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Abstract

A method for translating complex process flow networks into plans or schedules for the manufacturing of products or the performance of other organizational activities is disclosed. The method maintains a time-valued list of existing commitments to resources. Allocations of these resources are made to lots during a simulation procedure which calculates a resulting plan's timing data. The method simulates higher priority lots before it simulates lower priority lots. A simulation evaluates the process flow description to obtain the relative order of consuming and releasing resources, resource attributes and related capabilities, initial minimum timing requests, and process control rules. The simulation uses the list to determine when resources may be used without impacting prior commitments of the resources. In addition, the simulation forces the allocations to conform to the process control rules. The resulting timing data is merged into the processing plan, and resource commitments are then made to the simulated resource. When lower priority lots are simulated, commitments have already been made to higher priority lots. Thus, the lower priority lots cannot receive resource allocations which impact the higher priority lots. However, the lower priority lots may receive allocations which occur prior to contending allocations to higher priority lots.

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First Claim