Abstract
Previous research has clearly and consistently shown that flow time advantages accrue from splitting production lots into smaller transfer batches or sub-lots. Less extensively discussed, and certainly undesired, is the fact that lot splitting may dramatically increase the number of setups required, making it impractical in some settings. This paper describes and demonstrates a primary cause of these “extra” setups. It then proposes and evaluates decision rules which selectively invoke lot splitting in an attempt to avoid extra setups. For the closed job shop environment tested, our results indicate that conditional logic can achieve a substantial portion of lot splitting’s flow time improvement while avoiding the vast majority of the additional setups which would be caused by previously tested lot splitting schemes.
Highlights
Many of the jobs customers submit to production facilities consist of requisitions for multiple units, thereby requiring repetitive processing of the units within the job at each operation
For the closed job shop environment tested, our results indicate that conditional logic can achieve a substantial portion of lot splitting’s flow time improvement while avoiding the vast majority of the additional setups which would be caused by previously tested lot splitting schemes
Our results confirm those of previous research in showing the dramatic improvements in flow time made possible by the use of lot splitting
Summary
Many of the jobs customers submit to production facilities consist of requisitions for multiple units, thereby requiring repetitive processing of the units within the job at each operation. The size of a particular job may determine the size of the process batch, managers could choose to use a smaller size for transfer batches. Lot splitting refers to a management decision to break down a job into more than one smaller lot or transfer batch. The reason lot splitting is theoretically advantageous is that the use of smaller lots enables downstream operations to begin sooner. In a time when production in small lots has become widely desirable, lot splitting offers the potential to achieve small batch advantages in industries where customers still order in large quantities
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
