Concepts, implementation and potential of DMRP

Provides an overview of the principles which are fundamental to distributed manufacturing resources planning (DMRP). The operation of the system algorithms is explained, as well as the way DMRP relies on the special circumstances that arise in cellular manufacturing systems. Possible routes to implementation are discussed as are the benefits likely to emerge at each stage in the development of a fully functional system. The concept has been revised and extended as research has progressed from the original `top-down´ distributed planning system (Love et al. 1986)