Evaluating order release mechanisms in a job shop with sequence-dependent setup times

Job-release mechanisms in job-shop control are receiving increased recognition in recent research. However, there is considerable disagreement over the benefits of sophisticated job-release mechanisms, and they remain to be tested in various operating environments. In the present study, the authors extend previous job-releasing research by examining several job-release mechanisms in a different operating environment-a sequence-dependent setup job shop. They tested these release mechanisms, originally developed for a machine-constrained job shop, in conjunction with two groups of sequencing rules-ordinary and setup-oriented sequencing rules. The authors measured shop performance in terms of total cost, the sum of inventory-holding and late-penalty costs. They developed a simulation model of a nine-machine job shop for the present experiment.