Automated production release system
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorBharath Natarajan
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims9
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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.