Integrative approaches to production planning and control

The importance of integrating the various problems and models, which constitute in their totality a production planning and scheduling system, is argued. It is also argued that such integration is now feasible due to increasing computerisation, and that hierarchical planning provides the natural framework for integrative approaches. The paper presents, in outline, and discusses four hierarchical systems. The paper also compares and contrasts the integrative hierarchical approach with that of material requirements planning (MRP), to conclude that although the former appears more amenable to realising crucial planning objectives, the two can, in fact, be regarded as complementary