Revenue management for make-to-order manufacturing systems with a real-life application

Abstract

Due to successful applications of revenue management in the airline industry, in recent years, there has been a growing interest to adopt revenue management in make-to-order (MTO) manufacturing systems. Several interrelated decision problems such as order acceptance/rejection, short-term capacity planning, due date assignment, and order scheduling need to be studied simultaneously in order to manage revenues effectively in MTO manufacturing systems. Both the producer’s and customer’s requirements need to be taken into account through some negotiation mechanisms that are sensitive to the service-level reputation of the manufacturing companies. In this article, we propose a new dynamic bid price–based revenue management model that considers all of the aforementioned decision problems simultaneously. A simulation optimization approach is utilized in order to determine the best possible values of control parameters for bid price, due date assignment, and price increment/reduction mechanisms. The performance of the proposed integrated revenue management model is tested on both a hypothetical example and a real problem of a bridal gown company. The computational results show that the proposed model provides significant improvements in total revenue compared to other static and dynamic bid price policies.     

Optimal safety stock levels of subassemblies and manufacturing components

In order to control the time to market and manufacturing costs, companies produce and purchase many parts and components before receiving customer orders. Consequently, demand forecasting is a critical decision process. Using modular product design and super bills of materials are two effective strategies for developing a reliable demand forecasting process. They reduce the probability of stockouts in diversified production contexts. Furthermore, managing and controlling safety stocks for pre-assembled modules provide an effective solution to the problem of minimizing the effects of forecast errors. This paper develops, evaluates, and applies innovative cost-based analytical models so that the optimal safety stock of modular subassemblies and components in assembly to order and manufacturing to order systems, respectively, can be rapidly quantified. The implementation of the proposed models in two industrial case applications demonstrates that they significantly reduce the safety stock inventory levels and the global logistical cost.     

The Rise of Experimentalism in German Collective Bargaining

This paper addresses the debate on union strategies by analysing industrial relations change in three of Germany's most internationalized sectors: chemicals, metalworking and construction. It characterizes two logics of change in German industrial relations: a battlefield logic and an experimentalist logic. It demonstrates historical trends towards centralization of wage bargaining in each sector before looking at recent pressures for decentralization and flexibility. In chemi‐cals, the social partners control decentralization. In metalworking increasing flexibility is characterized by a mismatch between the national‐level union and the district‐level employers. Finally, the construction union seeks to replace the centralized bargaining system with a state minimum wage.     

Optimally locating in-house logistics areas to facilitate JIT-supply of mixed-model assembly lines

In modern-day production systems, ever-rising product variety poses a great challenge for the internal logistics systems used to feed mixed-model assembly lines with the required parts. As an answer to this challenge many manufacturers especially from automobile industries have identified the supermarket-concept as a promising part feeding strategy to enable flexible small-lot deliveries at low cost. In this context, supermarkets are decentralized in-house logistics areas in the direct vicinity of the final assembly line, which serve as intermediary stores for parts. Small tow trains are loaded with material in a supermarket and deliver parts Just-in-Time to the stations lying on their fixed route. This paper discusses the general pros and cons of the supermarket-concept and treats the decision problem of determining the optimal number and placement of supermarkets on the shop floor. A mathematical model is proposed, an exact dynamic programming algorithm presented, and the validity of the proposed approach for practical purposes as well as the trade-off resulting from fixed installation and maintenance cost is investigated in a comprehensive computational study.     

Coordinated supply chain scheduling

A mixed integer programming approach is proposed for a long-term, integrated scheduling of material manufacturing, material supply and product assembly in a customer driven supply chain. The supply chain consists of three distinct stages: manufacturer/supplier of product-specific materials (parts), producer where finished products are assembled according to customer orders and a set of customers who generate final demand for the products. The manufacturing stage consists of identical production lines in parallel and the producer stage is a flexible assembly line. The overall problem is how to coordinate manufacturing and supply of parts and assembly of products such that the total supply chain inventory holding cost and the production line start-up and parts shipping costs are minimized. A monolithic approach, where the manufacturing, supply and assembly schedules are determined simultaneously, is compared with a hierarchical approach. Numerical examples modeled after a real-world integrated scheduling in a customer driven supply chain in the electronics industry are presented and some computational results are reported.     

Scheduling a multi-stage fabrication shop for efficient subsequent assembly operations

Consideration is given to scheduling the operation of a multi-stage fabrication shop producing the component parts of a major commercial refrigerators producer. The objective of this scheduling problem is the determination of both production sequences and lot quantities at each stage so as to meet production targets and ensure continuous operation of subsequent assembly stations. After describing the problem within its natural context, we present an algorithm for the dynamic scheduling of the fabrication shop. This applies general planning principles adapted to the needs of the environment under consideration and makes use of existing heuristic rules for arriving at sequencing decisions. Although in no sense optimal, the algorithm can provide good feasible solutions to a previously not formally analysed problem. After being incorporated into a systematic computer-aided scheduling procedure, the algorithm has been actually implemented, demonstrating considerable improvements over previous fabrication shop scheduling practice.     

