Customized Pull Systems for Single-Product Flow Lines

Traditionally pull production systems are managed through classic control systems such as Kanban, Conwip, or Base stock, but this paper proposes ‘customized’ pull control. Customization means that a given production line is managed through a pull control system that in principle connects each stage of that line with each preceding stage; optimization of the corresponding simulation model, however, shows which of these potential control loops are actually implemented. This novel approach may result in one of the classic systems, but it may also be another type: (1) the total line may be decomposed into several segments, each with its own classic control system (e.g., segment 1 with Kanban, segment 2 with Conwip); (2) the total line or segments may combine different classic systems; (3) the line may be controlled through a new type of system. These different pull systems are found when applying the new approach to a set of twelve production lines. These lines are configured through the application of a statistical (Plackett-Burman) design with ten factors that characterize production lines (such as line length, demand variability, and machine breakdowns).Pull production / inventory;sampling;optimization;evolutionary algorithm

The ConWip Production Control System: a Literature Review

International audienceA growing body of literature dealing with ConWip has been observedduring the past decade. Considering the current industrial challengescharacterized by adaptability, product customization, shortened lead times andcustomer satisfaction, ConWip appears to be an effective and adaptedproduction control system for manufacturers. Given this context, this paper aimsto update the previous literature review about ConWip that was made in 2003and to provide an understanding key through an original classification method.This method allows the reader to distinguish papers that concentrate on ConWipsizing, ConWip performance, ConWip environment or on the comparison ofConWip with other PCS. It also provides a reading key about the researchapproach. Taking these criteria into account, this paper helps to answer thefollowing questions: how can ConWip be implemented? How can ConWip beoptimized? Why and when should ConWip be used? The paper then concludeswith some research avenues

Modularization in material flow simulation for managing production releases in remanufacturing

Remanufacturing is recognized as a major circular economy option to recover and upgrade functions from post-use products. However, the inefficiencies associated with operations, mainly due to the uncertainty and variability of material flows and product conditions, undermine the growth of remanufacturing. With the objective of supporting the design and management of more proficient and robust remanufacturing processes, this paper proposes a generic and reconfigurable simulation model of remanufacturing systems. The developed model relies upon a modular framework that enables the user to handle multiple process settings and production control policies, among which token-based policies. Customizable to the characteristics of the process under analysis, this model can support logistics performance evaluation of different production control policies, thus enabling the selection of the optimal policy in specific business contexts. The proposed model is applied to a real remanufacturing environment in order to validate and demonstrate its applicability and benefits in the industrial settings

Application of co-operative agents in handling fluctuations in a pull production system

This paper presents the general details of the structure and strategy of a multi-agent system that is being developed to improve the performance of pull (kanban) production control to handle large fluctuations in product demand. Employing a set of generic, heterarchial agents each controlling a single product and co-operating together to ensure that all components, regardless of demand fluctuation, are manufactured on time as per basic kanban principles. Preliminary results indicate that the basic kanban model does not cater for large demand fluctuations and the application of this multi-agent strategy may be beneficial to improving the overall system performance and increase the likelihood that all products will be manufactured on time.<br /

Card-based production control:a review of the control mechanisms underpinning Kanban, ConWIP, POLCA and COBACABANA systems

Since the emergence of Kanban, there has been much research into card-based control systems. This has included attempts to improve Kanban and/or develop alternative systems, particularly ConWIP (i.e. Constant Work-In-Process), POLCA (i.e. Paired-cell Overlapping Loops of Cards with Authorisation) and COBACABANA (i.e. Control of Balance by Card-Based Navigation). Yet, to date, no unifying review of the mechanisms underpinning these systems has been presented. As a consequence, managers are not provided with sufficient support for choosing an appropriate system for their shop; and researchers lack a clear picture of how the mechanisms compare, leading to several misconceptions. This paper reviews the control mechanisms underpinning the Kanban, ConWIP, POLCA and COBACABANA systems. By comparing the ‘control mechanism’ (i.e. the loop structure and card properties) and ‘contextual factors’ (i.e. routing variability, processing time variability, and whether stations are decoupled by inventory or the flow of jobs is controlled), we provide managers with guidance on which system to choose. For research, we show for example that most criticisms put forward against Kanban systems, e.g. to justify the development of ConWIP, POLCA or COBACABANA, only apply to work-in-process Kanban systems and not to production Kanban systems. Future research directions for each control system are outlined

An Artificial Neural Network Approach to Learning from Factory Performance in a Kanban-Based System

