Decision Support System for Production Worklist Prioritization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Production managers face challenges in maintaining efficiency and reducing costs due to difficulties in determining the availability of work-in-progress and resources, leading to potential delays and increased production costs when production steps are performed out of sequence or before all components are ready.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented decision support system that provides a prioritized list of work items and tasks, evaluating feasibility based on current production environment and inventory, and determining precedence according to established policies, while allowing for re-evaluation in case of worker illness or equipment failure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If production managers manually determine work availability and resource availability, then they can make real-time decisions, but they become mired in infinite details and make errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical processes of determining work availability with an automated computer system that processes parameters and generates prioritized work item lists. The system automatically evaluates feasibility, determines precedence, and updates work availability without human intervention in the detailed analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The production management system performs self-service by automatically monitoring and updating work item status, resource availability, and feasibility parameters. The system self-updates the prioritized work item list based on changing conditions without requiring continuous manual input or review.
2Productivity
If production steps are performed out of sequence or before components are ready, then production speed increases, but production costs increase due to delays
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary evaluation of work item feasibility and precedence before tasks are executed. By pre-determining the correct sequence and requirements, the system prevents premature or out-of-order operations that would cause delays and increased costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors production conditions and updates the prioritized work item list based on real-time feedback about resource availability, work completion status, and feasibility changes. This feedback mechanism ensures tasks are performed in the correct sequence and prevents costly rework.
3Reliability
If the system provides detailed feasibility evaluation and precedence determination, then production accuracy improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the production management function into distinct modules: parameter processing, feasibility evaluation, precedence determination, and work item prioritization. Each module handles a specific aspect of production management independently, making the overall system more manageable despite the detailed analysis performed.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention concerns a computer-implemented decision support system and method, that determines the availability of work items and areas of responsibility, determines the feasibility of completing the work item tasks based on the determined availability of work items and the determined areas of responsibility, determines precedence of the work item tasks to be performed based on the determined feasibility, the determined availability of work items, and the determined areas of responsibility, and outputs one or more worklists that list work item tasks to be performed based on the determined precedence and the determined feasibility of the work item tasks.