Integrated model for production planning in a large iron and steel manufacturing environment

The authors have developed a production-planning model for a large steel corporation in China. Large systems normally require decomposition and module-interfaces, yet complicated interfaces often result in system breakdown and prevent it from reaching its full potential. To overcome difficulties of the linkage problem and to synchronize the production of main products and by-products, the input–output (I–O) model was looked at. The proposed optimization model, based on the I–O concept, is capable of coordinating large number of variables with minimum interfaces. It provides a comprehensive production management framework. Owing to the generality of the model structure, the authors believe it is useful for both the studied company and for many other organizations.