An assessment framework for optimal Flexible Manufacturing Systems effectiveness

Equipment failures in an FMS are significant to performance and can lead to costly, incorrect decisions. Fortunately, effectiveness measurement techniques can be mapped to clever modeling frameworks to help predict, track, and then improve upon the FMS performability or mission effectiveness, and improve maintenance. This article provides sources and guidelines for efficient and effective FMS modeling, a framework for applying the modeling to predict the impact on customers from their point of view, and a method for trying it all together for improving the FMS effectiveness. It is not enough to simply examine the working and failed states of an FMS or even to calculate common reliability metrics. It is necessary to consider the FMS as a whole, and that system includes the needs of the customer and the business. It is also necessary to be purposeful about the measures of performance selected and to support the measures of effectiveness. In this article, we present: a framework for considering customer needs in the measures of effectiveness for FMS; modeling approaches for solving for effectiveness measures; and an example to show how to apply it to an FMS, to improve it or plan for meeting specific customer needs.