摩托车单向器自动装配机气动系统设计

针对当前摩托车单向器组件主要采用手工装配、装配效率低、随机性大、无法对装配过程实现有效管理控制的情况,为了易于对零件装配过程进行实时监测和提高生产效率,开发了一种智能摩托车单向器自动装配机。介绍了摩托车单向器自动装配机的上料系统、装配系统、检测系统和落料系统的机械结构,重点阐述了设备的气动系统设计,并进行了实验研究。结果表明,该设备可实现组成单向器的5种零件自动上料和装配,同时降低了操作人员的劳动强度,生产效率提高约50%。其气动系统噪音小、工作可靠,可应用于摩托车单向器的大批量生产。研究结果可为其他相似异形零件自动装配机的开发提供参考。     

Multi-site available-to-promise modeling for assemble-to-order manufacturing: An illustration on TFT-LCD manufacturing

Available-to-promise (ATP) serves as a significant factor to enhance customer service in order promising. Most research regarding ATP considered only one plant and was not mainly developed under the make-to-order (MTO) or assemble-to-order (ATO) strategy. We constructed a generic three-stage model of multi-site ATP mechanism for ATO manufacturing and experimented on a local TFT-LCD manufacturer. We further tested eight scenarios of ATP allocation plans based on different cost structures in the objective functions to compare the ATP plans and performances. Results showed that we can obtain an appropriate ATP plan with proper cost structure.     

Applied customer knowledge in a manufacturing environment: Flexibility for industrial firms

Dynamic business markets are forcing B2B marketers to create flexibility in their firms. The present study investigates: (1) made-to-stock (MTS) versus made-to-order (MTO, which is considered more flexible); (2) production technology routineness (with nonroutine considered more flexible); and (3) a marketing-based enabler of flexibility, i.e., applied customer knowledge. SEM analysis shows that applied customer knowledge completely mediates the relationships of both MTO and routineness with financial performance. This delineates two routes to financial performance, beginning with manufacturing-based flexibility constructs and operating through marketing-based applied knowledge. In addition, exploratory analysis of a subsample confirmed empirically that the financial success of mass customization depends on extensive customer knowledge application and low finished goods inventory levels. Managerial implications are discussed, along with ideas for future research.     

The MPS parameterization under lead time uncertainty

The supply planning of assembly systems under lead times uncertainty is studied. The used criteria is the sum of the average holding cost for the components, the average backlogging cost for the finished product, and the setup cost. The decision variables are the planned lead times of components and the periodic ordering quantity. A new generalized Newsboy model gives the optimal solution under the assumption that the lead times of the different types of components follow the same distribution probability, and that the holding costs per period of the ordered quantities are the same.     

Bargaining (De)centralization, Macroeconomic Performance and Control over the Employment Relationship

Based on data for 20 OECD countries, this paper analyses the effect of bargaining centralization on performance and control over the employment relationship. Rejecting both the corporatist thesis and the hump–shape thesis, the paper finds that performance either increases or decreases with centralization, depending on the ability of the higher level to bind lower levels. There is a clear effect on control in that bargaining coverage significantly declines with decentralization. Employers can therefore expect to extend management prerogatives, rather than improve performance, when enforcing decentralization. Hence the literature on bargaining structures when focusing on performance has lost sight of their contested nature.     

Best-matching protocols for assembly in e-work networks

Assembly networks pose many challenges to the comprising businesses due to their ever-growing distributed nature. This article explores the benefits of incorporating best-matching protocols (BMP) into the principles of design for assembly (DFA) to make better use of already existing information on equipment, parts and suppliers. Best-matching protocols for cooperation requirement planning (BMP-CRP), for part matching (BMP-part) and supplier selection were developed. A case study for the matching of parts and suppliers is provided. The results of the case study corroborate the benefits in quality and costs that the best-matching protocols can yield for businesses in an assembly e-work network.     

电子商务对企业内部权威分配的影响分析:以中石油、中石化为例

如今“电子商务”不再是一项单纯的技术进步，而更多地意味着企业经营管理模式的升级换代。在电子商务如何影响企业组织方面．目前很少有研究关注电子商务的发展带来的对企业内部权威分配尤其是对集权与分权安排的影响。本文以中国石油和中国石化两个传统行业企业发展电子商务的历程为案例．分析了在电子商务的环境下，企业权威分配将如何发生变化。本文认为，电子商务影响了内部交易成本（信息成本、代理成本等）。特别是带来了内部信息成本的降低，从而使企业的最优权威分配向相对集权方面转变。同时．这种组织结构上的变化将为企业带来规模经济效益、市场力量加强、降低内部竞争、降低监督成本等绩效。     

Job rotation in assembly lines employing disabled workers

In this paper we consider the programming of job rotation in the assembly line worker assignment and balancing problem. The motivation for this study comes from the designing of assembly lines in sheltered work centers for the disabled, where workers have different task execution times. In this context, the well-known training aspects associated with job rotation are particularly desired. We propose a metric along with a mixed integer linear model and a heuristic decomposition method to solve this new job rotation problem. Computational results show the efficacy of the proposed heuristics.     

