Manufacturing managers frequently look for tools and methods to help them identify actions requiring immediate attention. In this way, they can help ensure production output matches Customer demand. This is where the Constraint Management system comes in. Constraint Management is used to evaluate Items, Work Orders, Purchase Orders, and Work Centers-and then prioritize each, identifying which should be worked on and/or addressed first.
The Constraint Management system reports on the following three types of buffers:
Stock buffer: An accumulation of Items stored in Inventory that act as a hedge against demand where the required service time is shorter than a time buffer for that Item would allow. The buffer size is determined by the Reorder Level at the Item Site.
Time buffer: The lead time, measured in working days, of a supply order for an Item that is not stocked.
Capacity buffer: The relative load of a resource (i.e., Work Center) compared to the desired lead time of Items coming out of that resource.