Master Planning and Scheduling, 4th Edition

7Scheduling in a Flow Environment

All models are wrong, but some are useful.

Thus far, all of our examples have described products assembled from parts or components such as a flashlight and winches. Many readers, perhaps a majority, may be working in environments that produce these types of products, though their situations may be more complex than those used in our examples. Turbines, aircraft, photocopiers, washing machines, microwave ovens, desktop computers, laptop computers, smartphones, and machine tools are other examples. The list is practically endless. For lack of a better term, we call this intermittent manufacturing.

Other readers work in repetitive or process environments: chemicals, food, cosmetics, containers, semiconductors, petroleum distillation, brewing, paint manufacturing, textiles, lumber, glassmaking, and so forth. These readers may be wondering if the principles of master planning and scheduling are applicable in the world of nonassembled products.

The answer to this question is yes! As a general statement, everything we've described in earlier chapters applies to the flow manufacturing environment. However, some aspects of master planning and scheduling in this environment are uniquely different, some are much simpler, and others add a new dimension of complexity.

Master planning and scheduling in the world of intermittent manufacturing is primarily concerned with one main objective: getting purchased materials, plant equipment, and people ready ...