A simulation study of an actual shoe manufacturing factory consisting of seven departments is presented. This-study is part of an investigation which was directed at understanding the characteristics of the production system and to assess its behaviour under alternative operating policies. Within the context of this paper, the policies tested consist of a set of scheduling rules which were selected with regard to the characteristics of the system studied as well as the practicality of the rules. The present rules used in the factory and two alternative rules are compared and their effectiveness evaluated by reference to selected performance criteria.