What does an advanced planning system do and what are the functions of the major components?

What will be an ideal response?

An advanced planning system (APS) optimizes resources across the supply chain and aligns daily operations with strategic goals. The systems typically have these components: demand planning, supply network planning, available-to-promise, and manufacturing scheduling. The demand-planning module enables companies in a supply chain to share demand forecasts. The supply-network planner contains optimization models based on linear programming to make long-term decisions such as the number and location of plants and distribution centers. The available-to-promise module checks the availability of components and materials, enabling the firm to promise delivery. The manufacturing scheduling component determines an optimal grouping and sequencing of manufacturing orders.