Abstract
The main purpose of this study is to explicitly highlight several special production characteristics in a thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) manufacturing industry and to present an available-to-promise (ATP) model that supports decision-making in order fulfillment processes for TFT-LCD manufacturing. A TFT-LCD production chain differs from others in its special production characteristics such as alternative bill-of-materials (BOMs), grade transition, etc., which are significant factors driving a success in an ATP implementation. Customers may specify a quality level and the materials to be used in a finished product in inquiry orders. The quality of the working-in-process can be altered using different assembled components. The ATP model enhances the responsiveness of order fulfillment processes. The ATP model directly links available material resources and capacity with inquiries or existing customer orders to improve the overall performance of the production chain. A case study using the model demonstrates the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed ATP model in a TFT-LCD production chain and investigates the sensitivity of TFT-LCD plant performance to changes in order batching intervals. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.