A rule induction approach for determining the number of kanbans in a just-in-time production system

A procedure based on rule induction is presented which can be used to determine the number of kanbans while simultaneously determining the critical factors in a just-in-time production system. In particular, the classification and regression tree technique developed by Brieman et al. is used to automatically generate rules from dynamic shop floor data. An example application of the methodology is presented and the advantages of a rule induction approach are explained. The paper concludes with a discussion of future research directions.