Towards integrated manufacturing planning with common tool and information sets

The performance of manufacturing systems needs to be continuously reviewed in response to increasingly evolving market conditions. In recent years, a large volume of research has concentrated on improving manufacturing performance. Some research has been directed at senior management emphasising the strategic need for change and how to initiate change; other research has been directed at shop floor level and the provision of tools for continuous improvement; whilst more recent research has focused on business process re‐engineering and supporting methodologies. However, there is a very limited set of tools available for middle managers to encapsulate the aspirations of senior management (e.g. the strategic objectives of a company) and translate these into shop floor actions. This paper proposes a methodology to support management of the introduction of new processes, products and systems and to improve the performance of manufacturing systems. The paper presents a case and methodology for an integrated system for strategic, tactical, operational and project planning. The proposed methodology is based on structured systems analysis and simulation of a manufacturing plant. Feasibility of the approach is demonstrated through application to two small to medium‐sized enterprises.