Knowledge based master production scheduler

Master production scheduling (MPS) is a broad planning activity, which controls and coordinates the subsequent phases of a typical manufacturing scheduling process, including manufacturing resource planning; finite scheduling; dynamic scheduling; and dispatching. Such a plan stretches over a long period. It normally plans for about six to thirty-six months using sales forecasts, results of the production plans of the previous periods, production environment constraints and management production goals. This paper describes the design of a knowledge based decision support system for a local IC manufacturing company. The system was designed to improve the productivity of the human master scheduler and help him arrive at decisions of better quality as a result of evaluating various scenarios