Coordination of capacity adjustment modes in work systems with autonomous WIP regulation

Abstract

A method is presented in this paper for coordinating multiple modes of capacity adjustment in work systems with autonomous WIP regulation with the goal of maintaining desired fundamental dynamic behavior. To prevent overcorrection of capacity, adjustments involving floaters, temporary workers, overtime, etc. need to be coordinated, and it is shown that control-theoretic analysis can be used to develop algorithms for determining combinations of adjustments that result in WIP regulation that is as fast-acting as possible yet non-oscillatory. Results of discrete event simulations in Arena, driven by industrial data, are used to illustrate the dynamic behavior of WIP regulation in an autonomous work system that incorporates such an algorithm and multiple modes of capacity adjustment.