Capable-to-Promise (CTP)

Unlike ATP, which only checks static inventory, CTP simultaneously evaluates three critical constraints:

• Material Availability: Confirms raw components and sub-assemblies are in stock or scheduled to arrive.
• Production Capacity: Verifies that work centers, labor, and tooling have available time slots within the required window.
• Lead Times: Factors in queue time, setup time, run time, and teardown for each routing operation. This prevents overpromising on orders that would require impossible production schedules.

CTP logic relies on a finite capacity scheduling model of the factory floor. Rather than assuming infinite capacity, it loads orders against a realistic model of resource constraints.

• The engine searches for the earliest time slot where both materials and capacity align.
• It accounts for existing work-in-progress (WIP) and already-promised orders.
• The result is a feasible delivery date that reflects actual shop floor conditions, not theoretical throughput.

CTP performs a multi-level BOM explosion to determine true feasibility:

• The system navigates from the finished good down through all sub-assemblies to raw materials.
• For each component, it checks on-hand inventory, scheduled receipts, and lead times.
• If a critical component is missing, the engine can identify the earliest replenishment date and calculate the cascading impact on final delivery. This provides a complete picture of supply chain readiness for a new order.

Advanced CTP engines can evaluate alternative routings and substitute materials when the primary path is constrained:

• If Work Center A is overloaded, the system checks if Work Center B can perform the same operation.
• If a specific grade of material is unavailable, it checks approved substitutes defined in the supersession chain.
• This dynamic re-routing maximizes throughput and increases the probability of meeting the customer's requested date without manual intervention.

CTP provides a simulation mode that allows planners to test scenarios without committing real capacity:

• Evaluate the impact of a large, unexpected order on the existing production schedule.
• Model the effect of a machine breakdown or material delay on all open promises.
• Compare delivery date outcomes across multiple plants to determine the optimal fulfillment location. This capability supports strategic decision-making before a promise is made to the customer.

CTP is designed for synchronous, real-time order promising during customer inquiry:

• The entire constraint evaluation, BOM explosion, and scheduling search must complete in sub-second response times.
• This requires high-performance in-memory processing and optimized data models.
• The output is an immediate, reliable delivery date that the organization can confidently commit to, improving customer experience and reducing manual order review.