Capacity planning in MRP, JIT and OPT: A critique

Abstract This paper discusses how well recent production-inventory control systems such as Material Requirements Planning, Just-In-Time production and Optimized Production Technology, behave in environments where capacity constraints are prevalent. It is assumed that the reader is familiar with the mechanisms of production-inventory systems. Emphasis is on the potential of these systems to deal with capacity constraints (e.g. bottleneck facilities) and on their strengths and weaknesses. It is also shown what the main differences and similarities are and how these production-inventory control systems can complement each other in many situations rather than being mutually exclusive.