An exploratory study of the effects of operator relearning in a dual resource constrained job shop

In a job shop, operators must relearn processing steps when they are transferred between work centers; they forget the efficient processing techniques unique to a departed work center and then must relearn them when they transfer back to that work center. Use of shop floor control policies that do not consider the effect of relearning on process times can result in delays in job delivery and potential loss of revenue. The authors examined the performance of release, dispatch, and labour assignment policies under varying levels of relearning in a hypothetical six-machine, four-operator job shop. The results show that operator relearning significantly impacts the performance of the shop floor control policies tested, suggesting that managers should consider the level of relearning existing in the facility when they select release, dispatch, and labor assignment policies.