What is Backward Scheduling? Definition & Manufacturing Examples
User Solutions Team
Full guide: forward vs backward scheduling
For a worked example of one job scheduled both ways, what happens when a backward job does not fit, and a 12-row comparison table, read Forward vs Backward Scheduling: Worked Example and When to Use Each.
What is Backward Scheduling?
Backward scheduling is a production planning method that begins with the customer due date and works backward through each manufacturing operation to calculate the latest possible start date. Production begins just in time to meet the delivery deadline, without starting earlier than necessary. It is one of two fundamental scheduling directions; the other is forward scheduling.
Backward Scheduling Example
A machine shop receives an order for 500 custom brackets due Friday at 16:00. The plant runs one 8-hour shift, 08:00 to 16:00, and plans 4 working hours of queue between operations. The routing:
- Operation 30: Final inspection - 2 hours
- Operation 20: CNC milling - 8 hours setup plus 16 hours run time (24 hours)
- Operation 10: Saw cut blanks - 1 hour setup plus 4 hours run time (5 hours)
Working backward in working hours:
- Operation 30 starts Friday 14:00 (2 hours before 16:00).
- Operation 20 must finish by Friday 10:00 (4 hours of queue before Op 30). Its 24 hours are 2 hours on Friday (08:00 to 10:00), 8 on Thursday, 8 on Wednesday and 6 on Tuesday, so it starts Tuesday 10:00.
- Operation 10 must finish 4 working hours before Tuesday 10:00, which is Monday 14:00 (2 hours on Tuesday morning plus 2 hours at the end of Monday). Its 5 hours run Monday 09:00 to 14:00.
The latest release is Monday 09:00. Start earlier and the brackets sit idle on the floor; start later and the order ships late.
Why It Matters
Backward scheduling answers the question every planner asks: when is the latest I can start this job and still deliver on time? Most modern scheduling systems, including Resource Manager DB (RMDB) and EDGEBIC (RMDB 2.0) by User Solutions, support both backward and forward scheduling, so planners can release firm orders just in time and switch to forward scheduling for quotes and rush orders.
Related Terms
- Forward Scheduling - The opposite approach that starts from today and schedules forward to find the earliest completion date
- Lead Time - The total time from order release to completion, which backward scheduling helps optimize
- Queue Time - Wait time between operations that must be accounted for in backward scheduling calculations
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more in our complete manufacturing glossary or production scheduling guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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