Forecasting And Aggregate Planning
- 1. Operations Management Session 5 – Forecasting and Aggregate Planning
- 2. Outline Global Company Profile: Disney World What Is Forecasting? Forecasting Time Horizons The Influence of Product Life Cycle Types Of Forecasts
- 3. Outline – Continued The Strategic Importance of Forecasting Human Resources Capacity Supply Chain Management Forecasting In The Service Sector
- 4. Learning Objectives When you complete this chapter you should be able to : Understand the three time horizons and which models apply for each use Understand the different types of forecasts used in management Understand the specifics of forecasting in the services industry
- 5. Forecasting at Disney World Global portfolio includes parks in Hong Kong, Paris, Tokyo, Orlando, and Anaheim Revenues are derived from people – how many visitors and how they spend their money Daily management report contains only the forecast and actual attendance at each park
- 6. Forecasting at Disney World Disney generates daily, weekly, monthly, annual, and 5-year forecasts Forecast used by labor management, maintenance, operations, finance, and park scheduling Forecast used to adjust opening times, rides, shows, staffing levels, and guests admitted
- 7. Forecasting at Disney World 20% of customers come from outside the USA Economic model includes gross domestic product, cross-exchange rates, arrivals into the USA A staff of 35 analysts and 70 field people survey 1 million park guests, employees, and travel professionals each year
- 8. Forecasting at Disney World Inputs to the forecasting model include airline specials, Federal Reserve policies, Wall Street trends, vacation/holiday schedules for 3,000 school districts around the world Average forecast error for the 5-year forecast is 5% Average forecast error for annual forecasts is between 0% and 3%
- 9. What is Forecasting? Process of predicting a future event Underlying basis of all business decisions Production Inventory Personnel Facilities ??
- 10. Short-range forecast Up to 1 year, generally less than 3 months Purchasing, job scheduling, workforce levels, job assignments, production levels Medium-range forecast 3 months to 3 years Sales and production planning, budgeting Long-range forecast 3 + years New product planning, facility location, research and development Forecasting Time Horizons
- 11. Distinguishing Differences Medium/long range forecasts deal with more comprehensive issues and support management decisions regarding planning and products, plants and processes Short-term forecasting usually employs different methodologies than longer-term forecasting Short-term forecasts tend to be more accurate than longer-term forecasts
- 12. Types of Forecasts Economic forecasts Address business cycle – inflation rate, money supply, housing starts, etc. Technological forecasts Predict rate of technological progress Impacts development of new products Demand forecasts Predict sales of existing products and services
- 13. Strategic Importance of Forecasting Human Resources – Hiring, training, laying off workers Capacity – Capacity shortages can result in undependable delivery, loss of customers, loss of market share Supply Chain Management – Good supplier relations and price advantages
- 14. Forecasting in the Service Sector Presents unusual challenges Special need for short term records Needs differ greatly as function of industry and product Holidays and other calendar events Unusual events
- 15. Operations Management Aggregate Planning
- 16. Outline Global Company Profile: Anheuser-Busch The Planning Process The Nature of Aggregate Planning Aggregate Planning Strategies Capacity Options Demand Options Mixing Options to Develop a Plan
- 17. Outline – Continued Summary of Methods for Aggregate Planning Graphical Methods Mathematical Approaches Comparison of Aggregate Planning Methods
- 18. Outline – Continued Aggregate Planning in Services Restaurants Hospitals National Chains of Small Service Firms Miscellaneous Services Airline Industry
- 19. Learning Objectives When you complete this chapter you should be able to: Define aggregate planning Identify optional strategies for developing an aggregate plan
- 20. Anheuser-Busch Anheuser-Busch produces nearly 40% of the beer consumed in the U.S. Matches fluctuating demand by brand to plant, labor, and inventory capacity to achieve high facility utilization High facility utilization requires Meticulous cleaning between batches Effective maintenance Efficient employee and facility scheduling
- 21. Anheuser-Busch Product-focused facility with high fixed costs High utilization requires effective aggregate planning of the four basic stages of production Selection and delivery of raw materials Brewing process from milling to aging Packaging Distribution
- 22. Aggregate Planning Objective is to minimize cost over the planning period by adjusting Production rates Labor levels Inventory levels Overtime work Subcontracting rates Other controllable variables Determine the quantity and timing of production for the immediate future
- 23. Aggregate Planning A logical overall unit for measuring sales and output A forecast of demand for an intermediate planning period in these aggregate terms A method for determining costs A model that combines forecasts and costs so that scheduling decisions can be made for the planning period Required for aggregate planning
- 24. The Planning Process Figure 13.1 Long-range plans (over one year) Research and Development New product plans Capital investments Facility location/expansion Intermediate-range plans (3 to 18 months) Sales planning Production planning and budgeting Setting employment, inventory, subcontracting levels Analyzing operating plans Short-range plans (up to 3 months) Job assignments Ordering Job scheduling Dispatching Overtime Part-time help Top executives Operations managers Operations managers, supervisors, foremen Responsibility Planning tasks and horizon
- 25. Aggregate Planning Quarter 1 Jan Feb Mar 150,000 120,000 110,000 Quarter 2 Apr May Jun 100,000 130,000 150,000 Quarter 3 Jul Aug Sep 180,000 150,000 140,000
- 26. Aggregate Planning Figure 13.2
- 27. Aggregate Planning Combines appropriate resources into general terms Part of a larger production planning system Disaggregation breaks the plan down into greater detail Disaggregation results in a master production schedule
- 28. Aggregate Planning Strategies Use inventories to absorb changes in demand Accommodate changes by varying workforce size Use part-timers, overtime, or idle time to absorb changes Use subcontractors and maintain a stable workforce Change prices or other factors to influence demand
