Minimizing total tardiness subject to manpower restriction in labor-intensive manufacturing cells

Abstract

a b s t r a c tThis paper focuses on two major issues in cellular manufacturing, namely manpower allocation and cell loading. Although significant work has been done in both of these fields, research to minimize the Total Tardiness (TT) within a multi-cell environment has been limited. The methodology adopted in this paper is a two-step one. First, manpower allocation for operations within a cell is determined using mathematical models. This step also includes variations of the mathematical model for sharing of operators between operations and sharing of operators with restrictions. The models with little or no restrictions have found to yield a higher production rate than the model with no operator sharing allowed. The next step involves a mathematical model for cell loading. The performance measure examined in this phase is the total tardiness subject to total Crew Size restriction. The total tardiness is reduced as the total crew size increases. However, it was also found that selection of alternative cell configurations affect the results as well total crew size.

The Worker Allocation Planning Of A Medical Device Distribution Center Using Simulation Modelling

“…The results show that separation of the workers to unload the goods from more than one lorry at a time is the best method to reduce the average queue time of the lorries and also improve the resource utilization. Süer et al (2013) used mathematical modelling to study workforce planning in manufacturing. The authors suggested the flexibility strategy by sharing workers between operations in Cellular Manufacturing in order to maximize output rates and minimize total tardiness.…”

New criteria for configuration of cellular manufacturing considering product mix variation

“…Mahdavi et al (2012) developed a mathematical model for arrangement of a three-dimensional part-machine-worker incidence matrix that minimizes the total number of exceptional elements and voids. Süer et al (2013) developed a model towards manpower allocation and cell loading with minimizing the part total tardiness criterion in a labor-intensive CMS. The main decisions of the proposed model contain determining: the number of cells, the number of workers assigned to each cell, how workers will be assigned to different operations of parts, how to assign parts to cells, and the part sequence in each cell.…”

Three parallel task assignment problems with shared resources

“…Cesani and Steudel [16], Bidanda et al [8], Dimitriadis [19], Becker and Scholl [6,7], Süer et al. [48,49], Süer et al [52], Battaïa and Dolgui [5], Rubin and Bai [42], Otto and Battaïa [38].…”

“…The decision includes the number of cells to open, cell sizes in terms of the number of workers, product-cell assignment and product sequences for each cell. Süer et al [52] extend these models by considering the minimization of the total product tardiness. The solution procedure in Süer et al [52] is a two-stage one.…”