Management-Systems for Shop-Floor Logistics :
A model-based Design Methodology

PHILIP G. MOSCOSO
E. T. H. Zürich
Institut für Operations Research
CH - 8092 Zürich

The thesis outlines a model-based methodology for the design of logistic management systems on a shop-floor. The main motivation for the development of this methodology resulted from a tremendous challenge shop-floor managers are confronted with: to shift from a product/functional view focusing efforts on certain states of production (e.g. utilization) to a relation-ship/systemic view focusing on certain skills (e.g. agility). In fact, this cannot be achieved anymore by traditional production planning and control systems, and is therefore quite a new state for the shop floor management, which claims for new logistic management systems.

In the thesis a model-based methodology for the design of such new systems is described. The methodology comprises a heuristic design procedure and a modeling framework. The modeling framework provides a design picture as holistic as possible in order to support the identification of the available variables, the options to be studied as well as the requirements and influencing factors within the design, and make them approachable for an evaluation. In addition, the framework provides several concepts (e.g. viability or integral logistic management) increasingly used in shop floor logistics, with model-based conceptions.

The design procedure guides the chronological exploration of the framework, and turns to several practically proved modeling tools (e.g. simulation), to provide the design methodology with a valuable reservoir of tools.

Finally, the application of the methodology is illustrated by means of a practical case study from the field of semiconductor assembling.

For further information, please contact Professor Hans-Jakob Lüthi (luethi@ifor.math.ethz.ch).