A new input-output control order release mechanism: how workload control improves manufacturing operations in a job shop

Make-to-order companies, such as job shops, have been extensively studied. Some of those studies emphasise the importance of the workload control in order to improve manufacturing operations. In this paper a multiple decision-making scheme, with the purpose of planning and controlling operations and getting better delivery and workload related performance measures, as well as one order release decision rule are proposed. The decision-making scheme includes four main decisions: (i) accept or reject an in-coming order; (ii) define the order’s due date; (iii) release the accepted jobs; and (iv) dispatch the jobs at the station level. Extensive simulation experiments were performed to compare the proposed rule with the benchmark mechanisms, as well as with rules presented in previous studies. They led to the conclusion that considering the four decisions simultaneously can improve the job shop measures of performance, and that the proposed release rule is the best in almost all instances.