Analytical analysis of a generic assembly system

The assembly of components is a key element in manufacturing facilities. Nevertheless, literature analyzing the dynamic behavior remains scarce. The paper narrows this gap by studying a generic first-come first-serve assembly system, consisting of two generally distributed component input streams. The field of probability theory serves as a means to derive good approximations for the waiting time of the components to form a kit and the inter-arrival time of the kits at the assembly station. Apart from providing insight in generally accepted managerial principles, this analysis also constitutes a required step in obtaining the performance of an open queuing network including assemblies.     

政企联盟与地方竞争的困局

企业安全生产滑坡、制假售假现象屡禁不止,表面上反映了部分企业家、政府官员的不道德、不作为,背后则是因为受到"政府与企业联盟"逻辑的支配。以"向地方分权与促地方竞争"为主要特征的制度安排为背景,本文发展了一个有关"政企联盟"的概念框架,分析了转型期的政企关系从"共容型联盟"转向"紧密型联盟"的内在逻辑。本文进一步证明,"紧密型联盟"的形成既是分权模式下的必然结果,也是中央政府管治努力被拆解、市场经济负面效应被最大程度释放的根源。随着经济规模的扩大和多元化利益格局的形成,曾经取得了巨大成就的分权模式开始陷入地方竞争的困局,进入到了一个高成本支付期。     

Optimal time phasing and periodicity for MRP with POQ policy

This paper deals with component supply planning for assembly systems where several types of components are ordered from external suppliers to produce a single type of finished product. Actual component lead times are often different from those contracted because of random delays. An MRP approach with periodic order quantity (POQ) policy is used for the supply planning of components. Our aim is to find the optimal values of the order periodicity and planned lead times at the offsetting step of the MRP procedure. The goal is to minimise the sum of the average component holding, finished product backlogging and setup costs. Several theoretical properties of the objective function are proven and an efficient optimization algorithm is developed. The proofs of the explicit form and properties of the objective function as well as the development of the optimization algorithm occupy a large portion of this paper. The method developed can be used for the optimization of time phasing and periodicity for such an MRP system under lead time uncertainties.     

Sources of food price volatility and child malnutrition in Niger and Malawi

In recent times, considerable attention has been paid to the nutritional impact of the sharp hikes in the international food prices which took place in 2007–8 and 2010–11. While understandable, this growing focus has perhaps obscured the impact of other variables affecting malnutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa, i.e. the long-term impact of agricultural policies on food supply and prices, large and persistent seasonal variations in food prices, and the impact of famines which still affect parts of the continent. This paper focuses on the relative impact of these factors on child malnutrition (measured by the number of child admissions to feeding centres) in Malawi and Niger, two countries which closely represent the situation of other small, landlocked, subsistence agricultural economies facing severe food security problems. Our analysis shows that in these countries the drivers of changes in domestic staple prices and child malnutrition are related not only – or not primarily – to variations of international food prices but also to the impact of agricultural policies on food production and prices, in a persistent food price seasonality, and in recurrent and poorly managed famines. These factors can exert a strong upward pressure on food prices and child malnutrition even during years of falling international prices.     

天然气经甲醇制烯烃技术的进展及经济分析

在天然气制烯烃工艺中，天然气经甲醇制烯烃（NG-MTO）技术是最具备工业化条件的技术。文章着重从工艺及催化剂等方面对MTO工艺技术的最新进展作了评述，分析了其技术经济性，结果表明：MTO技术是可行的，经济上，天然气的价格越低越有竞争力。如天然气价格为1．0美元／百万Btu时，竞争力就较大。最后对国内MTO技术的发展提出了建议。     

Discrete-order admission ATP model with joint effect of margin and order size in a MTO environment

Swarming demands and seasonality periodically induce a stringent capacity problem in the made-to-order (MTO) B2B environment. Desirable order admission is a tactic with minimal application cost for handling this problem. A real-time order admission problem with limited major-customer population and batch-size demand with heterogeneous distributions is modeled as a dynamic and stochastic knapsack problem. The optimality of the Markovian deterministic reward-threshold policy is verified. Optimal policy, basic policy, and the capacity rationing method are compared in the designed experiment. The numerical results suggest great potential for increasing profit using the optimal order admission policy for MTO businesses.