In this chapter, we discuss constructing and managing a master production schedule (MPS), a central module in the manufacturing planning and control system. An effective master production schedule provides the basis for making good use of manufacturing resources, making customer delivery promises, resolving trade-offs between sales and manufacturing, and attaining the firm’s strategic objectives as reflected in the sales and operations plan.
The prerequisites to master production scheduling are to define the MPS unit (and associated bill of materials) and to provide the master production scheduler with the supporting concepts and techniques described in this chapter.
This chapter is organized around the following eight topics:
•The master production scheduling (MPS) activity: What is the role of master production scheduling in manufacturing planning and control?
•Master production scheduling techniques: What are the basic MPS tasks and what techniques are available to aid this process?
•Bill of materials structuring for the MPS: How can nonengineering uses of the bill of materials assist the master production scheduling function?
•The final assembly schedule: How is the MPS converted into a final build schedule?
•The master production scheduler: What does a master production scheduler do and what are the key organizational relationships for this position?
•Company examples: How do actual MPS systems work in practice?
•Master production schedule stability: How can a stable MPS be developed and maintained?
•Managing the MPS: How can MPS performance be monitored and controlled?
