Aggregate planning involves determining production levels on a weekly or monthly basis for the next 6-18 months based on marketing forecasts. It aims to minimize costs from fluctuating production levels like hiring/laying off workers. The document discusses level, chase, and hybrid aggregate planning strategies and their advantages like reducing overhead from excess inventory. It also outlines the aggregate planning process including determining demand and capacity, developing alternative plans, selecting the optimal plan, and disaggregating it through master scheduling and rough cut capacity planning.