A push system and a pull system are two important approaches to production and materials management. The given statement correctly highlights the fundamental difference between them: a push system primarily controls the release of work into production, while a pull system controls the amount of work-in-process (WIP) on the shop floor. In a push system, production activities are planned in advance on the basis of forecasts, estimated demand, production schedules and material requirements. Work orders are released to the production floor according to the predetermined schedule. Each stage of production generally produces according to the plan and pushes the output toward the next stage, regardless of whether the next stage immediately requires it. Thus, the major control mechanism is the release of work orders. By regulating the rate at which jobs enter the production system, management attempts to control throughput, which refers to the rate at which products are completed. However, if work is released faster than it can be processed, queues and WIP increase. Therefore, WIP is normally