Production Schedule Firming

The Production Schedule Firm conversation allows a planner to freeze the production schedule until a user-defined horizon date so that the Requirements Planning and Master Scheduling modules will not automatically reschedule production.  The conversation also allows the planner to unfreeze all or a portion of the production schedule.  Schedules can be frozen for an individual item, an individual cell, or all cells.  Any parts that are planned in alternative production centers through any one of the production schedule maintenance conversations will automatically be firmed, and cannot be unfirmed through the Production Schedule Firm conversation.  For frozen schedules, Master Scheduling and Requirements Planning will generate action messages if supply and demand do not match.  The planner can then determine the feasibility and consequences of changing the schedule.  The purpose of this conversation is to prevent Master Scheduling and Requirements Planning from making schedule changes to which the shop floor cannot react.