ABSTRACT
A manufacturing planning and control system represents a critical part of the infrastructure of any manufacturing organisation. Consequently the design and operation of such systems demands the same close attention to detail applied to other areas of the business. Of the modelling techniques available, simulation is the most suited to the evaluation of complex, dynamic systems (Chaharbaghi 1990); manufacturing planning and control systems clearly belong in this category. Static approaches are to be avoided if the important time-varying interrelationships between the system and the manufacturing facility and their effect on performance are not to be overlooked.
