Challenges, opportunities, and future research directions of aggregate production planning: A State-of-the-Art analysis of sustainability, uncertainty, and case studies

Aggregate Production Planning (APP) is an important manufacturing and supply chain management topic since it helps enterprises coordinate their production level with workforce and inventory over irregular demands for a defined time horizon. Through a systematic literature review, this study delves into the multilevel characteristics of the APP evolution, aspects, methodologies, and applications during the past 25 years (2000–2024). Herein, sustainability features are emphasized in APP by breaking it down into economic, environmental, and social perspectives. This paper discusses the analysis of various dimensions of sustainability in APP and how these dimensions are integrated with business objectives to achieve optimal performance. Moreover, uncertainty is investigated herein by defining its types and exploring the methods for modeling and handling them. The review covers a wide range of exact and approximate solution techniques that illuminate their practical implications for filling the gap from theory to practice. Real-life applications and case studies originating from different sectors, such as automotive, bring APP to life and deliver concrete insights into the challenges that arise during implementation. The review also identifies the gaps in the literature from an integrated approach, especially regarding the dimensions of sustainability and uncertainty. In recent events worldwide, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the research has emphasized that the APP models should be equipped to predict and prepare for global disruptions. Lastly, the paper points out the future research direction, emphasizes integrating digital technologies, and summarizes key findings that can help industry practitioners.