Algorithm for agile assembling-to-order in the automotive industry

Traditional automotive assembly initiates the assembly of a vehicle based on a specific order and keeps that order coupled with the vehicle as it moves through the plant. However, due to parallel stations and rework loops in the plant, the build sequence becomes scrambled by the time it enters final assembly. The sequence that reaches final assembly may not be suited for efficient assembly because it might cause very unlevel material usage and workload. Conventional scheduling optimizes the build sequence before the body shop, attaches an order to a physical vehicle as it enters the body shop, and keeps the order and vehicle coupled throughout the plant. Decoupled assembly allows the plant to change the customer order associated with a particular physical vehicle. An algorithm is presented for scheduling and matching customer orders to vehicles to take advantage of this decoupling and quantify its advantages via simulation.