Automated production release system

• US 4,887,218 A
• Filed: 12/01/1987
• Issued: 12/12/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Natarajan, Bharath
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/127,334
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 364/468, 364/552, 364/551.01, 364/551.02, 364/200, 364/300, 364/900, 364/401, 364/403, 364/478
• US Class Current: 700/102
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32301 Simulate production, process stages, determine optimum scheduling rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• 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 release planning displays management parameters and objectives and prompts the user to define priorities. This encourages the user to plan based on management criteria. The user keys in the priorities and the system automatically analyzes the impact of planned release on the manufacturing process using a simulation process and re-evaluates the order release priorities and sequence. This capability is used before any order is actually released to manufacturing. The system also provides the capability of analyzing the impact of the orders even after the user pre-sets priorities to release certain orders. The system calculates the revised sequence and produces impact statements on such management criteria as manufacturing throughput, work-in-process inventory and cycle time.

Claims

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

prompting the user to define management priorities between maximizing throughput, minimizing work-in-process inventory and minimizing manufacturing cycle time;

simulating the manufacturing environment using a predefined set of order release and dispatching rules to test for varying alternatives in the production release process;

selecting the result of the various alternatives which optimize the management priorities input by the user; and

generating a revised sequence of production release orders for the manufacturing environment.

2. The automated production release system as recited in claim 1 wherein said computer includes a database and a query system and further comprising the steps of:

capturing in the 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.

3. The automated production release system as recited in claim 2 further comprising the step of responding to a user input via the query system to select a decision rule and evaluate the tested alternatives based on the management criteria of throughput, work-in-process inventory and cycle time.

4. The automated production release system as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying in a split screen format a list of orders for processing in the manufacturing environment and said revised sequence of production release orders with an assigned priority for each order.

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

6. The automated production release system as recited in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

providing an option to the user of changing said predefined set of order release and dispatching rules to make a new set of order release and dispatching rules; and

performing said simulating step according to said new set of order release and dispatching rules.

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

capturing in the 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.

8. The automated production release system as recited in claim 7 further comprising the step of displaying in a split screen format a list of orders for processing in the manufacturing environment and said revised sequence of production release orders with an assigned priority for each order.

9. The automated production release system as recited in claim 8 further comprising the step of displaying management priorities defined by the user correlated with said revised sequence of production orders.