This research will develop a computer program to assist production managers in coordinating their work and in making decisions. The program will integrate such factors as facility layout, forecasting, planning, scheduling, and inventory control. The approach comprises four tasks: (1) developing a prototype data base for a production system; (2) developing software capable of simulating and graphically displaying facility layout, planning, scheduling, and control; (3) developing an improved layout routine that includes probabilistic and sensitivity analyses; and (4) developing an algorithm for inventory allocation.
