Optimal due-date assignment in an assembly shop

Under intensified pressure from both domestic and foreign competition, today’s manufacturers must strive to keep delivery promises and reduce waste. This depends largely on a manufacturer’s ability to assign accurate and attainable due-dates. Presents an analytical method of assigning optimal total work content (TWK) due-dates that minimize the average amount of missed due-dates in a dynamic job shop with assembly operations. The accuracy of the method is assessed through computer simulation of a hypothetical assembly shop with different job structures under various operating conditions. While it is generally more accurate for jobs with simpler structures, the simulation results indicate that, over a range of test conditions, the method is both simple and effective in assigning optimal TWK due-dates for assembly shops.