Introduction

Planning and scheduling play an important role in performance enhancement in any operation. This has probably been best recognized in industry, where a wide range of software applications have been developed to support decision makers with decisions such as machine scheduling, forecasting, inventory control, and sales & operations planning

The becoming organisation : a conversation about the added value of Chaordic Systems Thinking for organisational renewal

This conceptual contribution explores the added value of Chaordic System Thinking (CST) for organisational renewal, and its consequences for future research. The paper starts with some essentials of CST (concepts of attractor, holon, discontinuous development, nonlinearity, chaordic properties). In order to answer the before-mentioned question more rigorously, ‘Organisational renewal’ is defined as transformation instead of reformation, i.e., as real novelty as defined by Stacey et al, (2000). Next, the paper describes dialogue as a method to deepen the understanding of complex issues by individuals and groups. In this paper, dialogue is used as a method or vehicle to develop explanatory insights in the question raised earlier. With that purpose in mind we will introduce different ‘roles’ or ‘voices’ who will develop commentaries from distinct theoretical inspirations, mainly CTS and Socio-Technical Systems Design (STS). Finally, we will lightly touch the topic of what consequences CST might have for future research

The planning bullwhip : a complex dynamic phenomenon in hierarchical systems

Instabilities in production planning and control have received considerable attention due to their negative impact on planning performance. However, extant research has been limited to theoretical (e.g. simulation) settings and has focused on specific methodologies (e.g. mathematical) to overcome instabilities. The objective of this chapter is to make two contributions to the theory development on production planning instabilities. First, it aims to make an empirical contribution through an in-depth case study, and second, it introduces a holistic framework that supports analysis of hierarchical planning systems and their potential instabilities. The in-depth case study is carried out on an industrial company that has difficulty to meet its customer deadlines and faces a significant order backlog. Planners of the company at different hierarchical levels and order chasers on the shop floor end up rescheduling open orders and updating lead times continuously when trying to meet deadlines, but eventually are not able to improve order fulfillment. Only after the introduction of an Advanced Planning System and centralization of planning decisions in a single department, on-time delivery was significantly improved and order back log drastically reduced. This case study allows studying of the underlying mechanism of such planning instabilities, with a particular focus on the impact on stability of human and organizational factors. On the basis of our findings and additional conceptual research we have then developed a framework constituted by six key planning systems attributes. By taking into consideration these factors, a firm can address the root causes of planning instabilities, rather than merely focus on its symptoms

Introduction

Planning and scheduling play an important role in performance enhancement in any operation. This has probably been best recognized in industry, where a wide range of software applications have been developed to support decision makers with decisions such as machine scheduling, forecasting, inventory control, and sales & operations planning

Outflanking undecided, ever-changing puzzles:the role of human behavior in scheduling

Scheduling determines the sequence and timing of activities in an organization. This involves, for example, decisions about priorities, timing, staff assignment, and allocating machines to manufacturing operations. These decisions have a considerable impact on performance in many organizations. Scheduling problems are well known for their numerical complexity and are typically approached mathematically. However, several features of scheduling necessitate human involvement. For example, information is ever-changing and needs to be interpreted, and stakeholders often need to be convinced to accept constraint violations. This chapter addresses the interplay between traditional scheduling research and a behavioral operations approach to scheduling, and describes two learning activities that can be played to comprehend some of the social and psychological aspects of the scheduling process

Evite el efecto látigo en su planificación

El artículo explica los factores que pueden provocar que una empresa padezca el "efecto látigo" en la planificación de su producción. A partir de esto presenta medidas que pueden ayudar a mitigarlo. Aunque los autores avisan de que no hay soluciones generales, sino que cada empresa debe crear su propia solución, ofrecen diversos métodos de análisis para poder desarrollar y adaptar una solución a la medida de sus necesidades