Importance

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Abstract

A planning coordination system (30) and method are provided that automatically coordinate a planning system (32) associated with a first factory (28) with separate planning systems (16, 24, 40) of a plurality of factories (12, 20, 36) in a manufacturing chain. The planning coordination system (30) communicates with the planning system (32) of the first factory (28) and communicates with separate planning coordination systems (14, 38) of the other factories (12, 36) with which the first factory (28) has demand and supply part relationships. The planning coordination system (30) receives and processes demands and responses communicated by the planning coordination systems (14, 38) of the other factories (12, 36). The planning coordination system (30) provides planning information to the planning system (32) of the first factory (28) and obtains information about products to be produced and parts needed from an output plan (34) of that planning system (32). The planning coordination system (30) communicates responses to the planning coordination system (14) of each factory (12) from which a demand was received in order to provide supply part information and communicates a demand to the planning coordination system (38) of each factory (36) from which parts are needed in order to provide demand part information. The planning coordination system (30) repeats receiving, processing, providing, obtaining and communicating such that the planning system (32) of the first factory (30) can adjust the output plan (34) responsive to the demands and responses communicated between the first factory (28) and the other factories (12, 36).

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First Claim