Build-to-order process determination with dynamic lead time calculation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional make-to-order production processes are impractical due to fixed lead times, which fail to accommodate varying demand rates and lead times, leading to capacity issues and potential deadline misses.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus that calculates process-specific lead times proportional to demand quantities and compares them with customer-permitted delivery lead times, selecting processes within a specified flow to ensure make-to-order production aligns with demand rates and delivery constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If fixed lead times are used for make-to-order production, then the process selection is simplified, but the production cannot accommodate varying demand rates and may miss customer deadlines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the lead time variable rather than fixed. The lead time is dynamically adjusted based on the demand rate (quantity demanded per unit time) for each product. This allows the production system to adapt to varying demand conditions while still meeting customer deadlines, resolving the contradiction between operational simplicity and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of lead time from a fixed constant to a variable parameter that depends on the demand rate. By calculating lead time as a function of demand rate, the system can optimize process selection for each specific demand scenario, improving both the accuracy of deadline meeting and the adaptability of the production system.
2Ease of operation
If make-to-order process is determined by fixed lead time magnitude, then the decision criterion is clear, but the processing becomes impractical from capacity perspective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the decision criterion from a simple fixed lead time comparison to a more nuanced calculation that incorporates demand rate. The lead time is now a variable parameter calculated based on the quantity demanded per unit time, allowing the system to make capacity-aware decisions while maintaining clear decision criteria.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the lead time parameter based on demand rate, enabling the production capacity to be optimized for each specific order scenario. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain clear decision-making processes while improving capacity utilization and productivity.
3Reliability
If production capability is increased to handle successive orders at demand rate, then customer deadlines can be met, but the complexity of determining make-to-order process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent manages complexity by changing the lead time from a fixed parameter to a calculated parameter based on demand rate. This approach allows the system to handle successive orders effectively while keeping the determination process relatively simple through a systematic calculation method rather than complex multi-parameter optimization.
Data Source
AI summary
A build-to-order production process is determined in consideration of magnitude of demand. A lead time calculating section (122) calculates process-specific lead time proportional to the time at which the number of items required to produce the amount of demand for products which are periodically ordered is processed for each process of manufacturing a product and selects a process in the range in which the sum value after the calculated process-specific lead time is added to the travel time between the processes does not exceed the lead time permissible by the client as a build-to-order selection process.