Patent ID: 8108236

Claim:
A method for utilizing date sets in a manufacturing system, comprising: receiving an order associated with a manufacturing activity, the order identifying a requested date; identifying a plurality of steps involved in the manufacturing activity; formulating by a processor a first schedule at least in part based on the requested date, the first schedule including a plurality of first dates, wherein each first date is associated with a unique one of the steps; formulating by the processor a second schedule at least in part based on inventory information associated with at least one resource used in the manufacturing activity, the second schedule including a plurality of second dates, wherein each second date is associated with a unique one of the steps; formulating by the processor a third schedule at least in part based on the second schedule, the third schedule including a plurality of third dates, wherein each third date is associated with a unique one of the steps and at least one third date in the third schedule differs from a corresponding second date in the second schedule by an adjustment; selecting by the processor one of the first, second, and third schedules for the manufacturing activity; identifying a second manufacturing activity affected by the selected schedule; identifying a plurality of second steps involved in the second manufacturing activity; and formulating a coordinated schedule at least in part based on the selected schedule, the coordinated schedule including a plurality of coordinated dates, wherein each coordinated date is associated with a unique one of the second steps.