BPSS: A Scheduling Support System for the Packaging Industry
Leonard Adler, Nelson Fraiman, Edward Kobacker, Michael Pinedo, Juan Carlos Plotnicoff, Tso Pang Wu
Operations Research · 1993 · Volume 41 · Issue 4
Abstract
This paper describes a scheduling support system for plants that produce multiply paper bags. The machine environment in these plants may be described as a flexible flow shop. That is, there are a number of stages in series with a number of machines in parallel at each stage. The jobs have specified shipping dates as well as priorities; their processing times and setup times are known in advance. We developed a five-step algorithm that schedules all the jobs at the various stages. This algorithm has been incorporated in a system, the Bagpak Production Scheduling System (BPSS), which also contains a data base management module and a user interface module. The system has been implemented in two plants, and is used on a regular basis. It has increased considerably the accuracy of the available information regarding the production process. The scheduler, in conjunction with the system, is able to produce better schedules; he now always knows where given performance measures stand. In addition, the available information enables the scheduler to provide better service to customers.
Keywords
information systems: decision support systems, production/scheduling: applications, sequencing, multiple machines
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