Scheduling just-in-time part supply for mixed-model assembly lines

Nils Boysen and Stefan Bock ()

European Journal of Operational Research, 2011, vol. 211, issue 1, 15-25

Abstract: With increasing cost competition and product variety, providing an efficient just-in-time (JIT) supply has become one of the greatest challenges in the use of mixed-model assembly line production systems. In the present paper, therefore, we propose a new approach for scheduling JIT part supply from a central storage center. Usually, materials are stored in boxes that are allotted to the consumptive stations of the line by a forklift. For such a real-world problem, a new model, a complexity proof as well as different exact and heuristic solution procedures are provided. Furthermore, a direct comparison with a simple two-bin kanban system is provided. Such a system is currently applied in the real-world industrial process that motivates our research. It becomes obvious that this policy is considerably outperformed according to the resulting inventory- and [alpha]-service levels. Moreover, at the interface between logistics and assembly operations, strategic management implications are obtained. Specifically, based on the new approach, it is the first time a statistical analysis is being made as to whether widespread Level Scheduling policies, which are well-known from the Toyota Production System, indeed facilitate material supply. Note that in the literature it is frequently claimed that this causality exists.

Keywords: Scheduling; Mixed-model; assembly; line; Just-in-time; In-house; logistics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Working Paper: Scheduling Just-in-Time Part Supply for Mixed-Model Assembly Lines (2010)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ejores:v:211:y:2011:i:1:p:15-25

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