7. Missing parts management

The customer must be served first and foremost. If an assembly kit is found to be missing, priorities are set and the missing item, if any, is taken from another kit scheduled for a later date. By the way, the management system is not always informed!

Because of problems with the accuracy of forecasts and bills of materials, shortages are inevitable. This poses the problem of planning assembly supplies and reserving (for kits) components.

Thus, there are three categories of components, depending on the length of their lead time and whether or not they are common to several products: C, D, F (critical, hazardous, free flow):

• low-community, long lead-time components are critical;

• those with a medium or long lead time and an average community are dangerous;...