Title: Cyclic production for cyclic deliveries

Authors: Z. Bahroun, J-P. Campagne, M. Moalla

Addresses: Laboratoire d'Informatique de Productique et de Parallelisme, Faculte des Sciences de Tunis, Dep. des Sciences de l'Informatique, 1060 Le Belvedere Tunis, Tunisia. ' Productique et Informatique des Systemes Manufacturiers, INSA Lyon, Bat. Jules Verne, 19, Avenue Jean Capelle, 69621 Villeurbanne Cedex, France. ' Laboratoire d'Informatique de Productique et de Parallelisme, Faculte des Sciences de Tunis, Dep. des Sciences de l'Informatique, 1060 Le Belvedere Tunis, Tunisia

Abstract: Nowadays, companies frequently work with their customers in contract-order with fixed and cyclic delivery dates. The exact delivery quantities are usually known only a few days before the delivery. This kind of contract is found very frequently, especially in the big distribution and the automotive sectors. The utilisation of classical methods of production management does not seem efficient enough to face this kind of demand. This paper presents a methodological framework for the implementation of cyclic production modes. We consider a factory which produces n items in a facility and which is confronted with a cyclic demand: each item is ordered relative to a cyclic delivery schedule with a mean quantity for each delivery. We propose, on a medium-term level, a set of methods (optimal and heuristic) to build cyclic production schedules. Then we compare these methods and specify how and when they can be used. Finally, a more general use of these methods and the possible extensions are discussed.

Keywords: production management; cyclic production; cyclic scheduling; cyclic delivery schedules; cyclic demand.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISE.2007.011434

International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering, 2007 Vol.2 No.1, pp.30 - 50

Published online: 30 Nov 2006 *

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