IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/popmgt/v29y2020i9p2138-2152.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Material Flow Control in High‐Variety Make‐to‐Order Shops: Combining COBACABANA and POLCA

Author

Listed:
  • Matthias Thürer
  • Nuno O. Fernandes
  • Mark Stevenson

Abstract

Material flow control mechanisms determine: (i) whether an order should be released onto the shop floor; and (ii) whether a station should be authorized to produce. Well‐known approaches include Kanban, Drum‐Buffer‐Rope (DBR), Constant Work‐in‐Process (ConWIP), Paired‐cell Overlapping Loops of Cards with Authorization (POLCA), Workload Control (WLC), and Control of Balance by Card Based Navigation (COBACABANA). The literature typically treats these approaches as competing, meaning studies argue for the superiority of one over another. However, a closer look reveals that existing mechanisms either focus on order release (ConWIP, DBR, WLC, and COBACABANA) or on production authorization (Kanban and POLCA). This study therefore calls for a paradigm shift and argues that the different mechanisms may play complementary rather than competing roles. Using simulation, we assess the performance of COBACABANA and POLCA in a high‐variety make‐to‐order shop, a type of shop arguably in most need of material flow control given the importance of throughput times and delivery time adherence. Results demonstrate that COBACABANA outperforms POLCA, but the simultaneous adoption of both control mechanisms outperforms the use of either one in isolation. More specifically, adding POLCA production authorization to COBACABANA order release enables the superfluous direct load to be further reduced, resulting in shop floor throughput time reductions of between 15% and 26% while further reducing the percentage tardy and mean tardiness by up to 14%. Compared to no material flow control, the new combined mechanism realizes a reduction of almost 50% in the percentage tardy and more than 30% in mean tardiness.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthias Thürer & Nuno O. Fernandes & Mark Stevenson, 2020. "Material Flow Control in High‐Variety Make‐to‐Order Shops: Combining COBACABANA and POLCA," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 29(9), pages 2138-2152, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:popmgt:v:29:y:2020:i:9:p:2138-2152
    DOI: 10.1111/poms.13218
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/poms.13218
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/poms.13218?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nico Vandaele & Inneke Van Nieuwenhuyse & Diederik Claerhout & Rony Cremmery, 2008. "Load-Based POLCA: An Integrated Material Control System for Multiproduct, Multimachine Job Shops," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 10(2), pages 181-197, September.
    2. Land, Martin, 2006. "Parameters and sensitivity in workload control," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(2), pages 625-638, December.
    3. Zapfel, Gunther & Missbauer, Hubert, 1993. "New concepts for production planning and control," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 297-320, June.
    4. Lage Junior, Muris & Godinho Filho, Moacir, 2010. "Variations of the kanban system: Literature review and classification," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(1), pages 13-21, May.
    5. Land, Martin & Gaalman, Gerard, 1996. "Workload control concepts in job shops A critical assessment," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 535-548, December.
    6. Mark L. Spearman & Michael A. Zazanis, 1992. "Push and Pull Production Systems: Issues and Comparisons," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 40(3), pages 521-532, June.
    7. Thomas Hutter & Stefan Haeussler & Hubert Missbauer, 2018. "Successful implementation of an order release mechanism based on workload control: a case study of a make-to-stock manufacturer," International Journal of Production Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(4), pages 1565-1580, February.
    8. Jan Riezebos & Stuart X. Zhu, 2015. "MRP Planned Orders in a Multiple-Supplier Environment with Differing Lead Times," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 24(6), pages 883-895, June.
    9. Missbauer, Hubert, 2020. "Order release planning by iterative simulation and linear programming: Theoretical foundation and analysis of its shortcomings," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 280(2), pages 495-507.
    10. Thürer, Matthias & Land, Martin J. & Stevenson, Mark, 2014. "Card-based workload control for job shops: Improving COBACABANA," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(PA), pages 180-188.
    11. Oosterman, Bas & Land, Martin & Gaalman, Gerard, 2000. "The influence of shop characteristics on workload control," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 107-119, October.
    12. Wallace J. Hopp & Mark L. Spearman, 2004. "To Pull or Not to Pull: What Is the Question?," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 6(2), pages 133-148, August.
    13. Fredendall, Lawrence D. & Ojha, Divesh & Wayne Patterson, J., 2010. "Concerning the theory of workload control," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 201(1), pages 99-111, February.
    14. Matthias Thürer & Martin J. Land & Mark Stevenson & Lawrence D. Fredendall & Moacir Godinho Filho, 2015. "Concerning Workload Control and Order Release: The Pre-Shop Pool Sequencing Decision," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 24(7), pages 1179-1192, July.
    15. Land, Martin J. & Gaalman, Gerard J. C., 1998. "The performance of workload control concepts in job shops: Improving the release method," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(1), pages 347-364, September.
    16. Kingsman, B. G. & Tatsiopoulos, I. P. & Hendry, L. C., 1989. "A structural methodology for managing manufacturing lead times in make-to-order companies," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 196-209, May.
    17. Harrod, Steven & Kanet, John J., 2013. "Applying work flow control in make-to-order job shops," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(2), pages 620-626.
