Method and apparatus for process manufacture control

Claims

In view of the foregoing, we claim:

1. A processing apparatus for manufacturing process control, comprising:

A. first input means for inputting digital signals representative of one or more resource elements consumed in said manufacturing process,

B. second input means for inputting digital signals representative of one or more resource elements produced by said manufacturing process,

C. third input means for inputting digital signals representative of manufacturing relations associated with said manufacturing process between at least one consumed resource and a set of one or more produced resources, said manufacturing relations including at least one of an operational relation, a planning relation, and a financial relation,

D. production modeling means, coupled with said first, second and third input means, for generating and storing a production model comprising digital signals representative of said manufacturing relations, said production modeling means including means for generating digital signals representing one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one, and many-to-many manufacturing relations between consumed and produced resource elements, and

E. output means, coupled with said production modeling means and with said first and second input means, for generating output signals representative of at least selected portions of said manufacturing process, including manufacturing relations associated therewith.

2. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said output means comprises means for generating digital signals representative of at least one of production, yield, consumption, composition, value, and variances therein of selected ones of said resource elements.

3. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

A. said third input means includes task-defining means for inputting digital signals representative of one or more tasks performed during said manufacturing process, and

B. said production modeling means includes task-storing means responsive to said task-representative signal for generating and storing digital signals representative one or more of

(i) one or more resource elements consumed by a task,

(ii) one or more resource elements produced by a task,

(iii) one or more production operations performed during the course of a task, and

(iv) manufacturing relations between the associated task and one or more other tasks.

4. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said production modeling means comprises means for generating a digital signal indicating that a resource element produced by one task serves as a resource element consumed by the same or another task.

5. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said output means includes cost computation means for generating a digital signal representative of a cost associated with at least one of a consumed resource, a produced resource, and a task.

6. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said cost computation means includes cost roll-up means for generating a digital signal representative of a cost roll-up associated with one or more of said tasks.

7. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

A. said first input means comprises means for inputting digital signals representative of costs associated with one or more resource elements consumed in said manufacturing process, and

B. said cost computation means comprises means for generating a digital signal representative of a cost distribution associated with each of plural produced resources associated with one said task.

8. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said cost computation means comprises means for generating a digital signal representative of a net realizable value of one or more resource elements produced by a selected task.

9. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising means coupled with said production modeling means for generating a digital signal defining a first said production model as a master production model and for defining other said production models as being dependent on said master production model, said dependent production model having in common with said master production model tasks and produced resource elements.

10. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said production modeling means includes means for generating a digital signal representative of a production model type and for associating that production model type-representative signal with one or more production models having similar operational, financial, or planning characteristics.

11. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

A. said second input means includes means for inputting digital signals representative of amounts of one or more resource elements produced by said manufacturing process, and

B. said output means includes theoretical consumption means for generating a digital signal representative of an amount of one or more resource elements consumed by said process manufacture in the production of said one or more produced resource elements.

12. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said theoretical consumption means includes means for generating a digital signal representative of a production distribution associated with each of plural resources produced by one or more said tasks.

13. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

A. said first input means comprises inventory means for inputting and storing a digital signal representative of a quantity of a physical occurrence of a consumed resource element available for use in said manufacturing process,

B. said theoretical consumption means includes means for modifying said stored quantity-representative signal to reflect a quantity of said resource element consumed during said manufacturing process,

C. said output means comprises calculated cost means for generating a digital signal representative of an amount of said resource element consumed by said manufacturing process in the production of said resource elements without modifying said stored quantity-representative signal.

14. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

A. said second input means includes means for inputting digital signals representative of amounts of one or more resource elements produced by a task associated with said manufacturing process, and

B. said output means includes theoretical production means selectively operable for generating a digital signal representative of an amount of one or more resource elements produced by the same task.

15. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said theoretical production means includes means for generating a digital signal representative of a production distribution associated with each of plural resources produced by one or more said tasks.

16. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 14 wherein

A. said third input means comprises means for inputting a digital signal indicating whether quantities of resources produced by a task are reportable, and

B. said digital data processing apparatus further comprises reportable task means connected with said third input means for selectively enabling said theoretical production means and for, alternatively, accepting input digital signals representative of a quantity of one or more resources produced by the task.

17. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

A. said third input means comprises

(i) means for inputting a digital signal representative of temporal or volumetric output of a production run corresponding to a production model,

(ii) means for inputting a digital signal representative of a temporal or volumetric output of a task batch corresponding to a task associated with said production model,

(iii) means for inputting a digital signal representative of a mathematical relationship between said production run output and said task batch output, and

B. said output means includes task batch means for generating a digital signal representative of a number of said task batches required to complete said production run.

18. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

A. said third input means includes means for inputting digital signals representative of a type of quantitative relation between a resource element consumed by a task and one or more resources produced by that same task,

B. said output means includes batch/linear consumption means responsive to said quantitative relation type-representative signal for selectively generating a digital signal representative of either

i. a linear quantitative relation between said consumed resource and said one or more produced resources, or

ii. a step-function relation between said consumed resource and said one or more produced resources.

19. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

A. said third input means comprises

(i) means for inputting a digital signal representative of a quantity of a resource element consumed in a task,

(ii) means for inputting a digital signal representative of a temporal duration of an operation associated with that same task, and

B. said output means comprises resource operation dependency means for generating a digital signal establishing a relation between a quantity of the said consumed resource element and the temporal duration of said operation for selected ones of said consumed resources and said operations.

20. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising resource means connected with said first and second input means for generating and storing a digital signal representative of a production characteristic associated with at least one said resource element, said production characteristic including one or more of a financial, operational, planning, and tracking attribute of said at least one resource element.

21. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said resource means comprises class/sub-class means for generating a digital signal defining one or more said resources to have similar production characteristics.

22. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said resource means comprises location classification means for generating a digital signal representing a location classification associated with a physical occurrence of a resource element, said location classification including one or more said production characteristics.

23. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising transaction means connected to said resource means for modifying a digital signal representative of one or more production characteristics associated with a physical occurrence of a resource element.

24. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said transaction means comprises resource change means for modifying a digital signal which represents a physical occurrence of one resource element to represent a physical occurrence of another resource element and for modifying, concurrently, one or more production characteristic-representative signals associated with the modified physical occurrence-representative signal.

25. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said location classification means comprises user-defined classification means for inputting digital signals representative of user-defined location classifications.

26. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said location classification means comprises user-defined classification change means for modifying a digital signal representation of a location classification associated with a physical occurrence resource element.

27. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 20, comprising

A. tracking characteristic means coupled with said resource means for generating a balance/non-balance signal representative of a tracking characteristic of a resource element, and

B. balance/non-balance means, coupled with said tracking characteristic means and with said output means, and responsive to said balance/non-balance signal for selectively tracking physical occurrences of a resource element.

28. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said resource means comprises

A. means for inputting a digital signal representative of a standard unit of measure associated with a resource element,

B. means for inputting a digital signal representative of a transaction unit of measure associated with a physical occurrence of that same resource element,

C. means for inputting a digital signal representative of conversion factor for converting a quantity of a physical occurrence of the resource element between the standard unit of measure associated with the resource element and the transaction unit of measure associated with the physical occurrence of the resource element, and

D. means for inputting a digital signal representative of quantity expressable in the transaction unit of measure associated with a physical occurrence of the resource element and for converting that quantity into a digital signal representative of an equivalent quantity expressable in the standard unit of measure associated with the resource element and for generating a signal representative thereof.

29. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said resource means comprises

A. means for inputting digital signals representative of a standard unit of measure associated with a resource element,

B. means for inputting a digital signal representative of a transaction unit of measure associated with a storage location for storing a physical occurrence of a resource element,

C. means for inputting a digital signal representative of conversion factor for converting a quantity between the transaction unit of measure associated with the storage location and the standard unit of measure associated with a resource element stored in that storage location,

D. means connected with said factor means for inputting a digital signal representative of quantity expressable in the transaction unit of measure and associated with the storage of a physical occurrence of a resource element and for converting that quantity into a digital signal representative of an equivalent quantity expressable in the standard unit of measure and for generating a signal representative thereof.

30. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said resource means comprises

A. means for inputting a digital signal representative of a theoretical quantity at a predetermined potency level, of a consumed resource element required for production of a produced resource element,

B. means for inputting a digital signal representative of a potency-percentage quantity of a physical occurrence of said consumed resource element,

C. means for generating a digital signal representative of a physical quantity of said physical occurrence of said consumed resource element required for production, said physical quantity-required signal being expressed in terms of said potency-percentage and being based upon the predetermined potency level.

31. A digital data processing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said resource means comprises

A. means for inputting digital signals representative of grade requirements for a resource element consumed in the manufacturing process and for generating a grade-requirement signal representative thereof,

B. means for inputting a digital signal representative of a grade-based characteristic of a physical occurrence of the resource element and for generating a grade-reporting signal representative thereof,

C. means responsive to said grade-requirement signal and to said grade-reporting signal for generating a digital signal indicating whether the physical occurrence of the resource element is a candidate for use in the manufacturing process.

32. A method of operating a digital data processing apparatus for manufacturing process control, said method comprising the steps of:

A. inputting digital signals representative of one or more resource elements consumed in said manufacturing process,

B. inputting digital signals representative of one or more resource elements produced by said manufacturing process,

C. inputting digital signals representative of manufacturing relations associated with said manufacturing process between at least one consumed resource and a set of one

E. output means, coupled with said production modeling means and with said first and second input means, for generating output signals representative of at least selected portions of said manufacturing process, including manufacturing relations associated therewith.

33. A method for operating a digital data processing apparatus according to claim 32, comprising the further step of generating a digital signal representative of at least one of production, yield, consumption, composition, value, and variances therein of selected ones of said resource elements.

34. A method for operating a digital data processing apparatus according to claim 32, comprising the further steps of

A. inputting a digital signal representative of one or more tasks performed during said manufacturing process, and

B. responding to said task-representative signal for generating and storing a digital signal representative of at least

(i) one or more resource elements consumed by the associated task,

(ii) one or more resource elements produced by the associated task,

(iii) one or more production operations performed during the course of the associated task, and

(iv) manufacturing relations between the associated task and one or more other tasks.

35. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 32, comprising the further step of generating a digital signal defining a resource element produced by one task to be a resource element consumed by the same or another task.

36. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 32, comprising the further step of generating a digital signal representative of a cost associated with at least one of a consumed resource, a produced resource, and a task.

37. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 36, comprising the further step of generating a digital signal representative of a cost roll-up associated with one or more tasks of said manufacturing process.

38. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 37, comprising the further step of inputting a digital signal representative of a cost associated with one or more resource elements consumed in said manufacturing process.

39. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 38, comprising the further step of generating a digital signal representative of a cost distribution associated with each of plural resources associated with one said task.

40. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 39, comprising the further step of generating a digital signal representative of a net realizable value of one or more resource elements produced by a task.

41. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 32, comprising the further step of generating a digital signal defining at least one said production model as being a master production model and for defining other said production models as being dependent on said master production model, each said dependent production model having one or more consumed resource elements in common with a corresponding consumed resource element associated with said master production model.

42. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 32, comprising the further step of generating a digital signal representative of a production model type and for associating that production model type signal with one or more production models having similar operational, financial, or planning characteristics.

43. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 32, comprising the further steps of

A. inputting a digital signal representative of an amount of one or more resource elements produced by said manufacturing process, and

B. generating a digital signal representative of an amount of one or more resource elements consumed by said manufacturing process in the production of said resource elements.

44. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 43, comprising the further step of generating a digital signal representative of a production distributing associated with each of plural resources produced by one or more said tasks.

45. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 32, comprising the further steps of

A. inputting a digital signal representative of an amount of a first resource element produced by said manufacturing process, and

B. generating a digital signal representative of an amount of one or more other resource elements produced by said manufacturing process in conjunction with the production of said first resource element.

46. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 45, comprising the further step of generating a digital signal representative of a production distribution associated with each of plural resources produced by one or more said tasks.

47. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 32, comprising the further steps of

A. inputting a digital signal representative of temporal or volumetric output of a production run corresponding with the production model,

B. inputting a digital signal representative of a temporal or volumetric output of a task batch represented by a task associated with said production model,

C. inputting a digital signal representative of a mathematical relationship between the production run output and the task batch output, and

D. generating a digital signal representative of a number of said task batches required to complete said production run.

48. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 32, comprising the further steps of

A. inputting a digital signal representative of a type of quantitative relation between a resource element consumed by a task and one or more resources produced by that same task,

B. responding to said quantitative relation type-representative signal for selectively generating a digital signal representative of one of

i. a linear quantitative relation between said consumed resource and said one or more produced resources, and

ii. a step-function relation between said consumed resource and said one or more produced resources.

49. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 32, comprising the further steps of

A. inputting a reportable-task signal indicating whether quantities of a resource produced by a task are reportable, and

B. responding to said reportable task signal for selectively accepting input digital signals representative of quantities of resources produced by the task.

50. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 32, comprising the further steps of

A. inputting and storing a digital signal representative of a quantity of a physical occurrence of a consumed resource element available for use in said manufacturing process,

B. modifying said stored quantity-representative signal to reflect a quantity of said resource element consumed by said manufacturing process, and

C. generating a digital signal representative of amounts of said resource element consumed by said manufacturing process in the production of said resource elements without modifying said stored quantity-representative signal.

51. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 32, comprising the further steps of

A. inputting a digital signal representative of a quantity of a consumed resource used in a task associated with said production model,

B. inputting a digital signal representative of a temporal duration of an operation associated with that task, and

C. generating a digital signal establishing a relation between a quantity of a resource consumed in the task and the temporal duration of an operation associated with the task.

52. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 32, comprising the further step of generating and storing a digital signal representative of a production characteristic associated with at least one said resource, said production characteristic including one or more of a financial, operational, planning, and tracking attribute associated with the resource.

53. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 52, comprising the further step of generating a digital signal defining one or more said resources to have similar production characteristics.

54. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 53, comprising the further steps of

A. generating a balance/non-balance signal representative of a tracking characteristic of a resource element, and

B. responding to said balance/non-balance signal for selectively tracking physical occurrences of a resource element.

55. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 52, comprising the further step of generating a digital signal representing a location classification associated with a physical occurrence of a resource element, said location classification including one or more production characteristics.

56. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 55, comprising the further step of modifying a digital signal representative of one or more production characteristics associated with a physical occurrence of a resource element.

57. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 56, comprising the further step of modifying a digital signal which represents a physical occurrence of one resource element so as to represent a physical occurrence of another resource element and for, concurrently, modifying a production characteristic-representative signal associated with the physical occurrence-representative signal.

58. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 55, comprising the further step of inputting a digital signal representative of a user-defined location classification.

59. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 58, comprising the further step of modifying a user-defined location classification associated with a physical occurrence of said resource element.

60. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 52, comprising the further steps of

A. inputting a digital signal representative of a standard unit of measure associated with a resource element,

B. inputting a digital signal representative of a transaction unit of measure associated with a physical occurrence of said resource element,

C. inputting a digital signal representative of conversion factor for converting a quantity representative of a physical occurrence of the resource element between the standard unit of measure associated with the resource element and the transaction unit of measure associated with the physical occurrence of the resource element,

D. inputting a digital signal representative of quantity expressable in the transaction unit of measure and associated with a physical occurrence of a resource element, and

E. converting that quantity-representative signal into a digital signal representative of an equivalent quantity expressable in the standard unit of measure and for generating a signal representative thereof.

61. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 52, comprising the further steps of

A. inputting a digital signal representative of a standard unit of measure associated with a resource element,

B. inputting a digital signal representative of a transaction unit of measure associated with a storage location for storing a physical occurrence of a resource element,

C. inputting a digital signal representative of conversion factor for converting a quantity between the transaction unit of measure associated with the storage location and the standard unit of measure associated with a resource element stored in that storage location,

D. inputting a digital signal representative of quantity expressable in the transaction unit of measure and associated with the storage of a physical occurrence of a resource element, and

E. converting that quantity into an equivalent quantity expressable in the standard unit of measure and for generating a signal representative thereof.

62. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 52, comprising the further steps of

A. inputting a digital signal representative of a theoretical quantity, at a predetermined level, of a consumed resource element required for production of a produced resource element,

B. inputting a digital signal representative of a potency-percentage quantity of a physical occurrence of said consumed resource element,

C. generating a digital signal representative of a physical quantity of said physical occurrence of said consumed resource element required for production, said physical quantity required signal being expressed in terms of said potency-percentage and being based upon the predetermined potency level.

63. A method for operating a digital data apparatus according to claim 52, comprising the further steps of

A. inputting a digital signal representative of a grade requirement for a resource element consumed in the manufacturing process and for generating a grade-requirement signal representative thereof,

B. inputting a digital signal representative of a grade-based characteristic of a physical occurrence of the resource element and for generating a grade-reporting signal representative thereof,

C. responding to said grade-requirement signal and to said grade-reporting signal for generating a digital signal indicating whether the physical occurrence of the resource element is a candidate for use in the manufacturing process.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates to computer aided material requirements planning and, more particularly, to digital data processing systems for monitoring and controlling manufacturing processes.

The art has only introduced digital data processing systems for aiding manufacturers in supervising and directing the production of goods. International Business Machines, Inc., for example, markets the MAPICS and COPICS systems for simulating, to a limited extent, discrete manufacturing processes. These systems are understood to operate by constructing models of the manufacturing process based upon the traditional bill of material and related routing concepts. Similar discrete manufacturing simulation and modeling systems are marketed by Arthur Anderson, PCR, and SSA.

In the modeling of bills of material, designers of the prior art material requirements planning (or "MRP") systems attempt to represent relations between produced goods and consumed articles on one-to-one or one-to-many bases. That is, the designs base their systems upon models in which users may define relationships such that a single produced good may relate to one consumed article (i.e., "one-to-one" relationship) or, alternatively, to plural consumed articles (i.e., a "one-to-many" relationship).

These sorts of relationships are readily visualized in a simplistic model of motorcycle manufacture. Here, a single produced good, a motor bike, may be assembled by combining multiple component sub-assemblies, e.g., a power assembly and a running assembly. These sub-assemblies, in turn, may be constructed from their own component sub-assemblies. For example, the power assembly may be constructed from an engine and a power train. While, the engine itself may be assembled from a housing containing a fuel-air system, an ignition system, a feedback system, and a lubrication system.

The second aspect of prior art CAM systems calls for the independent modeling of materials routing slips. In this aspect, the prior systems characterize movement of individual sub-assemblies from location to location, independent of those relations which may be represented by the corresponding bill of materials model. Thus, a routing slip model for the construction of a motorbike may represent the necessity of having two particular components, e.g., the exhaust manifold and handlebars, available at the start of the assembly process, even where, in reality, these parts are needed at different times of the manufacturing process.

A drawback of the prior art techniques resides in their inability to model the full range of manufacturing processes. Although specifically designed to aid in the production of discrete manufactures, e.g., motorbikes, telephones, etc., the systems fail to provide mechanisms permitting modeling of more than the most rudimentary aspects of such production. Moreover, with respect to the production of repetitive and process manufactures, e.g., petrochemicals, foods, etc., the prior art techniques prove almost wholly inapplicable. As discussed below, the prior art techniques are unable to model with any degree of reliability the operation of manufacturing processes of the type represented, for example, by a petroleum refinery, where a single consumed resource, crude oil, is used to produce a plurality of petrochemical products and by-products.

An object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved system for manufacturing requirements planning.

