Production decision support system for multi-product with multiple different size processors

Abstract

Aggregate planning is an operational activity with the objective of providing upfront information on quantity of material to be procured and resources to be secured. At a point of time, it might also influence both demand and supply. This is where the sales division will work closely with operation on aggregate planning to deliver maximum profit. Aggregate planning does not only serve as a master plan for the production planner, it is also closely linked to organisational decision-making. Realising its importance, researchers have worked on this subject consistently since 1950s but due to complexity and practicality issue, industry did not manage somehow to adopt the research work. In 2016, the concept of Production Decision Support System (PDSS) was introduced following the Pinch Analysis extended into supply chain area. In this work, the PDSS is applied to a batch industry case which involve multi-products with multiple different size processors. From the assessment, the PDSS has not only demonstrated its practicality but also helped the plant to realise their potential capacity. This has assisted the plant management to realign the strategy and avoided the original intention of expensive expansion.