Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Workload control and order release in two-level multi-stage job shops
T2 - an assessment by simulation
AU - Thurer, Matthias
AU - Stevenson, Mark
AU - Silva, Cristovao
AU - Land, Martin
AU - Filho, Moacir
PY - 2013/2
Y1 - 2013/2
N2 - Most studies on the performance of workload control (WLC) order release methods assume products have simple structures. But, in practice, products are often complex and consist of a number of sub-assemblies that flow through a ‘level 1’ job shop before converging on several final assembly operations in a ‘level 2’ assembly shop. Evaluating the performance of release methods in this context – referred to as the ‘two-level multi-stage job shop’ – is an important step towards improving the alignment between WLC theory and practice. We use simulation to assess the performance of four of the best-performing WLC order release methods. Results suggest that WLC order release has the potential to limit work-in-process (WIP) while reducing the percentage of tardy jobs. It is also important to consider when and where release should be controlled. Results suggest that: (1) orders should be considered for release to level 2 when the first sub-assembly is complete, rather than only when all of the sub-assemblies that make up an assembly order are complete at level 1; and, (2) exercising control at level 2 (with or without control at level 1) leads to a greater reduction in the percentage of tardy jobs than control at level 1 only.
AB - Most studies on the performance of workload control (WLC) order release methods assume products have simple structures. But, in practice, products are often complex and consist of a number of sub-assemblies that flow through a ‘level 1’ job shop before converging on several final assembly operations in a ‘level 2’ assembly shop. Evaluating the performance of release methods in this context – referred to as the ‘two-level multi-stage job shop’ – is an important step towards improving the alignment between WLC theory and practice. We use simulation to assess the performance of four of the best-performing WLC order release methods. Results suggest that WLC order release has the potential to limit work-in-process (WIP) while reducing the percentage of tardy jobs. It is also important to consider when and where release should be controlled. Results suggest that: (1) orders should be considered for release to level 2 when the first sub-assembly is complete, rather than only when all of the sub-assemblies that make up an assembly order are complete at level 1; and, (2) exercising control at level 2 (with or without control at level 1) leads to a greater reduction in the percentage of tardy jobs than control at level 1 only.
KW - controlled order release
KW - multi-stage job shop
KW - workload control (WLC)
KW - simulation
U2 - 10.1080/00207543.2012.676685
DO - 10.1080/00207543.2012.676685
M3 - Journal article
VL - 51
SP - 869
EP - 882
JO - International Journal of Production Research
JF - International Journal of Production Research
SN - 0020-7543
IS - 3
ER -