Operations Management Dr. Ron Lembke Aggregate Planning Operations Management Dr. Ron Lembke

Learning Objectives Describe planning Distinguish the types of plans Define aggregate scheduling Relate aggregate scheduling to the overall planning process Explain aggregate scheduling options Develop aggregate schedules

Example You’ve started a new company. You’ve developed 2 production plans: Month Forecast Plan 1 Plan 2 Jan 900 900 800 Feb 700 700 800 Mar 800 800 800 You estimate 1 worker can make 100 units per month. Which plan do you use? How many workers do you hire? How do you meet demand?

Planning Setting goals & objectives Determining steps to achieve goals Example: Meet demand within the limits of available resources at the least cost Determining steps to achieve goals Example: Hire more workers Setting start & completion dates Example: Begin hiring in Jan.; finish, Mar. Assigning responsibility

Types of Plans Management Level High Long-Range Facility location Top Executives Intermediate-Range Aggregate plans Operations Managers Short-Range Dispatching Supervisors Low Today 3 months 1 year 18 months 5 years

Aggregate Scheduling Production quantity & timing of production for intermediate future Usually 3 to 18 months into future Combines (‘aggregates’) production Expressed in common units Example: Hours, dollars, equivalents (e.g., FTE students) Time to make ‘average’ product

Relationships of Aggregate Schedule Forecast & Resource Production Firm Orders Availability Planning Work force Inventory Material Master Subcontractors Requirements Production Planning Scheduling No, modify CRP, MRP, or MPS Capacity Shop Requirements Realistic? Floor Yes Planning Schedules

Aggregate Level Scheduling Aggregate Schedule: Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May No. of Chips 600 650 620 630 640 © 1995 Corel Corp.

Aggregate Schedule Example Aggregate Schedule: Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May No. of Chips 600 650 620 630 640 Master Production Schedule: Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May P4 1.5 ghz 300 200 310 300 340 P4 1.7 ghz 300 450 310 330 300

Aggregate Scheduling Goals Meet demand Use capacity efficiently Meet inventory policy Minimize cost Labor Inventory Plant & equipment Subcontract

Aggregate Scheduling Options Capacity Demand Inventory Hire or layoff Overtime or idle Subcontract Part-time workers Outsource Promotion & price Back ordering Counterseasonal product mixing

Costs “Smoothing” costs: Holding costs - charged on inv At end Hiring: advertise, interview, train Firing: severance, bad morale, future hiring Holding costs - charged on inv At end Shortage costs Labor costs / overtime, materials Subcontracting / outsourcing

Aggregate Scheduling Strategies Level scheduling strategy Produce same amount every day Keep work force level constant Vary non-work force capacity or demand Often results in lowest production costs Chase strategy Hire / Fire workers to make production capacity meet necessary production

Aggregate Scheduling Strategies Mixed strategy Combines 2 or more aggregate scheduling options Overtime Price Mixed Strategy Sub-contract Inventory

Aggregate Scheduling Methods Graphical & charting techniques Popular & easy-to-understand Trial & error approach Mathematical approaches Linear Programming Simulation More involved, but usually better answers

Linear Programming Parameters CH = hiring cost CF = firing cost CI = Inv. Cost CR = reg production CO = Ovt. Cost CI = idle cost CS = subcontract nt = days in period t K = daily prod. I0 = Inventory to start W0 = workers to start Dt = Demand for t

Variables It = Inventory for t Ot = Overtime Wt = workers for t Ut = idle time Ht = hired in t St = subcontracted Ft = fired in t Pt= production for t All must be >= 0

Constraints Workforce conservation Wt = Wt-1 + Ht - Ft Units Conervation It = It-1 + Pt + St - Dt Production and workforce level Pt= K*nt*Wt + Ot - Ut Each of these must be satisfied for all t

LP Formulation

LP Considerations LP can be modified to include minimum inv. level each period Negative inventory can be allowed Care needed when rounding

Conclusion Described role of aggregate planning Described types of plans Explained aggregate scheduling options Developed aggregate schedules Chase, Level, and Hybrid Linear Programming