Virtual Material Quality Investigation System
针对采购中材料质量难以检测的问题，结合预测分析和规范分析，开发了虚拟材料质量调查系统，在太阳能电池制造商的实证中使解决方案质量提升至少30%，生产成本降低19.8%。
It is often difficult to inspect the material quality in the procurement process. In many cases, the true quality may only be revealed after several manufacturing processes or at the final test of the finished goods. This study employs a hybrid strategy consisting of predictive analytics and prescriptive analytics. The former considers the production characteristics and estimates the probability distribution of the material quality using a simulation optimization technique known as optimal computing budget allocation. The latter optimizes the feeding portfolio of the material allocation into the production line according to the customer's order specification. This study develops a virtual material quality investigation (VMQI) system considering the hybrid strategy and including four modules. An empirical study of a solar cell manufacturer in Taiwan validates the proposed VMQI system. The results show that the VMQI system improves the solution quality by at least 30% and potentially reduces the production cost by 19.8%.