MIMI는 전략적인 Planning에서 부터 상세한 플랜트 Scheduling과 공정 최적화 까지의 생산 Planning 및 Scheduling 어플리케이션의 전 범위에 걸처 활용할 수있도록 개발되었다. 비지니스에서 의사 결정 방법의 완전히 통합된 접근은 MIMI를 통하여 얻을 수 있다. High-level strategic decisions drive nearer-term operational decisions.이러한 접근 방식은 효율적인 의사 결정을 향상 시키고 원부자재에서 부터 고객까지의 생산 활동을 도와 준다.

다음의 어플리 케이션들은 독립적인 어플리케이션으로서 또는 기업 전반에 걸친 Supply Chain 관리의 통합된 팩키지로서 적용되어 질 수 있다.

상세한 이력 관리에 의하여 가시적인 예측 기간내의 수요 배분 패턴을 가능케 하며 단기적인 Planning 및 Scheduling의 아주 유용한 입력으로 활용될 수 있다. MIMI는 사용자가 원하는 어떠한 방법으로든 데이타 및 정보를 모으고 자를 수 있으며 일관성있는 폭넓고 다양한 예측 화면을 제공한다.

15개이상의 통계학적인 예측 방법들을 제공되어진다. "최적"이라고 할 수 있는 하나가 다른 여러가지 방법들을 검토한 후에 가장 최적인 예측을 선택한다. 사용자는 사용자 자신의 예측 기술을 사용할 수있으며 또는 여러 종류들을 결합/합성하여 새로운 것을 만들어 낼수도 있다. 강력한 프리젠테이션 그래픽들은 데이타들을 가시화 시켜주며 사용자에게 입출력 창구를 제공한다. 예외와 겹처쓰기를 쉽게 관리할 수 있다.

수요 관리 (Demand Management) 기능들에는 다음과 같은 기능들이 포함되어 있다.:
      1. 다양한 수준에서 데이타/정보를 모으고 자를 수 있는 이력들의 보기와 조정
      2. 적절한 이력과 예측 기술이 제품, 고객, 그리고 위치들의 각각의 유일한 조합에
          적용될 수 있도록 예측이 유연한 범주로 나뉨
      3. 이러한 이력과 함께 통계적으로 예측을 생성
      4. 다양한 수준의 데이타/정보의 모으기와 자르기에서 예측을 보기와 겹처 쓰기
      5. 오픈 고객 주문의 예측 조정 및 통합

MIMI/DM의 데이타 맵핑 능력은 가장 상세한 수준의 예측을 관리하는것 없이 다양한 카테고리(범주)로 사용자의 예측을 동적으로변환한다. 이것은 This supports a forecasting process that incorporates feedback and overrides from management, manufacturing, marketing, sales, and other areas of the organization, in their terms, while understanding where changes occurred.

Other software packages have rigid data models and are limited to top-down or bottom-up approaches. MIMI/DM is completely flexible and works the way you do. The forecast can be produced and managed at any level in the product routing, e.g., a higher level product family as well as finished good or SKU, any level in the distribution network (plant, distribution terminal, warehouse, etc.), or any other attributes necessary.

재고 관리 계획 (Inventory Management Planning)은 다음 두가지의 주요 사항에 대한 해답으로서 판매(영업) 예측과 자원 계획/일정을 통합하는 것이다.

• 불확실한 판매 예측에 대하여 어느 정도의 재고 여유분을 가져야 하는가?
• 불확실한 수요에 대하여 계획은 어떻게 세워야 하는가?

이러한 어플리케이션들은 전체적인 배분 네트워크, 생산 능력과 제한, 계약과 외부 자원의 활용, 그리고 다음과 같은 수요의 변수들을 고려할 수 있다.:

• 목표 재고 수준 (事前定意)
• 다(多) 계층적인 재고의 再 입고와 안전 재고의 요구
• Trade-offs between expediting rules and alternative transportation modes versus safety stocks and inventory costs

MIMI optimizes your inventory deployment using linear programming, simulated annealing algorithms, and/or traditional DRP planning techniques as appropriate. It considers the economic impact of near-term expediting rules using its integrated expert system.

Synchronizing market demand with production decisions is key to maximizing the productivity and responsiveness of the supply chain. Any improvement in this area directly reduces the need to carry safety stock or build spare capacity.

Tactical Operations Planning focuses on "where to make what". It involves allocating production across various plants while minimizing transportation and operating costs. By combining the production with the distribution problem, MIMI provides a globally optimal solution, while respecting capacity and other constraints.

Issues addressed include:

• Where to procure raw or intermediate materials
• Sourcing of production across plants, and within plants
• Use of internal (finite) capacity versus purchases, tolls, contract production, exchanges, or infinite capacity
• Movements of intermediates between manufacturing sites

MIMI considers the demands on the business (both forecast and orders), available inventory, and the capabilities and constraints of the manufacturing sites and distribution network, and production capacities, constraints, and preferences. The drivers for this decision making process are the economics of the business (revenues and costs), and business objectives - much more than any other system is capable of addressing. This is effective in both made-to-stock and made-to-order environments.

We use linear programming technology to develop an optimal production and distribution plan. There are no restrictions on the number of supply and demand points, or intermediate storage facilities. In this framework, demand can be a hard constraint (minimize cost) or a soft constraint (maximize profit). Capacity can likewise be a hard constraint (finite), or a soft constraint (deciding how/when to use vendors, tollers, or otherwise out-source the production requirements).

Decisions regarding sourcing of production and modes of transportation to be used are passed down to a Smart DRP function (see below), or to a DRP function within your traffic or logistics department. Purchasing requirements are passed to the Purchasing function within the business.

MIMI has the flexibility to permit the inclusion of periodic shutdowns or unusual production constraints in the model. Some clients require aging of production, others require different production stages occurring in different locations. This might overwhelm some systems but is easily handled with MIMI's method of model formulation. MIMI can help you evaluate several alternatives and determine answers that will increase profits and improve customer service.

Plant Operations and Capacity Planning consists of a "look ahead" function for a single site over a time horizon of several weeks to a year. It ensures sufficient production capacity, raw materials, and personnel are available to meet demand. Demand may include forecasts, actual orders, or a combination of the two. MIMI can be used for:

• capacity planning (equipment loadings, production calendar, labor levels)
• defining the timing and volume of purchases of longer lead time raw materials that affect planning decisions (signal to purchase)
• evaluating campaign size and frequency (when there are significant costs associated with changing operations).

MIMI goes beyond MPS, MRP, and CRP because it can suggest solutions to the capacity (or inventory) problems that it encounters. In addition, the solution process is driven by economics, and will consider the use of alternate routings and alternate formulations. MIMI can evaluate alternate ways of making the same product, as well as co-product and by-product recipes. Alternate operations are automatically substituted for the primary during schedule generation if warranted by a capacity overload or material runout.

Scheduling is a near-term function that addresses the sequence, timing, and volumes of manufacturing activities or movements to be executed. It is a dynamic process that involves reacting to perpetual changes in customer orders, demand forecast, material availability, and production throughput.

MIMI provides interactive tools to determine if a given sequence of activities is feasible with respect to both inventory and capacity. It dynamically determines activity timing requirements across multiple stages of production, linking inventories and production activities to customer orders and net forecast. It can suggest solutions to problems created by changes or upsets, as well as cost-saving improvements to a schedule by reducing changeover and inventory holding costs, or increasing effective capacity. The solution process can include:

• creating new production activities
• defining purchases
• re-sequencing activities
• changing start times
• changing production volumes
• providing feedback on schedule costs

MIMI has the most powerful suite of scheduling algorithms available. Twenty scheduling algorithms are used, as appropriate to your application, to generate capacity and material-feasible schedules quickly. The algorithms make use of a variety of techniques including JIT, ASAP, network, critical path, and heuristic formulations.

MIMI does not make limiting assumptions about the nature of your scheduling environment and problems. MIMI assumes local bottlenecks may "move" dynamically across facilities and over time. Costs of different schedules are monitored and considered by certain algorithms to drive towards least-cost objectives when possible.

The key to competitive advantage in many industries today is the ability to commit ? and fulfill ? customer requests for product delivery quickly and reliably. MIMI provides advanced ATP capability extending far beyond the standard definition of Available-to-Promise. It enables customer service representatives to interact with the production schedule to determine the ability to promise, in order to provide customers with firm shipment dates, instantly.

MIMI/ATP links Order Fulfillment systems directly to Scheduling and/or Planning applications. Users initiate dynamic, real-time re-scheduling in a controlled fashion. Orders can be promised to customers interactively based on existing inventory, already-planned production, available but not yet scheduled capacity, or any combination of these sources.

In addition to determining the feasibility of filling individual orders, MIMI can be used to close the loop between forecast-driven planning and order-driven scheduling. It does this by providing specific guidance on what to do if orders deviate from forecast. This process is very dynamic because of its ability to accept new order changes with every commitment.

MIMI is easily configured to the client’s order management and scheduling environments. Expert System rules are used to automate the commitment process on the basis of your business practices and objectives. MIMI’s integrated Expert System is essential for modeling these complex and dynamic business rules.