Embodiments of a method of optimally scheduling, in near real-time,
workunits for processing on processing stations in a processing system,
while accounting for constraints such as processing station
qualifications by workunit type and service type, and to meet certain
business objectives such as cycle time and demand targets, are described.
A method of scheduling the processing of workunits in a processing system
comprises defining a plurality of workunits, aggregating the work units
by workunit type and service to be performed on each workunit to define
one or more workunit type-service type groupings. The method further
allocates capacity of one or more processing stations to workunit
type-service type groupings, assigns workunits of the plurality of
workunits to meet the allocated capacity, and sequences the workunit
type-service type groupings and workunits on each processing station of
the one or more processing stations. Other embodiments are described and
claimed.