Abstract

Multiplant systems have developed in most consumer-oriented industries through merger or acquisition, geographic expansion into new markets, or the improvement of service levels within established markets. Diversity is not the only problem that multiplant systems have generated. Service areas have to be delineated. Unfortunately, most multiplant systems have grown unplanned and, at least by some people, unwanted. The author of this article describes a centralized production planning system (CPPS) for multiplant operations, based on a research project conducted by Matson Research Corporation for a large food-processing firm. The system assigns clear responsibilities to the departments of sales, distribution, material, and production and provides organizational and functional buffers to soften conflicts. All of the procedures are within the normal reach of any manufacturing company. The CCPS offers management an excellent device for controlling its operations. It accommodates change, lends itself to computer systems, and allows opportunistic decisions to be made while easily accommodating exceptions to relatively simply routines.