Comparison of pull management policies for a divergent process with DDMRP buffers: an industrial case study
针对发散流程中单一组件生产多种成品时的物料分配问题，通过仿真比较了九种拉动策略，发现结合经典DDMRP规则和部分流程ConWIP环的策略可降低34%在制品库存，同时保持高客户服务率。
Production planning and scheduling for companies with divergent processes, where a single component can be transformed into several finished products, are challenging as planners might face material misallocation issues. In this paper, we address the problem of managing a divergent process with DDMRP stock buffers, where different finished products are bottled with the same component having a fixed batch size. An allocation decision needs to be made to determine the quantities of finished products to be bottled. This study is motivated by a real-life problem faced by a dermo-cosmetic company. We compare and analyze by simulation nine different policies triggering allocation decisions. The first policy is the classic DDMRP rule, while the others are new policies, including a virtual buffer of a generic finished product and ConWIP loops, delaying the allocation decision. Our results show that the policy combining the classic DDMRP rule and a ConWIP loop surrounding a part of the process reduces the work-in-process by 34% compared to the classic DDMRP while ensuring high customer service rates and control of flow times.