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Roadmap to the e-Factory
carry, store, and process the necessary information and instructions. Thus, the
design of the product, the production line, and the control system must be
created at the same time and with one set of objectives in mind.
Materials Planning
Materials planning is the activity of defining the type, quantity, and delivery
schedule of the material needed for production during a given time horizon.
The key drivers in determining the nature of the materials planning activity
are the process cycle times for production and suppliers. If the lead-time or
cycle time for suppliers is larger than the production cycle time for the order
fulfillment process, the typical approach to materials planning is ask for a
forecast for product sales ...