    18. Land, Martin J., 2009. "Cobacabana (control of balance by card-based navigation): A card-based system for job shop control," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(1), pages 97-103, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Thürer, Matthias & Stevenson, Mark, 2021. "Improving superfluous load avoidance release (SLAR): A new load-based SLAR mechanism," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    2. Fernando José Gómez Paredes & Moacir Godinho Filho & Matthias Thürer & Nuno O. Fernandes & Charbel José Chiappeta Jabbour, 2022. "Factors for choosing production control systems in make-to-order shops: a systematic literature review," Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 639-674, March.
    3. Kasper, T.A. Arno & Land, Martin J. & Teunter, Ruud H., 2023. "Towards System State Dispatching in High‐Variety Manufacturing," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    4. Kasper, T.A. Arno & Land, Martin J. & Teunter, Ruud H., 2023. "Non-hierarchical work-in-progress control in manufacturing," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kasper, T.A. Arno & Land, Martin J. & Teunter, Ruud H., 2023. "Non-hierarchical work-in-progress control in manufacturing," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).
    2. Onay, Anita & Stampfer, Christina & Missbauer, Hubert, 2023. "A behavioral perspective on workload control concepts: The influence of order release on operators’ reaction behavior," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    3. Thürer, Matthias & Stevenson, Mark, 2021. "Improving superfluous load avoidance release (SLAR): A new load-based SLAR mechanism," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    4. Stefan Haeussler & Philipp Neuner & Matthias Thürer, 2023. "Balancing earliness and tardiness within workload control order release: an assessment by simulation," Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 487-508, June.
    5. Thürer, Matthias & Stevenson, Mark & Land, Martin J., 2016. "On the integration of input and output control: Workload Control order release," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 43-53.
    6. Kasper, T.A. Arno & Land, Martin J. & Teunter, Ruud H., 2023. "Towards System State Dispatching in High‐Variety Manufacturing," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    7. Thürer, Matthias & Stevenson, Mark & Protzman, Charles W., 2015. "COBACABANA (Control of Balance by Card Based Navigation): An alternative to kanban in the pure flow shop?," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 143-151.
    8. Davide Mezzogori & Giovanni Romagnoli & Francesco Zammori, 2021. "Defining accurate delivery dates in make to order job-shops managed by workload control," Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal, Springer, vol. 33(4), pages 956-991, December.
    9. Matthias Thürer & Mark Stevenson, 2016. "Workload control in job shops with re-entrant flows: an assessment by simulation," International Journal of Production Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(17), pages 5136-5150, September.
    10. Fernandes, Nuno O. & Thürer, Matthias & Silva, Cristóvão & Carmo-Silva, Sílvio, 2017. "Improving workload control order release: Incorporating a starvation avoidance trigger into continuous release," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 181-189.
    11. Thürer, Matthias & Land, Martin J. & Stevenson, Mark, 2014. "Card-based workload control for job shops: Improving COBACABANA," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(PA), pages 180-188.
    12. Thürer, Matthias & Land, Martin J. & Stevenson, Mark & Fredendall, Lawrence D., 2016. "Card-based delivery date promising in high-variety manufacturing with order release control," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 19-30.
    13. Matthias Thürer & Nuno O. Fernandes & Mark Stevenson & Ting Qu, 2017. "On the backlog-sequencing decision for extending the applicability of ConWIP to high-variety contexts: an assessment by simulation," International Journal of Production Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(16), pages 4695-4711, August.
    14. Matthias Thürer & Mark Stevenson & Ting Qu, 2016. "Job sequencing and selection within workload control order release: an assessment by simulation," International Journal of Production Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(4), pages 1061-1075, February.
    15. Matthias Thürer & Mark Stevenson, 2016. "Card-based delivery date promising in pure flow shops with order release control," International Journal of Production Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(22), pages 6798-6811, November.
    16. Thürer, Matthias & Stevenson, Mark & Qu, Ting & Godinho Filho, Moacir, 2014. "The design of simple subcontracting rules for make-to-order shops: An assessment by simulation," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 239(3), pages 854-864.
    17. Sagawa, Juliana Keiko & Oliveira, Allan Freitas & Mušič, Gašper & Land, Martin J. & Maluf, Arthur Sarro, 2023. "Smart workload input-output control of production systems: A proof of concept," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 309(1), pages 286-305.
    18. Kaustav Kundu & Martin J. Land & Alberto Portioli-Staudacher & Jos A. C. Bokhorst, 2021. "Order review and release in make-to-order flow shops: analysis and design of new methods," Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 750-782, September.
    19. Yarong Chen & Hongming Zhou & Peiyu Huang & FuhDer Chou & Shenquan Huang, 2022. "A refined order release method for achieving robustness of non-repetitive dynamic manufacturing system performance," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 311(1), pages 65-79, April.
    20. Matthias Thürer & Mark Stevenson, 2021. "Material handling and order release control in high-variety make-to-order shops: an assessment by simulation," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 14(3), pages 494-506, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:popmgt:v:29:y:2020:i:9:p:2138-2152. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1937-5956 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.