A MICROCOMPUTER-BASED SCHEDULING ASSIST SYSTEM

MICOSAS (pronounced ''my coBAR' sas'', from Mixed Integer COntinuous Scheduling Assist System), schedules the production of nearly one thousand parts on twenty-eight machines to result in the minimum total number of machine shifts assigned. The microcomputer software system consists of three custom-designed modules and a commercially available mathematical programming package. It enables the user to obtain an initial feasible schedule for a typical scheduling scenario in less than an hour. The user can then perturb the parameters defining the mathematical model in seeking better schedules with about the same turnaround time.