Does Regulating Work-In-Process Increase Throughput and Reduce Cycle Times? An Assessment by Lab Scale System Models

Matthias Thürer, Shan Shan Li, Can Yang, Ting Qu, George Q. Huang

Research output: Chapter in book / Conference proceedingConference article published in proceeding or bookAcademic researchpeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Production planning and control systems that regulate the Work-In-Process (WIP) in the production system are argued to increase throughput and reduce cycle times. This study assesses the performance of Kanban, Constant WIP (ConWIP) and a hybrid Kanban/ConWIP system that is typically realized in real life production lines with limited buffer space. A physical lab scale system model of a production line is built, and a new digital twin framework to realize production planning and control implemented. Results indicate that production planning and control systems that regulate the WIP reduce the time it takes a job to pass through the production system. However, they reduce throughput, and consequently increase the time a worker (capacity) spends with the job (processing and waiting). The term “cycle time” may refer to both in the literature. Results highlight that there is a trade-off, which has important implications for practice since management must decide which cycle time is the most important in their shop. This study further shows how production planning and control systems can be implemented using new technology, and it highlights the potential of lab scale system models as alternatives to computer simulations.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAdvances in Production Management Systems. Production Management Systems for Responsible Manufacturing, Service, and Logistics Futures - IFIP WG 5.7 International Conference, APMS 2023, Proceedings
EditorsErlend Alfnes, Anita Romsdal, Jan Ola Strandhagen, Gregor von Cieminski, David Romero
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages649-661
Number of pages13
ISBN (Print)9783031436697
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2023
EventIFIP WG 5.7 International Conference on Advances in Production Management Systems, APMS 2023 - Trondheim, Norway
Duration: 17 Sept 202321 Sept 2023

Publication series

NameIFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology
Volume691 AICT
ISSN (Print)1868-4238
ISSN (Electronic)1868-422X

Conference

ConferenceIFIP WG 5.7 International Conference on Advances in Production Management Systems, APMS 2023
Country/TerritoryNorway
CityTrondheim
Period17/09/2321/09/23

Keywords

  • ConWIP
  • Digital Twin
  • Kanban
  • Lab Scale System Models
  • Push/Pull Systems

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Information Systems and Management

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