METHOD FOR REDUCING FINISHED GOODS INVENTORY FOR PRECAST FABRICATOR

• US 20100063858A1
• Filed: 01/22/2009
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: National Pingtung University of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: National Pingtung University of Science and Technology
• Inventors: KO, Chien-Ho
• Application Number:
  US12/357,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20100063858A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/08 Construction

Abstract

A method for reducing finished goods inventory for a precast fabricator includes a buffer evaluation procedure to evaluate a time buffer via a fuzzy logic using customer characteristics, element characteristics, and building characteristics as parameters. A due date adjustment procedure is then carried out to adjust production due dates of the elements according to the time buffer and erection dates of the building. Finally, a production scheduling procedure is used to arrange a production sequence for fabricating the elements based on the adjusted production due dates.

Claims

1. A method for reducing finished goods inventory for a precast fabricator that fabricates a plurality of elements for a customer constructing a building, comprising:

a time buffer evaluation procedure that evaluates a time buffer using fuzzy logic by considering the characteristics of customers, elements and building as parameters;

a due date adjustment procedure that adjusts production due dates of the elements according to the evaluated time buffer and erection dates of the building; and

a production scheduling procedure that arranges a production sequence for fabricating the elements based on the adjusted production due dates.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, with the characteristics of the customer in the time buffer evaluation procedure including a number of owners of the elements.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, with the characteristics of the element in the time buffer evaluation procedure including types of the elements.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, with the types of the elements including structure, wall, column, beam, and curtain wall.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, with the characteristics of the building in the time buffer evaluation procedure including function of the building.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, with the fuzzy logic including fuzzifying the parameters to obtain a plurality of initial fuzzy parameters;

performing an operation utilizing the initial fuzzy parameters according to a plurality of fuzzy rules to obtain a plurality of fuzzified parameters; and

defuzzifying the fuzzified parameters to obtain the time buffer.