TY - JOUR

T1 - Quantitative controlling approach of time synchronicity in convergent supply processes

AU - Hund, Eric C.

AU - Rochow, Philip

AU - Mach, Florian

AU - Nyhuis, Peter

N1 - Funding Information: This publication has been composed as part of research project “Network Control Technique for a Synchronous Material Supply for Assembly”, which is founded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The authors thankfully acknowledge its financial support.

PY - 2016/6

Y1 - 2016/6

N2 - Controlling the time synchronicity of supply processes for assembly requires a quantitative measure. An existing controlling instrument, the supply diagram, already provides an effective way of assessing the supply situation. It incorporates different key figures which allow for an evaluation of a company’s supply process coordination. However, it lacks a key figure for describing the level of time synchronicity. Therefore, a quantitative evaluation of actions to improve the time synchronicity in supply processes is not possible. Based on an existing approach of approximating the completion of full assembly orders, a key figure for describing the level of time synchronicity is developed in this article: the synchronicity factor. As this new key figure is dependent on the average number of components required for one assembly order for the regarded time period, a second measure, the relative synchronicity factor, accounts for this number and can thereby be used to compare different time periods. As the numerical calculation of the synchronicity factors is a complex problem, the possibility of applying a simple hill climbing algorithm to accurately determine the synchronicity factor for a certain supply situation is examined.

AB - Controlling the time synchronicity of supply processes for assembly requires a quantitative measure. An existing controlling instrument, the supply diagram, already provides an effective way of assessing the supply situation. It incorporates different key figures which allow for an evaluation of a company’s supply process coordination. However, it lacks a key figure for describing the level of time synchronicity. Therefore, a quantitative evaluation of actions to improve the time synchronicity in supply processes is not possible. Based on an existing approach of approximating the completion of full assembly orders, a key figure for describing the level of time synchronicity is developed in this article: the synchronicity factor. As this new key figure is dependent on the average number of components required for one assembly order for the regarded time period, a second measure, the relative synchronicity factor, accounts for this number and can thereby be used to compare different time periods. As the numerical calculation of the synchronicity factors is a complex problem, the possibility of applying a simple hill climbing algorithm to accurately determine the synchronicity factor for a certain supply situation is examined.

KW - Controlling

KW - Procurement management

KW - Production planning and control

KW - Supply chain management

KW - Supply diagram

KW - Time synchronicity

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84962030086&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s11740-016-0671-x

DO - 10.1007/s11740-016-0671-x

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84962030086

VL - 10

SP - 319

EP - 327

JO - Production Engineering

JF - Production Engineering

SN - 0944-6524

IS - 3

ER -