Aggregate Planning and Scheduling

This involves decisions covering one (1) to three (3) years, such as adding facilities and equipment that have a long lead time.

• Meduim range

• Long range

• Short range

This is used for work that is nonroutine, with a unique set of objectives to be accomplished in a limited time frame.

• Project

• Job shop

• Batch

• Assembly

This is used when higher volumes of more standardized goods or services are needed, and monotonous processing is required.

• Assembly

• Batch

• Job shop

• Project

This is used when a moderate volume of goods or services is desired, and it can handle a moderate variety of products and/or services.

• Project

• Job Shop

• Batch

• Continuos

This can be used to balance demand on particular time periods.

• Influence demand

• New or counter-seasonal demand.

• Backorders.

This can be accomplished through the use of advertising, pricing, promotions, and price cuts.

• Influence demand

• Backorders

• New or counter-seasonal demand

This involves flexibility in the workforce due to demand peaks and decline.

• Hire and lay off employees

• Overtime/idle time

• Part-time or temporary workers

• Subcontracting

This involves the ability/willingness of the workforce to run some overtime for periods with very high demand.

• Hire and lay off employees

• Overtime/idle time

• Subcontracting

• Part-time or temporary workers

This method is a combination of level and chase plans. In some cases, inventory is increased ahead of rising demand, and in other cases, backorders are used to level output during extreme peak periods

• Level plans

• Mixed strategies

• Chase plans

This method minimizes finished goods inventories by adjusting production and staffing to keep pace with demand fluctuations

• Level plans

• Chase plans

• Mixed strategies