More particularly, an object of the invention is to provide a digital data processing system permitting the monitoring and control of process and repetitive manufactures, as well as discrete manufactures.

Another object of the invention is to provide a digital data processing system capable of accurately modeling and simulating the aforementioned manufacturing processes and to provide accurate scheduling, cost accounting, and reporting facilities.

These and other objects of the invention are apparent in the description which follows.

SUMMARY

The aforementioned and other objects are attained by the invention, which provides digital data processing methods and apparatus for the control of process, repetitive, and discrete manufacturing. The system provides greater control of the manufacturing process through the use of several innovative modeling and reporting mechanisms. Among these, the unique capability to represent relationships between resource elements, including both produced and consumed resources, on one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one, and many-to-many bases.

As noted above, discrete manufacturing methods can sometimes be modeled, albeit with only a limited degree of accuracy, in such a manner that each produced item stands in a one-to-many relationship with its component sub-assemblies. Thus, drawing from the previous example, a model representing the manufacture of a motorcycle engine may include elements representing that the engine comprises fuel-air, ignition, feedback and lubrication sub-assemblies.

A digital data processing system constructed according to the invention includes the capability to model such an assembly process, while providing the further capability to model those manufacturing processes having many-to-one and many-to-many relations. This capability has proven highly effective in modeling repetitive and process manufactures. A full appreciation of this capability may be understood with reference to the operation of a crude oil refinery.

At least on a basic level, an oil refinery may be viewed as a manufacturing station in which a single consumed resource, crude oil, is processed in such a way as to yield a multitude of final products, including gasoline, motor oil, and a variety of other petrochemical compounds. The relationship between produced goods (gasoline, motor oil, etc.) and the consumed good (crude oil) is referred to as a many-to-one relationship.

Upon more thorough consideration, it is seen that the operation of an oil refinery is amenable to even more precise representation using a model supporting many-to-many relationships. Indeed, a wide variety resources are consumed in the production of the refinery's petrochemical product line. These consumed resources include crude oil, catalysts, labor, transportation resources, and utilities, among others. Still further scrutiny reveals the existence of a number of complex interrelationships between various refinery production lines, e.g., light hydrocarbons fractured from the crude in early stages of manufacture may be burned to provide energy for use in later stages of manufacture.

The invention described herein permits representation of these complex relationships through use of a modeling mechanism which supports many-to-one and many-to-many relationships, as well as the conventional one-to-one and one-to-many relationships.

With this view, the invention provides, in one aspect, a digital data processing apparatus which includes a first input element for inputting digital signals representative of one or more resource elements consumed in a manufacturing process. A second input element accepts digital signals representative of one or more resource elements produced during that process, while a third input element accepts input digital signals representative of manufacturing relations between the consumed an produced resources.

As used herein, a resource is defined as any element with positive or negative value which is required, consumed, or used during a manufacturing process, or which results from, or is produced by, such a process. Examples of resources include materials (e.g., sheet metal, crude oil, etc.), machine hours, labor, utilities, waste, storage space, and tooling.

In a system constructed in accord with the invention, manufacturing relations define how resource elements, both consumed and produced, relate at the operational, planning, and financial levels. For example, in the processing potatoes for use in beef stew, the consumed resources may include whole potatoes, dicing machinery and machine operator time. Here, an operational relation can be established to indicate that in one hour's time the machine operator can dice 10 pounds of potatoes on the dicing machine. From a planning perspective, a relation can be established to indicate that in order to fully utilize the dicing machine during an otherwise unscheduled four hour period, the operator must be free to supervise or run the dicing operation.

A digital data processing apparatus of the type described above further includes a production modeling element for generating and storing a production model comprising digital signals representative of manufacturing relations. The production model stores, in digital form, signals defining a production operation, e.g., the making of beef stew, as well as signals defining resources consumed and produced in that operation. As noted above, the invention provides the unique capability to represent relationships between the produced and consumed resources on one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one, and many-to-many bases.

