Modeling of Workflow Congestion and Optimization of Flow Routing in a Manufacturing/Warehouse Facility

Min Zhang (), Rajan Batta () and Rakesh Nagi ()
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Min Zhang: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University at Buffalo (SUNY), Buffalo, New York 14260
Rajan Batta: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University at Buffalo (SUNY), Buffalo, New York 14260
Rakesh Nagi: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University at Buffalo (SUNY), Buffalo, New York 14260

Management Science, 2009, vol. 55, issue 2, 267-280

Abstract: This paper discusses the notion of workflow congestion in the context of material handling equipment interruptions in a manufacturing or warehousing facility. Development of a combination of probabilistic and physics-based models for workflow interruptions permits evaluation of the expected link travel time. The problem is then of routing in a way that minimizes total expected travel time. The rerouting problem is modeled as a multicommodity flow problem with link capacity design. A greedy upper bounding and Lagrangean relaxation algorithm are developed to solve this efficiently. To calibrate our modeling process we develop an object-oriented simulation model that explicitly considers various workflow interruptions. Our major finding is that rerouting traffic in a congested facility can significantly alleviate congestion delays and improve the efficiency of material movement. A managerial insight derived from this work is that rerouting is most effective in medium traffic-intensity situations.

Keywords: facility design; workflow congestion (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:55:y:2009:i:2:p:267-280

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