A comparative study of the push and pull production systems

Little work has so far been done to investigate the relative merits of push and pull production systems when subject to a common set of conditions. The present study examines the behaviour of the two systems under various load (demand) conditions using computer simulation. The JIT pull system is found to provide better results throughout. Under heavier loading conditions, it is also able to maintain a lower in-process inventory. Another significant finding is the influence of the scheduling rule. The first-come-first-served rule results in poor process utilisation because of its inferior queue clearing capability. A shortest process time based discipline, on the other hand, will generate greater job mobility within the system and provide substantial overall improvement in the system performance.