Final answer:
True, short term scheduling focuses on immediate, upcoming production activities, within time frames of days, hours, or minutes, and is essential for organizing production efficiently in the short term.
Step-by-step explanation:
Short term scheduling indeed typically looks at the short term production schedule, which includes time frames such as days, hours, and minutes. This type of scheduling is crucial for ensuring that production processes are organized and efficient within a short timeframe. Unlike long-term scheduling, short term scheduling does not allow for changes in the usage of fixed inputs but focuses on optimizing the use of variable inputs to meet immediate production goals.
For example, referencing Figure 7.4, in the context of lumberjacks using a two-person saw, short term scheduling would involve coordinating their shifts, breaks, and the sequence of trees to be cut in a day to maximize efficiency. In contrast, long term decisions may involve investing in improved technology, like a chainsaw, which falls under a new production possibilities frontier.