Master Production Schedule (MPS)

The Master Production Schedule (MPS) translates the broader goals of the Aggregate Production Plan (APP) into a detailed plan for specific end products. It specifies exactly what end items are to be built, how many of each are needed, and when they are scheduled to be completed, typically on a weekly basis.

Key Characteristics:

• Disaggregation: Moves from planning product families (in APP) to planning individual end items or sellable configurations.
• Specificity: Provides concrete quantities, products, and timing.
• Time Horizon: Varies (weeks to months/year), often shorter than APP but longer than detailed shop scheduling. Uses time buckets (usually weeks).
• Driving Force: Acts as the primary input driving Material Requirements Planning (MRP) and detailed Capacity Requirements Planning (CRP). It dictates what components need to be procured or manufactured.
• Link Function: Connects production capabilities with actual customer orders and demand forecasts. Helps determine delivery promises.

Functions of the MPS:

1. Translate Aggregate Plan: Converts the overall production rates from the APP into a build schedule for specific products.
2. Drive MRP: Provides the "demand" signal for end items, which MRP uses to calculate component requirements.
3. Drive Capacity Planning: Forms the basis for Rough-Cut Capacity Planning (RCCP) and detailed Capacity Requirements Planning (CRP) to ensure feasibility.
4. Enable Order Promising: Allows marketing/sales to give realistic delivery dates to customers based on planned production and available capacity (Available-to-Promise logic often uses MPS).
5. Stabilize Schedule: Often divided into time zones (frozen, slushy, liquid) to control changes near term while allowing flexibility further out.

Inputs for Developing the MPS:

• Aggregate Production Plan (sets overall targets).
• Specific end-item demand forecasts.
• Actual customer orders (backlog).
• Current inventory levels of finished goods.
• Capacity constraints (especially from RCCP).
• Lead times for production.

Output of the MPS:

• A time-phased schedule showing the quantity of each specific end item planned for completion in each future time period (e.g., "Produce 500 units of Model X in Week 5, 600 units in Week 6...").

Indian Example: For Royal Enfield, the Aggregate Plan might specify the total number of motorcycles (e.g., 350cc range) to be produced monthly. The MPS would then detail the exact number of specific models (e.g., Classic 350 - Red, Meteor 350 - Blue) to be assembled each week at their plants near Chennai. This weekly MPS then drives the MRP system to ensure engines, frames, tanks, wheels, and other specific components for those models are available on the assembly line at the right time.

The MPS is a critical planning tool, representing the anticipated build schedule that the entire manufacturing planning and control system works towards fulfilling. It must be realistic and achievable given capacity and material constraints.