Production Planning with Alternative Process Plans for Fluctuations

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing production planning systems fail to flexibly address production fluctuations due to events like product changeovers or facility failures, as they only re-plan production plans without updating process or work plans, leading to potential delays.

Innovation Solution

A production planning system that generates multiple process and work plans, including alternative options, which are used to rapidly update production plans in response to fluctuations, utilizing cloud and edge computing environments to optimize production line configurations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If manual preparation of countermeasures and update of production plans is performed by production managers or engineers, then the production plan can be updated to address production fluctuations, but productivity is hindered during the preparation period and the system cannot flexibly deal with production fluctuations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility to deal with production fluctuationsVSAvoidproductivity during preparation period

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-generates multiple alternative process plans, work plans, and production plans before production fluctuations occur. When a fluctuation event is detected, the system immediately selects and implements a pre-prepared alternative plan, eliminating the need for manual preparation during critical periods and maintaining high productivity while achieving flexible adaptation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The production planning system automatically detects production fluctuation events, selects appropriate alternative plans, and implements updates without requiring manual intervention from production managers or engineers. This automation maintains productivity while providing flexible response to production fluctuations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If only the production plan is re-planned using a production simulator when a problem occurs, then the production plan can be updated, but the range of countermeasure is limited and production plan delays may still occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction plan execution reliabilityVSAvoidrange of countermeasure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the production planning into three distinct but interconnected levels: process plans (production process configuration), work plans (detailed task allocation), and production plans (overall scheduling). When a fluctuation occurs, the system can selectively update one or multiple levels simultaneously, providing a comprehensive range of countermeasures rather than limited to production plan re-planning alone.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-generates multiple alternative process plans, work plans, and production plans covering various scenarios. When problems occur, the system has already prepared diverse countermeasures across all planning levels, expanding the range of available responses and improving reliability through pre-tested alternative configurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple process plans and work plans are generated and stored for rapid selection during fluctuations, then the system can flexibly respond to production changes, but the complexity of the production planning system increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresponse flexibility to production changesVSAvoidproduction planning system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-generates and stores multiple alternative process plans, work plans, and production plans with associated selection criteria. This preliminary preparation creates a structured library of alternatives that can be quickly retrieved and implemented, achieving flexible response without requiring complex real-time decision-making logic during fluctuations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates detection units that monitor production status and automatically trigger selection of appropriate alternative plans based on pre-defined criteria. This feedback mechanism automates the selection process, reducing the perceived complexity by providing clear, rule-based decision pathways rather than requiring complex manual analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS12555054B2Production planning device, production planning system, and production planning method

Publication Date: 2026.02.17 HITACHI LTD

AI summary

It is possible to update a process plan, a work plan, and a production plan in a short time with respect to a production fluctuation event and flexibly deal with the production fluctuation. A production planning device includes: a process plan generation unit which generates a plurality of process plans including an alternative process plan, the process plans relating to a production process of a product; a work plan generation unit which generates a work plan corresponding to each of the process plans; a production plan generation unit which generates a production plan using the plurality of process plans and the work plan; and a production plan redrafting unit which redrafts a production plan using the plurality of process plans and the work plan when a production fluctuation event occurs.