Push System
What triggers production in a push system?
A forecast or planned schedule triggers release, not an actual customer order or consumption signal.
How does push differ from pull in WIP control?
Pull systems explicitly limit WIP, while push systems do not have an intrinsic WIP cap tied to downstream demand signals.
Why is push often paired with MRP?
MRP translates the forecast and production plan into time-phased material requirements and procurement releases, which is the operational backbone of push replenishment.
A push system is a supply-chain and inventory approach in which production, replenishment, and material release are driven by forecasted demand rather than actual downstream consumption. Planners use historical sales, seasonality, and demand models to produce or move goods in anticipation of orders, typically in make-to-stock manufacturing and distribution environments.
On the shop floor, a push system begins with a master production schedule and MRP run that converts forecast demand into planned orders and component requirements. Purchasing issues raw-material orders early to protect against supplier lead times, and work centers receive released jobs according to the plan rather than downstream signals. Warehouses pre-position finished goods or subassemblies to maintain service levels, using allocation algorithms to distribute stock across lower locations. This approach is valuable in high-volume, predictable environments where customer lead times must be short and large inventories are acceptable. However, it depends on forecast accuracy and disciplined planning. Material flows steadily forward, buffers accumulate between operations, and managers constantly review forecast error, inventory aging, and storage utilization to avoid excessive WIP or obsolete stock.
Overstock from forecast error: Overestimating demand makes plant and warehouse build inventory that does not sell, tying up capital and creating scrap, markdowns, or expiry risk on time-sensitive materials.
Under-forecast stockouts: When projections run too low, procurement and production release insufficient material, starving components, stalling the line, and triggering missed shipments, expedite costs, and receiving bottlenecks.
WIP inflation masks process issues: Because push does not cap WIP, excess work piles up between operations, hiding capacity constraints and causing queue time, congestion, and material-handling errors.