Final assembly schedule (FAS) is used in which production environments?

• A. Make-to-stock
• B. Make-to-order or assemble-to-order environments
• C. Assemble-to-stock
• D. Make-to-order

Answer: (B)

Final Assembly Schedule focuses on timing the last manufacturing step that converts subassemblies and components into the finished product. This scheduling is most important when the final product is defined by customer demand or configurable options, so the last assembly is driven by orders rather than forecasts. That makes make-to-order and assemble-to-order environments the ones where FAS is most useful, since it coordinates the final step to meet due dates while inventory of components and subassemblies is available. In make-to-stock, finished goods are produced to forecast and stocked, so there isn’t a need for a final-assembly plan tied to individual orders. In assemble-to-stock, the emphasis is on stocking the configured modules and assembling to stock rather than scheduling final assembly to customer orders. Hence, the final assembly schedule is used in make-to-order or assemble-to-order environments.