Planning of multi-site production

Economic coercions within the automotive industry, the mechanical engineering or the electrical industry require cost reductions and means for prompter reaction due to a constantly altering market. The cooperation of several sites provides a solution of this challenge. Enterprises which show alternative as well as complementary production possibilities at several locations, have to plan the coordination of interaction between sites. However, conventional planning systems are not designed adequately - neither their functional nor their architectural basis - in order to cover the requirements of multi-site production. An object-oriented model is proposed to project multi-site production within the operative scope of production planning. A generic workplan model of a production process in multi-site production is developed and its implementation is pointed out. An exemplified application of the model is portrayed in the area of car-manufacturing industry.