Disc jockeying [compact disc manufacture]

EMI manufactures compact discs and other recordings at a rate of up to a million copies a day. This in itself is not difficult; what makes it complicated is the variety of these recordings. As well as a back catalogue of more than 30,000 titles, the company has to produce and distribute about 9000 new releases, with all the time-critical marketing and the potential for unpredictable demand that this involves. In this environment, scheduling and schedule planning is obviously the key to keeping a factory running efficiently. Only by keeping the bottleneck moving from one machine to another is it possible to run all the stages at a reasonable percentage of their capacity. This process is managed by computer, using a software package called Rhythm. Meticulous forecasting, careful supply chain management and, above all, flexible dynamic job scheduling form the bedrock of an intricate but robust logistics operation, which is what allows the company to survive in a competitive market.