Many Just-In-Time (JIT) manufacturing environments generate operational data reflecting both efficient and inefficient factory performance. Frequently data for inefficient performance is lost or discarded for fear of replicating poor performance. The purpose of this paper is two fold. First, historical JIT shop data is analyzed using a genetic algorithm (GA) to determine which shop factors are important determinants offactory performance. Second, subsequent to these important factors being identified by a GA, an artificial neural network (ANN) is used to learn the relationships between these factors and factory performance. The ANN can then be used to predict factory performance for future shop conditions and enhance shop performance. While ANN learning techniques have previously been applied to JIT production systems (Wray, Rakes, and Rees, 1997) (Markham, Mathieu, and Wray, 2000), these techniques have only been trained on data sets that reflect an efficient factory. Mathieu, Wray, and Markham (2002) investigated inefficient and efficient JIT factory performance but did not deploy either ANNs or a GA. In this paper an example application is presented using a GA to specify important shop factors and to predict saturated, starved or efficient factory performance based on dynamic shop floor data

Management Methods for Complex Projects

This freely available project management eBook is the start of your journey in the field of complex project management methodologies, introducing you to some of the core methods, processes and tools as recognised by the project management discipline. This eBook lays out methodologies such as XP, Agile, Scrum, Kanban, Six Sigma, PRINCE2, Waterfall, PRiSM, Soft Systems Methodology as well as introducing Project Design as a method so you can leverage the right project management approach. This eBook will be of value to students, practitioners, and businesses in Australia and overseas seeking professional development in the field of project management methodologies

Os três pilares da sustentabilidade e gestão ágil de projectos: como é que eles se influenciam

The industrial world is becoming more competitive with each passing day. Companies face new challenges and to survive, they need to find ways to stand out from the rest. One way for companies to do this is to improve the quality of the products, this can be achieved by improving production planning. The goal of this thesis is to investigate a novel perspective within the theoretical area of agile project management and sustainability. The goal of the study is to prove that there are links between Agile Project Management and Sustainability, as well as to learn how Agile Project Management affects organization’s social, environmental, and economical dynamics from the triple bottom line standpoint. The research examines how agile project management ideas are connected to concepts from the three pillars of the triple bottom line using many case studies. The analysis task consisted of analyzing these concepts and relationships qualitatively to create a network diagram that graphically reproduced the existing links. The findings reveal that implementing Agile Project Management has a variety of effects on an organization's social, economic, and environmental dynamics. When the bulk of these interactions were examined, it was discovered that there is a favorable effect on all of them. This work also aims to explore the concepts related to Agile Project Management. In doing so, the author explores the questions of what the need for Project Management is, where did Project Management begin, what are the different approaches that a project can take, why the need for Agile Project Management, which methodologies exist within the Agile Project Management and what tools can help Agile Project Management to achieve results faster.O mundo industrial está a ficar mais competitivo a cada dia que passa. As empresas enfrentam novos desafios e para conseguirem sobreviver precisam, de encontrar maneiras de se destacarem das demais. Uma forma de as empresas fazerem isso é melhorar a qualidade dos produtos, o que pode ser alcançado, melhorando o planeamento da produção. Por esta razão, ter uma boa gestão de projetos torna-se crucial. O objetivo desta tese é investigar uma nova perspetiva dentro da área teórica da sustentabilidade em gestão de projetos. O objetivo do estudo é provar que existem ligações entre a gestão ágil de projetos e a sustentabilidade, bem como aprender como a gestão ágil de projetos afeta a dinâmica social, ambiental e económica das organizações, do ponto de vista do tripé da sustentabilidade. A pesquisa examina como as ideias de gestão de projetos ágeis estão conectadas aos conceitos dos três pilares do tripé da sustentabilidade, por meio do uso de vários estudos de caso. A tarefa de análise consistiu em avaliar qualitativamente esses conceitos e relações, a fim de criar um diagrama de rede que reproduzisse graficamente as relações existentes. Os resultados revelam que a implementação da gestão ágil de projetostem vários efeitos na dinâmica social, económica e ambiental de uma organização. Quando estas interações são examinadas, os resultados mostram que este método de gestão tem um efeito positivo. Este trabalho tem também como objetivo explorar os conceitos relacionados com a gestão ágil de projetos. Para tal, o autor explora as questões sobre qual a necessidade da gestão de projetos, onde começou a gestão de projetos, quais são as diferentes abordagens que um projeto pode tomar, o porquê da necessidade de uma gestão de projetos ágil, quais as que existem dentro da gestão ágil de projetos e quais as ferramentas que podem ajudar a gestão ágil de projetos a alcançar resultados mais rapidamente

Tailoring: A case study on the application of the seventh principle of PMBOK 7 in a public institution

In the 7th edition of PMBOK the Tailoring process is legitimized as an essential ally in project management, since it makes several adjustments throughout the project's life cycle to provide the best possible environment to achieve the deliverables and the value added to the organization. Tailoring as a principle further highlights the unique nature of each project and the need to carry out this process continuously. Based on a unique case study, the beginning of the management functions in a sector of a public organization is discussed, as well as the adaptations made to optimize the workflow and productivity in the deliverables. From this investigation results the proposal of a framework adapted to the needs of the institution, as a starting point for the professionalization of project management.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio