New Data Structures for a Flexible Order Management

Abstract

Turbulent markets pose increasing challenges for manufacturing companies. Disruptions such as customer order changes, machine breakdowns, or delivery failures require constant adjustments in operations. The efficient and effective handling of these disruptions is essential to achieve the required customer satisfaction. More adaptable production systems like the Fluid Manufacturing System (FLMS) promise to meet the changed requirements. A correspondingly adaptable order management system is needed. However, today’s order management structures are too rigid. Within this paper, the challenges of production planning and control with regard to adaptable production systems are derived. Then, today’s data structures in order management are presented and, based on this, a new flexible data structure for order management is developed.