There is provided a production processing system including: a production efficiency improvement device configured to select a processing apparatus that processes workpieces in consideration of a position of each of a plurality of processing apparatuses arranged along a transfer path; and a transfer control device configured to move a transfer apparatus that transfers workpieces from a predetermined position on the transfer path to the selected processing apparatus.

A workpiece processing system and method to process a workpiece in processing chambers in order, in which even if processing duration varies at any chamber, such a variation does not affect the processing of the workpiece in other chambers. Each chamber performs processing of a workpiece in a predetermined order; a conveyor that conveys a workpiece to a next chamber; and a control device controls at least a start time of predetermined processing at each processing chamber. The control device sets: predetermined representative processing at a first chamber as a reference processing step, start time of the reference processing step as control start time, necessary processing duration specific to each chamber, necessary conveyance duration required to convey a workpiece between the chambers, and controls starting of the representative processing at each chamber while considering the control start time as origination.

The disclosed is a system and production processes, comprising a processor to perform the steps: a) obtaining a long-term production schedule containing production operations for a set of production orders by using forecasted values for production operation durations; b) deriving dispatching recommendations for suitable order release dates, dispatching sequences and/or resource choices of all subsequent operational dispatching decisions from the obtained long-term production schedule; c) obtaining a released subset of the set of production orders having each a release date and a due date and including information of all possible dispatching sequences and logical dependencies between them to produce a requested product; d) iteratively calculating subsequent operational dispatching decisions based on operational constraints and on the derived dispatching recommendations which support a decision-making in favor of optimizing the overall production process with respect to long-term objectives; e) outputting each calculated operational dispatching decision to a production executer.

A work planner includes a divider and an adjustor. Based on action information including a plurality of first actions indicating work units that involve one executor or a plurality of executors including a robot and that start at respective defined start timings, the divider is configured to divide one action among the plurality of first actions that involves the plurality of executors into a plurality of second actions corresponding to the respective plurality of executors. Based on dependency information indicating a relationship of dependency among the plurality of first actions including the plurality of second actions, the adjustor is configured to adjust a start timing of at least one of third actions, among the plurality of first actions, that involve an identical executor.

A method is disclosed and includes determining whether there is any WIP information with one or more process constraints in a process constraint database that is coupled with a manufacturing execution system; determining whether there is a dispatching rule in the dispatching rule database that is coupled with a dispatching system; generating a tool-lot relationship based on at least one of the process constraints and the dispatching rule; utilizing the tool-lot relationship to assign one or more lots to one or more tools respectively.