In this paper, we report a simulation study on the role of sequence-dependent
set-up times in decision making at the order release level of a workload controlled
make-to-order flow-shop. The study evaluates the potential for set-ups savings,
dependent on the level of workload in the shop, for two alternative strategies,
namely considering set-up times centrally, within the release decision or locally,
within the dispatching decision. These strategies are compared and assessed on
the basis of two main performance measures namely time in system and standard
deviation of the job lateness. Results indicate that the local strategy, which has
been traditionally adopted in practice and in most of the studies dealing with
sequence-dependent set-up times, does not always give the best results.
The release frequency and the shop workload appear critical to the selection of
the strategy to adopt, strongly influencing system performance.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)Universidade do Minh
