CPIM Practice Exam

What does finite loading in scheduling take into account?

1. Production capabilities only.

2. Market demand exclusively.

3. Available capacity and demand.

4. Resource costs and availability.

The correct answer is: Available capacity and demand.

Finite loading in scheduling is a technique that considers both available capacity and demand when planning production activities. This approach ensures that the schedule is realistic by taking into account the actual capacity of resources, such as machinery and labor, against the anticipated demand for products. By doing so, it aims to prevent overloading resources, which can lead to delays and inefficiencies. While production capabilities alone focus solely on what can be produced without considering the demand, and market demand focuses only on customer requirements without regard for operational limits, finite loading strikes a balance by incorporating both aspects. Additionally, although resource costs and availability are important considerations in overall capacity planning, they do not directly pertain to the essence of finite loading, which is about matching production plans with realistic resource availability.