- 29. Capacity Options Changing inventory levels Increase inventory in low demand periods to meet high demand in the future Increases costs associated with storage, insurance, handling, obsolescence, and capital investment 15% to 40% Shortages can mean lost sales due to long lead times and poor customer service
- 30. Capacity Options Varying workforce size by hiring or layoffs Match production rate to demand Training and separation costs for hiring and laying off workers New workers may have lower productivity Laying off workers may lower morale and productivity
- 31. Capacity Options Varying production rate through overtime or idle time Allows constant workforce May be difficult to meet large increases in demand Overtime can be costly and may drive down productivity Absorbing idle time may be difficult
- 32. Capacity Options Subcontracting Temporary measure during periods of peak demand May be costly Assuring quality and timely delivery may be difficult Exposes your customers to a possible competitor
- 33. Capacity Options Using part-time workers Useful for filling unskilled or low skilled positions, especially in services
- 34. Demand Options Influencing demand Use advertising or promotion to increase demand in low periods Attempt to shift demand to slow periods May not be sufficient to balance demand and capacity
- 35. Demand Options Back ordering during high- demand periods Requires customers to wait for an order without loss of goodwill or the order Most effective when there are few if any substitutes for the product or service Often results in lost sales
- 36. Demand Options Counterseasonal product and service mixing Develop a product mix of counterseasonal items May lead to products or services outside the company’s areas of expertise
- 37. Aggregate Planning Options Table 13.1 Option Advantages Disadvantages Some Comments Changing inventory levels Changes in human resources are gradual or none; no abrupt production changes. Inventory holding cost may increase. Shortages may result in lost sales. Applies mainly to production, not service, operations. Varying workforce size by hiring or layoffs Avoids the costs of other alternatives. Hiring, layoff, and training costs may be significant. Used where size of labor pool is large.
- 38. Aggregate Planning Options Table 13.1 Option Advantages Disadvantages Some Comments Varying production rates through overtime or idle time Matches seasonal fluctuations without hiring/ training costs. Overtime premiums; tired workers; may not meet demand. Allows flexibility within the aggregate plan. Sub-contracting Permits flexibility and smoothing of the firm’s output. Loss of quality control; reduced profits; loss of future business. Applies mainly in production settings.
- 39. Aggregate Planning Options Table 13.1 Option Advantages Disadvantages Some Comments Using part-time workers Is less costly and more flexible than full-time workers. High turnover/ training costs; quality suffers; scheduling difficult. Good for unskilled jobs in areas with large temporary labor pools. Influencing demand Tries to use excess capacity. Discounts draw new customers. Uncertainty in demand. Hard to match demand to supply exactly. Creates marketing ideas. Overbooking used in some businesses.
- 40. Aggregate Planning Options Table 13.1 Option Advantages Disadvantages Some Comments Back ordering during high-demand periods May avoid overtime. Keeps capacity constant. Customer must be willing to wait, but goodwill is lost. Many companies back order. Counter-seasonal product and service mixing Fully utilizes resources; allows stable workforce. May require skills or equipment outside the firm’s areas of expertise. Risky finding products or services with opposite demand patterns.
- 41. Methods for Aggregate Planning A mixed strategy may be the best way to achieve minimum costs There are many possible mixed strategies Finding the optimal plan is not always possible
- 42. Mixing Options to Develop a Plan Chase strategy Match output rates to demand forecast for each period Vary workforce levels or vary production rate Favored by many service organizations
- 43. Mixing Options to Develop a Plan Level strategy Daily production is uniform Use inventory or idle time as buffer Stable production leads to better quality and productivity Some combination of capacity options, a mixed strategy, might be the best solution
- 44. Summary of Aggregate Planning Methods Table 13.8 Techniques Solution Approaches Important Aspects Graphical methods Trial and error Simple to understand and easy to use. Many solutions; one chosen may not be optimal. Transportation method of linear programming Optimization LP software available; permits sensitivity analysis and new constraints; linear functions may not be realistic.
- 45. Summary of Aggregate Planning Methods Table 13.8 Techniques Solution Approaches Important Aspects Management coefficients model Heuristic Simple, easy to implement; tries to mimic manager’s decision process; uses regression. Simulation Change parameters Complex; may be difficult to build and for managers to understand.
- 46. Aggregate Planning in Services Controlling the cost of labor is critical Accurate scheduling of labor-hours to assure quick response to customer demand An on-call labor resource to cover unexpected demand Flexibility of individual worker skills Flexibility in rate of output or hours of work
- 47. Five Service Scenarios Restaurants Smoothing the production process Determining the optimal workforce size Hospitals Responding to patient demand
- 48. Five Service Scenarios National Chains of Small Service Firms Planning done at national level and at local level Miscellaneous Services Plan human resource requirements Manage demand
- 49. Law Firm Example Table 13.9 Labor-Hours Required Capacity Constraints (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (1) Forecasts Maximum Number of Category of Best Likely Worst Demand in Qualified Legal Business (hours) (hours) (hours) People Personnel Trial work 1,800 1,500 1,200 3.6 4 Legal research 4,500 4,000 3,500 9.0 32 Corporate law 8,000 7,000 6,500 16.0 15 Real estate law 1,700 1,500 1,300 3.4 6 Criminal law 3,500 3,000 2,500 7.0 12 Total hours 19,500 17,000 15,000 Lawyers needed 39 34 30
- 50. Five Service Scenarios Airline industry Extremely complex planning problem Involves number of flights, number of passengers, air and ground personnel, allocation of seats to fare classes Resources spread through the entire system