Collaborative Research: A Design Methodology for Operational Flexibility

协作研究：操作灵活性的设计方法

• 批准号: 0542063
• 负责人: MARK VAN OYEN
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-06-01 至 2010-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0542063&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Design; Methodology; Operational

This grant provides funding for the creation of a methodology for modeling and mathematical computation to quantify operational flexibility in service and manufacturing supply chains. It emphasizes the flexibility attained when sources of production (e.g., workers, machines, plants, etc.) are multi-functional. Examples of this include workers with multiple skills, machines with flexible or reconfigurable capabilities, and supply chains with flexible sourcing and distribution options. By having multi-functional servers (sources), capacity can be dynamically allocated in response to the realization of uncertain demand. Taking queueing networks as models of the production systems, approximate deterministic metrics of flexibility are used to accurately predict the best design from various alternatives. Mathematical programming, queueing theory, Markov Decision Processes, and discrete event systems simulation are employed. The research illuminates the connections between general queueing networks with flexible servers and the properties found in approximate, deterministic network models.If successful, the results of this research will lead to improvements in the design of service and manufacturing operations and supply chains that deliver high-performance efficiencies and service levels despite uncertain changes in technology, heightened consumer expectations, decreased vertical integration of the supply chain, and intensified global competition. The primary objectives of this research are to (1) develop effective methods for quantifying flexibility, (2) develop principles and methodology to better select a roster of flexible workers for a shift (or work period) that results in a robustly productive team, and (3) invent a methodology to assist in the design of robust multi-echelon supply chains. The anticipated results of this research are: (1) managerial insights that deepen the understanding of how to design production systems and worker/staffing schedules that are truly flexible and robust and (2) tractable analytical/numerical models and methods for the analysis and design of multi-echelon supply chains. Upon implementation, the results will help ordinary people through increased quality of service in everyday transactions, workers through increased career development and training, and businesses through improved management practices and competitive operations.

这笔拨款为创建建模和数学计算方法提供资金，以量化服务和制造供应链中的操作灵活性。它强调当生产来源（如工人、机器、工厂等）是多功能时所获得的灵活性。这方面的例子包括具有多种技能的工人，具有灵活或可重构能力的机器，以及具有灵活采购和分销选项的供应链。通过拥有多功能服务器（源），可以动态分配容量以响应不确定需求的实现。将排队网络作为生产系统的模型，采用近似确定性的柔性度量，从各种备选方案中准确预测出最佳设计方案。数学规划，排队理论，马尔可夫决策过程和离散事件系统仿真的应用。该研究阐明了具有灵活服务器的一般排队网络与近似确定性网络模型中发现的属性之间的联系。如果取得成功，本研究的结果将导致服务和制造运营以及供应链设计的改进，从而在技术变化不确定、消费者期望提高、供应链垂直整合减少以及全球竞争加剧的情况下，提供高性能的效率和服务水平。本研究的主要目标是：(1)开发量化灵活性的有效方法，(2)制定原则和方法，以更好地选择轮班（或工作期间）灵活工人的名册，从而形成一个强大的生产团队，以及(3)发明一种方法来协助设计强大的多级供应链。本研究的预期结果是：(1)加深对如何设计真正灵活和稳健的生产系统和工人/人员安排的理解的管理见解；(2)用于分析和设计多级供应链的易于处理的分析/数值模型和方法。一旦实施，结果将通过提高日常交易中的服务质量来帮助普通人，通过加强职业发展和培训来帮助工人，通过改进管理实践和竞争性运营来帮助企业。