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The management in non‐profit humanitarian organizations is often preoccupied with its welfare objectives and ignores the operations efficiency and operating cost controls. Proposes an operations‐planning and control framework for small non‐profit humanitarian organizations. The proposed framework integrates several operations management‐planning tools such as time series forecasting, aggregate production planning, ABC analysis, and material requirements planning (MRP) to facilitate better demand and resource management. The purpose of this framework is to provide management with better resource planning and a base of performance evaluation. Using real data, this framework was applied to a non‐profit organization taking into consideration its unique welfare objective. Results indicate that substantial improvements in operations efficiency and cost reduction are possible for small non‐profit organizations through modified operations‐planning and control activities.

The purpose of this paper is to study the information support technologies of integrated production planning control for OEM (original equipment manufacturer) driven networked manufacturing systems, and offer implications to firms for implementing networked manufacturing.

OEM driven networked manufacturing and its operations modes and support technologies are first discussed. Then, integration framework of production planning and control is proposed and relative technologies are discussed. Finally, a case of the application of information support technologies in networked manufacturing is illustrated.

Both theory analysis and case experience show that information integration and sharing are critical for effective operations of OEM driven networked manufacturing and an integrated production planning and control system can benefit firms for successfully operating a networked manufacturing system.

It is valuable to develop and apply integrated production planning and control systems in OEM driven networked manufacturing, Firms should pay more attention to information sharing and communication with partners and utilize advanced information technologies to synchronize the operations of partners.

Integration framework of production planning and control proposed in this paper has originality and the technology strategies are also practical. Managerial ideas, technology framework and application strategies of integrated production planning and control are helpful for firms to implement OEM driven networked manufacturing.

Today the Internet provides a real opportunity for demand data and supply capacity data to be visible to all companies within a manufacturing supply chain. Consequently there is a need for manufacturing organisations to explore alternative mechanisms for the management of their operations network, in particular the role of manufacturing planning and control systems. This paper describes current research which examines the classification of manufacturing supply chains and positions Internet‐based applications in order to identify the operations management challenges for the next generation of manufacturing planning and control systems.

A detailed analysis of Material Requirements Planning (MRP), Kanban, optimised Production Technology (OPT) and Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS), including the applied assumptions behind these and their limitations and weaknesses, shows that each system is sound in its own way and can accomplish low cost, high quality, on‐time production. People problems, however, can destroy the effectiveness of any system and in this respect Kanban and OPT systems solve the majority of people problems, while FMS installations, by design, eliminate most problems of this type. The experience gained during the coming decade may lead factory managers to use two or more of these systems side by side.

Discusses some of the key elements of research which will investigate the role of the Internet within the manufacturing supply chain and, in particular, focuses on its impact on the manufacturing planning and control operation. Although much of the current Internet discussion focuses on sales and marketing applications, step change improvements in the management of the supply chain are possible using the same fundamental technologies. However, it is argued that a paradigm shift in the way in which manufacturing companies plan and control their operations is required if full advantage is to be gained; an alternative to the traditional linear transfer of information within supply chains is required. The Internet provides the opportunity for demand data and supply capacity data to be visible to all companies within a manufacturing supply chain, consequently companies can be in a position to anticipate demand fluctuations and respond accordingly. This is in contrast to the more established reactive approach. This paper proposes the development of supply webs and a more interactive approach to supply chain partnering and identifies some of the research issues within this context to facilitate the development of Internet‐based manufacturing planning and control.

The megadimensional nature of the complex social systems of the twentieth century, and the increasing levels of interrelatedness, present the individual with a bewildering array of information sources and services.

Reports a series of action projects in UK manufacturing companies which found that formal planning and control activity was less evident than the management of priorities. The reasons for this were found in the innate instability of these companies′ operations. This finding provokes a fresh look at two themes which formerly produced much literature: the relative failure of computers in production management; and the gap between OM academics and practitioners. A third theme, taken from the OB literature on the reactive nature of managerial work, throws light on both these issues. The instability of batch manufacturing operations can thus be seen as a norm, not a departure from a norm of stability. The assumption of a stable environment helps to explain why the formal MPC systems had often disappointed, and why the practitioners had made little use of OM academic work. Explores the nature of the instability as being principally concerned with the three dimensions of variety, variation and volume. Defines priority management, and positions it in relation to manufacturing strategy and to more technical approaches to OM. Develops a general theory of priority management which draws together various mid‐range theories and empirical studies.

On modern markets, supply chains (SC) shape the competition landscape. At the same time, considerable research advancements have been recently achieved in the area of collaborative networks. Trends in information technology progress for networked systems include development of cyber‐physical networks, cloud service environments, etc. The purpose of this paper is to identify an inter‐disciplinary perspective and modelling tools for new generation SCs which will be collaborative cyber‐physical networks.

This study addresses the above‐mentioned research goal by first, developing a methodical vision of an inter‐disciplinary modelling framework for SCM based on the existing studies on SC operations, control and systems theories; and second, by integrating elements of different structures with structures dynamics within an adaptive framework based upon the authors' own research.

The inter‐disciplinary modelling framework for multi‐structural SCs has been developed. A new inter‐disciplinary level of model‐based decision‐making support in those SCs is claimed based on the integration of previously isolated problems and modelling tools developed in such disciplines like operations research, control theory, system dynamics, and artificial intelligence.

The novelty of this paper is the consideration of SC modelling in the context of collaborative cyber‐physical systems. This topic is particularly relevant for researchers and practitioners who are interested in future generation SCs. Particular focus is directed towards the multi‐structural SC modelling, structure dynamics, and inter‐disciplinary problems and models in future SCs. Challenges of integrated optimization in the organizational and informational context are discussed.

The aim of this paper is to identify some specificities of production planning and control (PPC) activities in the one-of-a-kind-production (OKP) process through an extensive literature review. Relevant aspects related to systems and PPC activities in the context of OKP environment are discussed, and six opportunities for future research are highlighted.

The following research is based on a review of 53 articles published in peer-reviewed journals over the past three decades. After an initial descriptive analysis based on bibliometric indicators, a cluster analysis of 15 most cited articles was carried out using multivariate data analysis techniques and in-depth analysis.

The results reveal some specificities inherent to the clusters featured in the research, including aspects of planning, control and systems for OKP process. This cluster addresses information regarding next-generation manufacturing systems, scheduling and design science, computer simulation and project approach. On the other hand, the authors point out six topics for future research regarding contemporary issues associated with PPC in the context of OKP.

This paper fills an important gap regarding OKP production planning and control practices. The results provide a theoretical overview of different PPC practices suitable for the OKP environment. Furthermore, it can provide insights for scientific developments in order to manage the complexity inherent in the OKP process.

Since the early 1970s, production planning systems have evolved from material requirements planning (MRP) through manufacturing resource planning (MRPII) into enterprise resource planning (ERP) with simultaneous development of related control systems such as theory of constraints (epitomised by OPT), just‐in‐time (JIT), etc. One key area for all manufacturing companies is the planning and control function. There is a wide range of generic proprietary software available that aims to meet a company’s planning and scheduling requirements. The difficulty experienced by many companies is not only in examining available software, but also in understanding the match between business needs and the capabilities of that software. This paper first sets out some common manufacturing classification systems, then attempts to map them against accepted paradigms for production planning and control approaches. Analysis confirms the need for a more rigorous approach to software selection, and the need for a complete understanding of the drivers of the production control process before this can be achieved. The paper goes on to discuss a method for mapping these drivers, with the aim being to create a series of reference models for production planning and scheduling.