A simulation-based decision support system The example of a furniture manufacturer

Abstract

In this paper, we address a way to improve a classic kanban control system, by using kanban cards as an informational/decisional entity in order to enrich shop-floor information/decision. The real-time information collected and the simulation tool proposed enable to coordinate distributed decision according to a unique and global performance indicator. Our proposition consists in enabling any shop-floor decision maker to evaluate different kanban priority scenarios according to a unified objective, taking into account the global situation of the workshop. Models of the data collection and decision support system are presented. A generic information system enables to provide a relevant view of shop-floor status. Such information will be useful to efficiently feed a real-time simulation tool in order to evaluate solutions. The application is illustrated using the case of an industrial furniture manufacturer.