A System for Control of Order Backlog

The application of inventory control theory to job shop operation has been limited, largely because the made-to-order nature of the product prohibits its accumulation in finished form prior to sale. In this situation it is, in fact, not inventory which must be controlled in order to achieve optimal operation, but rather it is the backlog of orders on hand at any time for production and delivery at some future time which requires management's attention. This paper describes a heuristic system for control of order backlog which was developed for a rather special type of job shop operation.

Management Technology, ISSN 0542-4917, was published as a separate journal from 1960 to 1964. In 1965 it was merged into Management Science.