Graphical user interface for capacity-driven production planning tool

摘要

Production planning systems and methods are described that enable production planners to see how capacity decisions affect total production costs and to understand the cost trade offs between excess capacity and inventory and, thereby, enable them to make appropriate manufacturing capacity level and inventory level decisions. In one aspect, a graphical user interface separates the presentation of production planning information from the underlying representation of production planning calculations and interrelationships. The graphical user interface frees a production planner from having to handle the underlying references directly and, thereby, allows the production planner to focus instead on the contexts and concepts of production planning (e.g., making strategic decisions regarding excess capacity levels and inventory levels).