Load Forecasting, Priority Sequencing, and Simulation in a Job Shop Control System

Michael H. Bulkin, John L. Colley and Harry W. Steinhoff, Jr.
Additional contact information
Michael H. Bulkin: Hughes Aircraft Company, Los Angeles
John L. Colley: Hughes Aircraft Company, Los Angeles
Harry W. Steinhoff, Jr.: Hughes Aircraft Company, Los Angeles

Management Science, 1966, vol. 13, issue 2, B29-B51

Abstract: This paper reports the development, installation and evaluation of a simulation which sequences shop operations for the next shift. Simulation outputs give each foreman the priority of jobs currently in his section and those jobs which might be coming through his area during the next work period. The foreman can determine in advance what tools, raw materials, etc., are needed and obtain them, thus tending to eliminate queue time for hot jobs. In three months of operation, the simulation has been more successful than initially expected. Coordination and expediting efforts have been reduced, in-process inventory has been reduced along with worker idle time, and schedule performance has improved. An additional important result noted during this time is an enlargement of the foreman's job. He has less need for coordinators and expediters since he has the information needed to make rational decisions on sequencing the work. This effort illustrates the practicality and desirability of incorporating advanced concepts into operating systems if the system's demands on working personnel are made compatible with the objectives and capabilities of the workers.

Date: 1966
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.13.2.B29 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:13:y:1966:i:2:p:b29-b51

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Management Science from INFORMS Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Asher ().