Data processing machine and method of allocating inventory stock for generating work orders for producing manufactured components

A data processing machine for controlling production of manufactured components, said machine comprising:

• input means for receiving production information, said production information including job data consisting of actual customer orders, planned customer orders, and internal work orders;
• said production information further including inventory data and bill of materials data;
• memory means for storing digitized representations of said production information in a random access storage device, said storage device being divided into separate files, one each for said job data, inventory data, and bill of materials data;
• said job file being arranged into a plurality of individual jobs in which the information therefore is presented in the same format, said format including a customer identification number, an end item part number, and a series of due dates and associated end item quantities for the same customer and part number;
• the customer identification number for all job files reflecting actual customer orders being assigned a given number associated with the customer, the customer identification number for each job file reflecting planned customer orders being assigned a user selectable number, and the customer identification number for internal work orders being assigned the same number as the part number in the job file;
• said inventory file including data representing the quanitity in stock and fabrication lead time for each part;
• said bill of materials file including data representing each of the parts and associated quantities used to make a given end item;
• control means responsive to a first command for interrogating said job files in a given order and the inventory file for the part associated with the job file interrogated, allocating inventory stock to each job file as a function of the total quantity required therein and the amount of remaining stock, said control means loading a number representing the allocated stock into the job file in said memory means as a designated stock quantity and reducing the quantity in stock in said inventory file;
• said stock being allocated first to actual and planned customer orders beginning with the oldest due date and then to work orders;
• said control means being responsive to a second command to interrogate said job files in a given order and subtract the designated stock quantity from the total requirements quantity for actual and planned customer orders for each job file thereby calculating total requirements for a given part, said control means reading the bill of materials file and fabrication lead time from the inventory file and generating an extract work file including the quantities and due dates for each manufactured component associated with the total requirements of end item parts defined by the customer orders;
• said control means totaling the quantity of said components in the extract work file and subtracting the previously designated stock quantity from corresponding work orders in the job file to arrive at the net quantity of manufactured components necessary to complete the end item part requirements for the customer orders, said control means loading the manufactured component quantities from the extract work file into the job file associated with the work orders whereby said work order portion of the job file contains information defining the type, quantity, and due date by which each manufactured component must be made by the user in order to fill the customer orders;
• and
• output means for utilizing the information in the memory means to control the production of manufactured components.