Marc Barth

Parameterisation of the MRP method: automatic identification and extraction of properties

The overall context of this paper is the parameterisation of the material requirement planning method. It is crucial to be able to evaluate the potential effects of the parameters on the production system’s performance indicators (PI). This evaluation is generally the result of the combination of an experimental design with a production system simulator. This paper proposes an approach facilitating the interpretation of the effects of the experimental design method. The specific feature of our approach is that it proposes the classification of the effects as a model for the automatic identification and extraction of the properties. These characterise the relations between the parameters and the PI.

A KNOWLEDGE-BASED TOOL FOR PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF PRODUCTION FLOWS 1

Abstract In our increasingly competitive world, today companies are implementing improvement strategies in every department and, in particular, in their manufacturing systems. This paper discusses the use of a knowledge-based approach for the development of a software tool for the analysis of production flows. This tool will help promote the companies competitiveness by guaranteeing the efficiency of their production lines and, therefore, the quality and traceability of the manufactured products.

How can we ascertain, understand and interpret the performance level of a production system? A visual method: 'The plan of preferences'

The general context of this study is the parameterizing of the production system. The aim is to regulate the physical flow according to objectives, usually expressed in terms of performance indicator values. Performance control requires mastery of the consequences of the choices made. It then becomes essential to be able to articulate the potential effects of the various decisions. The existing approaches to solving this problem all imply the use of means of simulation capable of assessing the value of the performance indicators for each configuration of the action parameters. Taking this assumption as a basis, and focusing on the user, a multiple criteria approach is developed towards the understanding and schematization of the behaviour of a given system. The particularity of this approach lies in combining both data analysis and user expertise. The instrumentation approach uses tools for data analysis and assistance in decision making to achieve an original visualization of the structure of performance levels in a plan, called the plan of preferences .

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION IN PRODUCTION FLOW ANALYSIS

For the last 20 years, the scientific community has been suggesting routeing clustering algorithms for the identification of manufacturing group technology cells. Considering the variety of the proposed algorithms, the fair question of the evaluation of these algorithms within the frame of a flow reorganization method is raised. The results of the evaluation studies of these algorithms sometimes seem contradictory. We claim that the observed discrepancies are linked to the choice of the data samples which are used for these studies. In order to clarify this statement, we have undertaken to study rigorously the influence of some parameters characterizing the data on two important- as well as inseparable in the field of cell formation- performance measures. In this article, the relations between the data and these two performance indicators are shown; furthermore, the consequences of these relations on the evaluation procedures of the cell formation methods are also discussed.

Quasi-source heuristic for the production line formation of a manufacturing system

In this work, the production line formation problem (PLF-problem) is stated as a classical feedback arc set problem with additional order constraints. The constraint consistency checking, which in itself is a specific PLF-problem, is solved. Depending on the constraints, dedicated algorithms that exploit the circuit digraph features are proposed. Experimental results for a number of digraph are given.

Analysis method of the relations between MRP parameter and performance indicator based on a literature review

Since the 1970s, extensive research has been conducted to improve the performance of MRP systems (Material Requirement Planning). We identified 86 papers in this domain. These papers examine the influence of configuration on performance measurement indicators in defined operating and instability conditions. These studies, in principle, provide production planners with a decision-making aid. The initial objective of this paper is to measure and characterize the accumulated knowledge in the 86 papers identified. The potential generalization of the knowledge gained is subsequently discussed. We propose a method of analysis of this knowledge.

A help for solving dilemmas encountered in flow analysis

The workshop layout in production cells by material flow analysis implies the solving of several problems. These are expressed in terms of production management aims and they are related to the CIM concept. A consensual research method which uses cross-classification techniques is suggested.<<ETX>>

Collaborative Design of Warehousing 4.0 Using the Concept of Contradictions

The general context of this paper is the strategic planning of distribution centre warehouses. The idea is to anticipate changes in the warehouse based on objectives and issues generally linked to market (e.g.: electronic trade, etc.) and environmental developments (e.g.: last-mile logistics, etc.). Planning requires overcoming the consequences of the choices made as well as their interactions. To inform and justify projected technological choices, it is crucial to identify and understand design rules which are often contradictory. Problems arise out of contradictions! To support strategic planning, the decision-making aid proposed in this paper consists of extracting and formalising all problems in the form of contradictory design rules.

Problem Graph for Warehousing Design

Warehousing plays a key role in supply chain performance (reactivity, flexibility, quality). In order to be competitive, reorganization of the warehouse is often required. The reorganization generally occurs via a design process based on two main stages. First, the designers have to precisely identify the design problems. Second, they have to design solutions to solve the problems. Academic researchers in warehousing design are used to studying all the different operations (receiving, storage, order picking, shipping) one by one while the warehouse design problems are linked together. As far as we know, the literature does not propose any model that capitalizes and links all the operations-related problems and solutions needed for warehouse designing. In this chapter, we propose a reference model as a graph including both the problems and the solutions advocated by a French third-party logistics (3PL) provider and quoted in the literature. The creation of such a model has been suggested in the state of the art in the literature. This model has been designed using a semantic and a syntax inspired by the TRIZ problem graph and with a taxonomy standardizing the vocabulary. The problem-solution graph is made up of 31 problems assessed by 31 evaluation parameters and 49 solutions defined by 73 action parameters. An industrial case study, in a French 3PL warehouse of 35,000 m2 and 45,805 locations, proves the value of such a graph.

Graphe de problèmes–solutions de référence pour la conception des activités d’entreposage

RÉSUMÉ Pour rester compétitif, les entrepôts logistiques doivent souvent être réorganisés. Le processus de réorganisation consiste à identifier et formuler les problèmes et à concevoir des solutions. La relation problème(s)–solution(s) est un sujet abondamment abordé par la littérature scientifique. Une des perspectives de recherche soulignée par les auteurs est l’élaboration d’un modèle dit « de référence » intégrant l’ensemble des connaissances problème(s)–solution(s). Le modèle de référence proposé dans cet article capitalise les problèmes et les solutions formulés par des concepteurs d’entrepôt d’un prestataire de services logistiques français et par la littérature scientifique.