Production scheduling: Which factors must be considered when preparing a feasible and efficient schedule?

Introduction / Context:
Production scheduling translates plans into executable shop-floor sequences. Effective schedules balance capacity, precedence, and standard times while honoring product design constraints. Ignoring any element leads to missed due dates or excessive WIP.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Known bills of materials and engineering drawings.
• Route sheets specifying machine/process order.
• Standard times determined via work measurement.

Concept / Approach:
Component design drives tolerances, required processes, and inspection. The route sheet encodes feasible sequences and eligible resources. Time standards allow loading, line balancing, due-date promise, and capacity checks. Together they enable backward/forward scheduling, dispatching rules, and realistic completion dates.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Gantt charts and finite-capacity scheduling simulations confirm feasibility; KPIs like on-time delivery and queue lengths validate the plan.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Focusing on a single factor (e.g., machine availability) ignores precedence and timing detail, leading to infeasible schedules.

Common Pitfalls:
Using outdated route sheets; neglecting changeover times; relying on guessed times instead of measured standards.

Final Answer:
all of these