DATA PROCESSING MACHINE AND METHOD OF ALLOCATING INVENTORY STOCK FOR GENERATING WARK ORDERS FOR PRODUCING MANUFACTURED COMPONENTS

A data processing machine is provided for automatically and efficiently controlling the manufacture of designated end item products and components which are used to make them. Product information is entered and stored in memory as job files, inventory files, and bill of materials files. Actual and planned customer orders as well as work orders are represented in the job file in a common format. Each job includes all of the due dates and quantities which relate to a single customer or part number. Once the job file has been created, the existing inventory stock is dynamically allocated under system control to all of the orders in the job file. The system uses the designated stock quantities in the job file to automatically generate internal work orders for the manufactured components necessary to fill the customer orders.