Method for determining flexible demand in a manufacturing process

Claim 1

In a computerized manufacturing system, a computer implemented method for determining a production quantity for a plurality of flex periods, and ordering material for said production quantity during said plurality of flex periods, said method comprising: (a) accepting a quantity of flex periods from a user of the system and assigning each flex period a sequential number, wherein said flex periods occur after a demand fence date; (b) accepting a daily rate total demand from the user of the system, wherein said daily rate total demand equals said production quantity at said demand fence date; (c) accepting a flex period percentage for each of said flex periods from the user; (d) accepting a flex period number of days, one said flex period number of days for each said flex periods; (e) calculating a flex period total demand for each of said flex periods, comprising the steps of (e1) calculating a first multiplier by dividing said flex period percentage for said flex period by one-hundred and adding one to a result of said dividing to produce said first multiplier, (e2) calculating a second multiplier by raising said first multiplier to the power of said sequential number assigned to said flex period in step (a), and (e3) calculating said flex period total demand for said flex period by multiplying said second multiplier by said daily rate total demand, and (e4) assigning said flex period total demand to each day of said flex period; (f) accepting at least one customer order from a user of said system; (g) for each said customer order accepted, increasing said production quantity for all days in each of said flex periods prior to a day of said customer order and after said flex fence date, wherein said production quantity for each of said days does not exceed said flex period total demand set for said day; and (h) placing an order for material for said production quantity for each of said flex fence periods.