The aforementioned data processing system further includes an output element for generating output signals representative of at least selected portions of the manufacturing process. Those selected portions might include, for example, cost reports reflecting the expected cost of a production run represented by the model, production schedules reflecting time tables for availability of consumed or produced resources, or inventory tracking reports indicating the location and condition of lots or batches of inventory.

In another aspect, the invention provides a digital data processing apparatus of the type described above in which the third input element includes a task-defining element for accepting input digital signals representative of one or more of the tasks performed during the manufacturing process by the represented model. According to this aspect of the invention, the production modeling element includes a task-storing element responsive to the task-representative signal for generating and storing digital signals reflecting how the task affects resource consumption and production.

More particularly, the task-storing element generates and stores digital signals representing, with respect to each task, one or more of the following types of information: (i) one or more resource elements consumed during execution of the task, (ii) one or more resource elements produced during execution of the task, (iii) one or more production operations performed during the course of the associated task, and (iv) manufacturing relations between the associated task and zero, one, or more other tasks.

In another aspect, the invention contemplates a digital data processing apparatus of the type described above in which there is provided an input element for accepting a digital signal representative of an amount of one or more resource elements produced by the manufacturing process. According to this aspect, a theoretical consumption element generates a digital signal representative of an amount of one or more resource elements that would have to be consumed during the course of the manufacturing process in order to produce the designated amount of the produced resource. For example, in the production of beef stew, a report reflecting the output of 100 cases of stew, would result in the generation of a signal reflecting that 2400 cans were consumed in the packaging of that stew.

A related aspect of the invention provides a theoretical production element which responds to a signal representative of an amount of a first resource produced by the manufacturing process to generate a digital signal representative of an amount of one or more related resource elements produced during the same production run. For example, in the production of chicken parts, a report reflecting the output of 600 legs, would result in the generation of a signal reflecting the output of three pounds of feathers as a byproduct of the production of those legs.

In another aspect, the invention provides a digital data processing apparatus as described above in which the third input element includes input elements for accepting digital signals representative of temporal or volumetric output of a production run, as well as that of a task associated with the run. A further input element is provided for accepting a conversion factor representing a mathematical relationship between the task and production run output quantities. A task batch is provided for generating a digital signal representative of the number of the task batches required in order to complete the production run. Use of the task batch element facilitates machine operator activity during production runs by eliminating the need to perform constant re-calculations to determine appropriate batch production.

According to another aspect of the invention, a digital data processing apparatus having features of the type described above can include a resource element for generating and storing digital signals representative of a production characteristic associated with at least one resource element in the production model. The production characteristics relate to financial, operational, planning, and tracking aspects of the resource.

By way of example, the system permits resources to be tagged as "balance" or "non-balance"; wherein, a balance resource is one whose on-hand quantity is increased or decreased by use, e.g., sheet metal, screws, or other physical material. A non-balance resource, on the other hand, is one which requires measurement from period to period, but which does not require a balance on hand, e.g., electricity, machine hours, and labor. Other characteristics may include inventory classifications, e.g., "on hand," "on order," and "work in progress," as well as quality assurance classifications "QC hold," "restricted use," or "quarantine," among others.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, a computer aided material requirements planning system of the type described above can include a transaction element for modifying digital signals representative of one or more production characteristics associated with a physical occurrence of a resource element. Use of the transaction element enables the system to note the existence of, and track changes in, those occurrences. For example, when a shipment of a resource, e.g., potatoes, arrives at the processing plant, the transaction element is actuated to record to arrival of the shipment. Later, e.g., when the potatoes are moved, diced, quarantined, or otherwise processed, the transaction element can again be actuated to record the nature of the processing activity. In this regard, a physical occurrence of a resource element is defined as the actual or simulated existence of a physical embodiment or amount of those resources. Typically, of course, a physical occurrence of a resource represents a shipment or lot of the resource.

In another aspect, the invention contemplates features for tracking physical occurrences of resource elements, along with identifying quantities of those resources on hand or required for use in production.

Further aspects of the invention provide methods for operating a digital data processing apparatus of the type described above. The aforementioned and other aspects of the invention are evident in the attached illustrations and detailed description which follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

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