Labour assignment with convergent product structures: an assessment by simulation
通过离散事件模拟，研究了在收敛型装配结构中劳动力分配规则的效果，发现传统规则（如将工人调到最长队列）在此类系统中并不适用，为管理者选择合适规则提供了依据。
Most labour in practice is somehow flexible, and most shops in practice use some form of labour flexibility to cope with varying demand. A large literature on labour assignment rules that decide when and where to shift or reassign workers has consequently emerged. But this literature typically neglects convergent assembly structures. There is the implicit assumption that results from other shop structures are directly transferable. Results from discrete event simulations show that this is not the case. Although previous literature indicates that shifting workers to the station with the longest queue and considering critical parts improve performance, these results are not confirmed in our study. In assembly systems, the flow of jobs is constrained by synchronisation requirements and capacity availability, determining both waiting times overall performance. Labour assignment has a direct impact on both if workers are shared among assembly stations, which has direct implications for the rule to adopt. In terms of research, we confirm the literature on inventory diagnosis and highlight its importance for labour assignment. In terms of practice, we contribute by supporting managers in finding the appropriate labour assignment rule for their shop.