In the semiconductor industry, assets are expensive and demand is cyclical. Together, these guarantee that demand outstrips capacity every time demand peaks.

The objective of this project was to design a process that would balance the following needs during periods of shortage:

• Maximize customer satisfaction in a prioritized fashion (i.e., ensure greater availability for more important customers, products, etc.)
• Ensure fairness and steadiness in allocation (i.e., ensure that customer relations are maintained despite capacity shortages)
• Maximize capacity utilization

The design called for a process to foresee capacity shortages, trigger a state of allocation that would help manage new orders, and maintain steady control on availability as long as the conditions warranted.