Eliminating Inventory in a Series Facility Production System
将零库存理念应用于系列设施生产系统，识别出无论需求如何都不会持有库存的设施，并开发了增加此类设施数量的方法，以简化设施设计、选址和调度决策。
Zero inventory (ZI) and the related concepts of Just in Time and Kanban are innovative and powerful means to improve production efficiency. This paper applies these concepts to a series facility production system and, in particular, identifies which facilities will never hold inventory irrespective of product demand. Pinpointing beforehand that certain facilities will have no inventory can simplify such strategic decisions as facility design, site location, and space utilization, plus it eases production scheduling. Next, a procedure is developed which increases the number of facilities that will never hold inventory. This procedure implements the ZI philosophy of cutting set up costs to increase efficiency. The results of this paper impact three major areas of production research: (1) strategy and planning—by detecting beforehand facilities that need never hold inventory irrespective of demand; (2) operations—by simplifying day to day production scheduling; and (3) productivity improvement—by cutting set up costs to enhance efficiency.