Workload control in dual resource constrained high-variety shops : an assessment by simulation

Thurer, Matthias and Stevenson, Mark and Renna, Paolo (2019) Workload control in dual resource constrained high-variety shops : an assessment by simulation. International Journal of Production Research, 57 (3). pp. 931-947. ISSN 0020-7543

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Abstract

Workload Control (WLC) seeks to align capacity with demand, where capacity is typically assumed to be restricted by a single constraint – machine capacity. In practice however, shops are often restricted by dual resource constraints: labor and machines. This study therefore uses simulation to investigate the performance of WLC in Dual Resource Constrained (DRC) highvariety shops with fully interchangeable labor. By considering several environmental factors and different labor assignment and dispatching rules, it is demonstrated that the order release function of WLC maintains its positive impact on performance in a DRC shop under different staffing levels. The positive effect of considering labor availability at release, as proposed in previous research, could not however be confirmed. Thus, the original release method can be applied if labor is fully interchangeable. In terms of labor assignment, we show that a distinct assignment pattern that differs between upstream and downstream stations improves performance if the routing is directed. Meanwhile, dispatching plays a less important role but creates important interaction effects with the assignment rule. Finally, the results suggest that increasing the service rate is a better response to the reduction in capacity that results from labor absenteeism than lowering the input frequency of work

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
International Journal of Production Research
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1400/1408
Subjects:
?? strategy and managementmanagement science and operations researchindustrial and manufacturing engineering ??
ID Code:
126733
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
06 Aug 2018 14:46
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
16 Dec 2023 01:26