Customer Enquiry Research Articles

Customer Enquiry Management: Part of a Hierarchical System to Control Lead Times in Make-to-Order Companies

The authors are currently developing a hierarchical production planning system specifically designed for the ‘make-to-order’ sector of industry. Its aim is to control the delivery and manufacturing lead times of all orders processed by a firm. Two major decision levels are identified - the customer enquiry stage and the order release stage. Input/output control is exercised at both stages. This paper is concerned with the control mechanisms used at the customer enquiry stage. Two important backlogs of work, along with their associated backlog lengths, are identified. The system aims to maintain these backlogs between predetermined minimum and maximum lengths in order to process all orders within an acceptable length of time. It is shown that the two backlogs are linked in a manner that enables them to be controlled simultaneously. Hence, a procedure for dealing with incoming customer orders is presented.

Customer Enquiry Management: Part of a Hierarchical System to Control Lead Times in Make-to-Order Companies

Customer Enquiry Management: Part of a Hierarchical System to Control Lead Times in Make-to-Order Companies

Customer Enquiry Management: Part of a Hierarchical System to Control Lead Times in Make-to-Order Companies

Customer Enquiry Management: Part of a Hierarchical System to Control Lead Times in Make-to-Order Companies

Job Release: Part of a Hierarchical System to Manage Manufacturing Lead Times in Make-to-order Companies

A methodology to manage manufacturing lead times is currently being developed by the authors. The system is specifically designed to address the needs of small- to medium-sized make-to-order companies. It involves a hierarchical production planning system in which integration between the production and marketing functions is facilitated. Considerations of capacity are included at both of the decision levels addressed—the customer enquiry stage and the job release stage. This paper describes the job release stage, showing how it is linked with the higher-level stage by controlling a hierarchy of backlog lengths. At the job release stage the released backlog length for each work centre is maintained between predetermined minimum and maximum levels. It is shown that shop floor throughput times—an important part of manufacturing lead times—can be controlled by controlling released backlog lengths. The releasing mechanism is described and it is argued that there can be many benefits of job release—including reduced shop congestion, lower work-in-progress and lower costs.

Job Release: Part of a Hierarchical System to Manage Manufacturing Lead Times in Make-to-order Companies

A methodology to manage manufacturing lead times is currently being developed by the authors. The system is specifically designed to address the needs of small- to medium-sized make-to-order companies. It involves a hierarchical production planning system in which integration between the production and marketing functions is facilitated. Considerations of capacity are included at both of the decision levels addressed—the customer enquiry stage and the job release stage. This paper describes the job release stage, showing how it is linked with the higher-level stage by controlling a hierarchy of backlog lengths. At the job release stage the released backlog length for each work centre is maintained between predetermined minimum and maximum levels. It is shown that shop floor throughput times—an important part of manufacturing lead times—can be controlled by controlling released backlog lengths. The releasing mechanism is described and it is argued that there can be many benefits of job release—including reduced shop congestion, lower work-in-progress and lower costs.

RA-IQSE: a system for on-line quality support for the designer of machined parts and products

Work carried out under the auspices of the ESPRIT RA-IQSE project, which aims to design and implement an intelligent revision advisor for mechanical product designers, is detailed. The system philosophy relies on the use of detailed feature-based product model, and the data structures employed in the definition of such models are explained. The system architecture is broken into three main parts: a front end design module; a product evaluator; and a back end user interface providing feedback. The role of the system in the various stages of manufacture, from customer enquiry to series production, is described in detail and the principal benefits of its implementation are anticipated.

Computer-integrated mechanical engineering (CIME)

Companies can only survive the rigors of international competition if they can bring telling advantages to bear in markets that are subject to vigorous change. New information technologies hold the key. An unbroken flow of data intermeshing with business management systems can support the development of a product from basic concept to design, manufacture and assembly. As tasks become more complex, the development of mechanical products requires assured mastery of high-performance computational techniques in an environment marked by constantly changing parameters. The potential of new engineering materials, e.g. in the fields of ceramics, powder metallurgy and fiber-reinforced plastics, have to be taken into account. Product quality can be enhanced using integrated computer-aided systems, e.g. for optimizing the geometry of machine components. Machining times and hence costs can be appreciably reduced. Tool optimization is achieved using CAD in conjunction with on-line CAM facilities. To increase availability and enhance product quality and user-friendliness, mechanical engineers will increasingly use computer-aided simulation and diagnosis systems to improve products, methods and techniques. Apart from product quality, a flexible response to customer's wishes and short development and delivery times will be decisive factors in future competitive scenarios. CAD support and the use of expert systems will substantially reduce the lead time from receipt of customer enquiry to submission of an offer. These trends in the development of mechanical products within the framework of an integrated information system will have increasing impact on organizational structures, managerial approaches and personnel requirements.

A structural methodology for managing manufacturing lead times in make-to-order companies

This paper extends the ideas put forward in an earlier EJOR article to develop a methodology for controlling manufacturing lead times. Past approaches have concentrated on scheduling a given set of orders through the shop floor in some optimal fashion to meet their specified delivery dates. This is clearly sub-optimal since it covers only part of the total lead time. It is shown that a higher level approach is more appropriate in which the order book is deliberately moulded into a shape that can be produced profitably. This should be achieved at the customer enquiry stage, when the prices and delivery dates to quote are determined. Hence a structural approach has been adopted which includes customer orders planning and job release functions. The basic concepts developed include a hierarchy of backlogs of work responsible for a consequent hierarchy of lead times that add up to the total delivery lead time. Input/output control procedures aim at maintaining the backlogs, and hence lead times, within norms set by management.