Abstract: A demand fulfillment system and method to provide current supply and demand to generate a work schedule and a material delivery schedule for manufacturing items, particularly commodities, built to customer order. The demand fulfillment system and method uses outstanding customer orders for items as an accurate measure of current demand, and a current state of an available inventory of material for producing the items as an accurate measure of current supply. Customer orders are considered a source of demand from the time the customer order is received until the customer order is fulfilled. Material available to the factory is considered to be part of supply regardless of location of the material. A work schedule and a material delivery schedule are generated periodically using the current state of the available inventory and outstanding customer orders to keep up with consumption of materials and fulfillment of customer orders.

Abstract: A demand fulfillment system and method to provide current supply and demand to generate a work schedule and a material delivery schedule for manufacturing items, particularly commodities, built to customer order. The demand fulfillment system and method uses outstanding customer orders for items as an accurate measure of current demand, and a current state of an available inventory of material for producing the items as an accurate measure of current supply. Customer orders are considered a source of demand from the time the customer order is received until the customer order is fulfilled. Material available to the factory is considered to be part of supply regardless of location of the material. A work schedule and a material delivery schedule are generated periodically using the current state of the available inventory and outstanding customer orders to keep up with consumption of materials and fulfillment of customer orders.

Abstract: The reed employs two spaced apart cylinders with slots in their outer surfaces. The slots extend around the axis of each cylinder a given distance. The slots of each cylinder flare out from each other from one edge to an opposite edge. Dents are supported for movement between the two cylinders and have guides located in the slots of each cylinder. The two cylinders can be rotated together in one direction or in an opposite direction for causing the slots to move the guides and hence the dents apart or together to obtain changes in the width of the fabric along the warp direction. This change in width will cause the warp density to vary along the length of the fabric while maintaining continuous warp yarn. This feature also allows warp strands of different cross-section to be woven.