Abstract: A method for scheduling work and delivery of material for items in a factory which includes obtaining a customer order, determining a current state of an available inventory of material from a plurality of material sources, generating a material request plan for producing the item using the customer order and the current state of the available inventory, and executing the material request plan. The customer order includes an item, having an associated quantity of a material to produce, ordered by a customer. The executing the material request plan includes netting deliveries of material with planned requests for material during the executing of the material request plan.

Abstract: The inventions relates to a method for scheduling work and delivery of material for items in a factory which includes: obtaining a customer order, determining the current state of available inventory and generating a material request plan for producing the item. The customer order includes an item ordered by a customer and producing the item that requires a required quantity of a required material. The current state of the available inventory of material is determined from a plurality of material sources. A material request plan for producing the item using the customer order and the current state of the available inventory is determined. The current state of the available inventory is performed separately from generating the work schedule and the material delivery schedule. Obtaining the customer order is performed separately from generating the work schedule and the material delivery schedule. The material request plan is performed separately from generating the material request plan.