Integrating supply chain management and manufacturing execution for business benefit

This paper presents a case study of the application of planning and scheduling technology in the UK. ZENECA identified a need to closely integrate the management of its supply chain and the execution of manufacturing plans in a chemical process environment. The paper describes the experiences of ZENECA Ltd. through the lifetime of the CAPISCE project, undertaken in partnership with SAP and the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) as part of the European Union Esprit program. The project ran from 1 April 1993 to 1 April 1996, and the major product of the project, SAP R/3 PP-PI (Production Planning for the Process Industries) is now in beneficial use at ZENECA's Huddersfield and Grangemouth Works.