Developing a logical model for cellular manufacturing systems by theory of constraints thinking process approach

Performance of cellular manufacturing systems has been rigorously investigated during the last two decades. Many of these studies are quantitative and involve precise modelling. The purpose of this paper is to determine critical factors in cellular manufacturing system (CMS) and to identify relationships between different factors of CMS via systematic approach of the theory of constraint thinking process. For this purpose, potential undesirable effects and critical factors of CMS have been identified through a brainstorming session with experts. Then, factors are analysed using thinking process by examining casual relationships, and some strategies have been suggested based on the critical factors. Findings show that knowledge of managers, management information system, performance evaluation, market demands, work‐in‐process inventory, number of cells, assigning of workers to cells, and identification of part families are recognised as the critical factors in strategic decision making. The proposed factors and the relationships have been validated by 68 experts using a binomial test.