IngentaConnect Using the when/where rules in dual resource constrained systems f...

Authors: Salum, Latif¹; Araz, Ozlem Uzun¹

Source: International Journal of Production Research, Volume 47, Number 6, January 2009 , pp. 1661-1677(17)

Abstract:

This paper proposes a production control system, DRC-HPP, which uses the when/where rules in dual resource constrained (DRC) systems for a hybrid push-pull (HPP) control, to overcome some difficulties in modelling/implementing DRC/Kanban systems. These rules and the novel 'process-or-transport' and 'whereto' rules are embedded in some policies workers use to decide when to process (transport) parts, and where (whereto). Unlike most control systems, in which a group of workers is always responsible for transporting and another group is always responsible for processing parts, workers in DRC-HPP are responsible for both transporting and processing parts, as in the Toyota Sewn Products Management System (TSS). Yet, unlike TSS, DRC-HPP can be applied in any layout type. Workers transport parts when they are idle in part processing to enhance their utilisations and synchronise transportation. Since the transportation does not require special worker skills, the cost of training workers is not incurred. DRC-HPP is compared with different benchmarks through simulation experiments to evaluate its performance. It performs well under relatively short transportation times with respect to processing times. If they are relatively longer, the issue becomes to determine the number of workers to achieve a performance level. DRC-HPP also facilitates bottleneck management.

Keywords: dual resource constrained; hybrid push-pull; production control; bottleneck management

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1080/00207540701579530

Affiliations: 1: Department of Industrial Engineering, Dokuz Eylul University, Bornova-Izmir, Turkey

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Using the when/where rules in dual resource constrained systems for a hybrid push-pull control