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Handling the complexities of real-life job shops when implementing workload control: A decision framework and case study

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Christian Hicks

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND).


Abstract

The Workload Control (WLC) literature highlights the importance of balancing the shop floor workload, but also acknowledges that this can conflict with processing the most urgent orders – hence, there is a trade-off. In practice, shops contain many complexities, e.g. simultaneous batching and sequence-dependent set-up times that may conflict with processing the most urgent orders and require other solutions than workload balancing to avoid capacity losses. This adds to the trade-off dilemma, which traditionally only considers timing and balancing. This paper develops a framework that determines whether to address a complexity through order release or dispatching. It comprises two dimensions: (i) the typical position of a complexity in the routing of an order; and (ii) the criticality of the complexity. A case study is presented, which demonstrates the framework’s utility and illustrates the development of specific solutions designed to handle the complexities. Most complexities present in the case require handling at the order release stage. The challenges of handling multiple complexities at this decision level are evaluated. Finally, the implications for managers and future research are outlined


Publication metadata

Author(s): Cransberg V, Land MJ, Hicks C, Stevenson M

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: International Journal of Production Research

Year: 2016

Volume: 54

Issue: 4

Pages: 1094-1109

Online publication date: 17/06/2015

Acceptance date: 08/04/2015

Date deposited: 04/06/2015

ISSN (print): 0020-7543

ISSN (electronic): 1366-588X

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2015.1047974

DOI: 10.1080/00207543.2015.1047974


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