Patent ID: 7280880

Claim:
A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method comprising: accessing a part-process matrix containing a plurality of cells, each cell being configured to include data associated with a plurality of parts and a plurality of machines of a mixed-model manufacturing system; for each cell, determining whether the cell includes data; if a cell is determined to contain data, replacing the data in that cell with a binary value representative of the presence of data in that cell; and if a cell is determined not to contain data, inserting into that cell a binary value representative of the absence of data in that cell; sorting the plurality of cells according to at least one characteristic associated with the plurality of machines; sorting the plurality of cells according to at least one characteristic associated with the plurality of parts; for each cell containing the binary value representative of the presence of data in that cell, reinstating the data in that cell; and generating a modified part-process matrix containing the sorted plurality of cells.