Final answer:
Advanced planning and scheduling (APS) improves customer service by reducing the time to make accurate commitments to customers, which ensures production schedules align with customer demand.
Step-by-step explanation:
Advanced planning and scheduling (APS) is a process to coordinate production and supply chains by determining the optimal timing for materials, labor, and production to meet customer demand. The question asks how APS facilitates improvements in customer service, and the correct answer is a) reducing the time to make accurate commitments to customers.
This is because APS systems provide tools for scheduling and planning that allow businesses to respond quickly and accurately to customer orders, ensuring a tight alignment between production schedules and customer demand. APS also contributes to b) reducing inventory levels and c) improving resource utilization, which, while beneficial to the business overall, are not directly related to customer service improvements in the context of this question.