production networks

Medium-term order planning for the serial production of multi-variant products such as automobiles enables an integrated planning of procurement, production and sales as well as robust and optimized plans. In addition, continuity between medium-term and short-term planning can be achieved through a medium-term order basis. This article presents a planning methodology for the generation of planned orders to create a medium-term order basis, the assignment of planned orders to plants in a production network, and the assignment of incoming customer orders to planned orders.

The network as a complexity driver gains in importance due to a proceeding globalization. The amount and location of sites are a key part of the network. A growing number of sites raises the complexity causing further coordination efforts, interfaces and opacity. Complexity has not been taken into account within location decisions yet. Thus this article analyses the connection between the amount of sites and complexity.

Due to the concentration of core competences and the utilisation of international location advantages successful German production companies face a situation with globally dispersed sites in global value added networks. The ongoing globalisation, which includes the integration of external sites, suppliers and partners, leads to complex interactions within networks. However, these interactions are not or are simply partially known and not predictable so far. Being able to control dramatic dynamics in the behaviour of global value added networks, German production companies will be positively affected by globalisation in the future. Therefore, changeable global value added networks which can be quickly adjusted to dynamics become crucial. The paper on hand describes an approach for the planning and optimization of adaptable global value added networks. Background is the approach of the research project “planning and optimization of changeable global value added networks” (POWer.net) ...

This paper discusses ideas about and experiences with flexible simulation of real-time data streams generated by production networks when state-of-the-art automatic identification and localization technologies are applied. Flexibility here means the possibility to freely define the objects and their related types of events and statuses that are recorded in production and logistics processes. The data streams generated during simulation can be used to test and compare operational control strategies for processes in production networks in an offline or online mode.

With new markets and decreasing transfer barriers producing companies are facing new possibilities for the optimization of their value chain regarding factor and sourcing cost as well as business opportunities in new markets. Global Footprint Design is therefore a highly relevant business issue which needs to address global cost advantages on one hand and exploitation of markets on the other. The paper presents a heuristics for footprint design which is oriented towards these opportunities.

The problems occurring during ramp-up processes of new products are usually of technical nature. They, however, feature a large-scale potential for causing or intensifying further problems in other fields of action during the project. Especially small and medium-sized companies suffer from the absence of appropriate documentation methods and proactive approaches for effective containment actions in case of conflicts. Looking at a ramp-up along the supply chain the process consists of a large number of local ramp-ups. Conventional project management methods do not offer suitable tools for this multi-level problem. A holistic ramp-up management needs to be developed.

Facing shorter product life cycles and ever changing customer requirements, production ramp-up processes are becoming one of the most decisive factors to stay in the market. In contrast to the automotive industry, where large scale information systems (IS) and simulation tools allow the build up of digital factories, small and medium sized enterprises (SME) lack resources to satisfy the corresponding organisational and IS-specific requirements. The focus of the research project ELAN is to develop an overall approach to manage production ramp-up adapted to the needs of SME.

The requirements to enterprises in-creased and became more complex over the last years. This is caused by changing market demands - chief the change to customer orientation - and the resulting necessary changes. For these reasons the research on the area of value adding in networks grew in their significance. This paper presents an operating model for non-hierarchical production networks between small and medium enterprises and -units developed by the Chemnitz University of Technology. The selection of the necessary network participants is the central task of this model.