Automated production dispatch system with feedback control

• US 4,866,628 A
• Filed: 12/18/1987
• Issued: 09/12/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Natarajan, Bharath
• Primary Examiner(s): RUGGIERO, JOSEPH F
• Application Number:
  US07/135,122
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 364/468, 364/401, 364/402, 364/403, 364/552, 364/551.01, 364/578, 364/513, 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File
• US Class Current: 700/102
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/10 using counting means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/20 Sequence of activities consisting of a plurality of measurements, corrections, marking or sorting steps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/904 Manufacturing or machine, e.g. agricultural machinery, machine tool

Abstract

A conceptual decision analysis tool for production dispatch process is used to evaluate alternatives during a production process and generate an optimum path to follow after a process disruption at a given production center in order to maintain the promised due date. The objective is not only to decide on a dispatch rule to be followed for an order under progress at a given work center in the event of a disruption, but also to re-analyze dispatch rules for existing orders waiting in line to be processed at that work center. In the event of production stoppage or disruption, this system analyzes the revised sequence for orders in progress as well as passes the recommended results to a planning system so that this information can be used to re-plan the release sequence of orders waiting for release. This provides a feedback control mechanism and an element of artificial intelligence.

Claims

1. An automated production dispatch system for implementation on a computer, said system providing for the dispatch information for a manufacturing environment to aid a user to make decisions that will improve the dispatch process, comprising the steps of:

monitoring production release and dispatch orders generated by a production planning process;

simulating the manufacturing environment subject to a production disruption based on defined management dispatch criteria to generate an estimate of order tardiness, work-in-process inventory and cycle time; and

testing the estimate to determine if the estimate is acceptable according to predefined criteria.

2. The automated production dispatch system as recited in claim 1 wherein if the estimate is not acceptable, performing the steps of:

prompting the user to define dispatch priorities between minimizing order tardiness, minimizing work-in-process inventory and minimizing manufacturing cycle time; and

generating revised dispatch sequence of dispatch orders for the manufacturing environment.

3. The automated production dispatch system as recited in claim 2 wherein said computer includes a database and a query system and further comprising the steps of:

capturing in said database decision variables generated in said step of simulating;

responding to a user input via the query system to access the decision variables captured in the database; and

displaying an analysis of tested combinations of the tested alternatives in the production release.

4. The automated production dispatch system as recited in claim 3 further comprising the step of responding to a user input via the query system to select a decision rule and evaluate the tested alternatives on the management criteria of order tardiness, work-in-process inventory and cycle time.

5. The automated production dispatch system as recited in claim 4 further comprising the step of displaying management criteria defined by the user correlated with said revised sequence of dispatch orders.

6. The automated production dispatch system as recited in claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

providing an option to the user of changing said management dispatch criteria to make a new set of dispatch rules; and

performing said simulating step according to said new set of dispatch rules.

7. The automated production dispatch system as recited in claim 6 wherein said computer includes a database and a query system and further comprising the steps of:

capturing in said database decision variables generated in said step of simulating;

responding to a user input via the query system to access the decision variables captured in the database; and

displaying an analysis of tested combinations of the tested alternatives in the production dispatch system.