Empirical validation of meta-models of work centres in order release planning

We consider the problem of planning future order releases in hierarchical production planning and control systems. An established research direction is the clearing function concept: The planned material flow through a production unit is modeled by inventory balance equations for WIP and final products, and the consequences of the stochastic properties of the material flow are modeled by clearing functions, which represent the functional relationship between the level of WIP and the maximum output of a work centre in a period.