The missing link between manufacturing strategy and production planning

This paper presents a strategic master production scheduling (SMPS) model which makes a structured connection between the pertinent part of the manufacturing and execution of the production plan. In creating this missing link, the model incorporates principles of the theory of constraints, linear programming, utility theory and the analytical hierarchy process. A formulation of the SMPS model is presented and illustrated by an explanation of how it can work in a real situation. The SMPS model is appropriate for ‘make to order’ and ‘make to stock’ production environments. Special versions are presented for each environment. A special technique for resource availability planning is presented using the de novo programming method.