planning Systems provides a complete guide to modern manufacturing planning systems for all production and inventory managers involved in this complex area. It highlights those strategies that will lead to real benefits for the organization and as such provides a long overdue evaluation of the wide spectrum of planning methods.In this unique approach, the concept of a prescriptive MRPII system is discarded and instead MRPII is used as a generic framework within which a variety of manufacturing planning methods may be incorporated. These include the kanban system of just-in-time (JIT), optimized production technology (OPT) and other forms of scheduling to finite capacity and distributed implementation methods. Divided into four sections for ease of use, the emphasis throughout is on the benefits available to the end user, in terms of inventory reduction and customer service improvements. After an introduction to the subject in part one, parts two and three address the major components of an integrated manufacturing planning system in detail, concentrating first on materials planning and then on the wider production management system. Finally, part four deals with planning, implementation and management issues, examining reasons for success and failure, exploring the constraints on software selection and concluding with an analysis of expected benefits. Fully supported by up-to-date case studies, this book will be an invaluable guide for all users and potential users of manufacturing planning systems.