Production Planning In Production Networks

No other book has been published giving a single-volume introduction and survey to production planning in distributed manufacturing networks. The published literature so far includes conference proceedings only.

No other book has been published giving a single-volume introduction and survey to production planning in distributed manufacturing networks. The published literature so far includes conference proceedings only.

"This book presents relevant theoretical frameworks and most recent research findings in this area, providing significant theories for research students and scholars to carry out their continuous research as well as practitioners who aim to improve upon their understanding of distributed production planning"--

The financial results of any manufacturing company can be dramatically impacted by the repetitive decisions required to control a complex production network be it a network of machines in a factory; a network of factories in a company; or a network of companies in a supply chain. Decision Policies for Production Networks presents recent convergent research on developing policies for operating production networks including details of practical control and decision techniques which can be applied to improve the effectiveness and economic efficiency of production networks worldwide. Researchers and practitioners come together to explore a wide variety of approaches to a range of topics including: WIP and equipment management policies, Material release policies, Machine, factory, and supply chain network policies for delivery in the face of supply and demand variability, and Conflicts between complex production network models and their controlling policies. Case studies and relevant mathematical techniques are included to support and explain techniques such as heuristics, global and hierarchical optimization, control theory and filtering approaches related to complex systems or traffic flows. Decision Policies for Production Networks acts as handbook for researchers and practitioners alike, providing findings and information which can be applied to develop methods and advance further research across production networks.

Implementing co-operative production networks to secure and foster future competitiveness on the global market is a major strategic target for many small- and medium-sized enterprises. The text starts begins with a look at strategic management before moving onto operational product development and operations execution, and in doing so provides a detailed overview of the different key issues of setting up strategic production networks. Management concepts, the required information technology as well as best practices are introduced and discussed by leading researchers from Germany, Switzerland and China. The book is ideally suited for managers responsible for setting up global or regional co-operative production networks as well as researchers and students.

If one accepts the premise that there is no wealth without production, whether at the individual or national level, one is immediately led to the conclusion that the study of productive systems lies at the forefront of subjects that should be intensively, as well as rationally and extensively, studied to achieve the desired 'sustainable growth' of society, where the latter is defined as growth in the quality of life that does not waste the available resources in the long run. Since the end of World War II there has been a remarkable evolution in thinking about production, abetted to a large measure by the nascent field of informatics: the computer technology and the edifices that have been built around it, such as information gathering and dissemination worldwide through communication networks, software products, peripheral interfaces, etc. Additionally, the very thought processes that guide and motivate studies in production have undergone fundamental changes which verge on being revolutionary, thanks to developments in operations research and cybernetics.

The phenomenon of globalization has increased in recent decades due to the opening of borders in Eastern Europe and the sudden emergence of other countries in the global trade economy. Yet, the process of becoming global to get access to growing markets or to achieve quality, service, and/or cost advantages from the reconfigured Value Chains is one of the most complex processes that companies undertake. Global Production Networks: Operations Design and Management addresses the challenges that companies face and proposes a range of innovative methodological approaches when designing and implementing global manufacturing and logistics networks. The book provides principles, tools, and techniques to help managers and practitioners tackle the design and management of global manufacturing and logistics networks. It presents guidelines based on the key activities and decisions of operations management for companies that have begun the internationalization process over the past few years, focusing on small and medium enterprises, and includes case studies that show best practices and recent trends. The author has worked closely with researchers and practitioners throughout the world to offer a methodological answer for the analysis and design of global networks with productive multilocation as well as the design of plants, warehouses, and supplier networks in new international contexts. The text also outlines the GlobOpe (Global Operations) framework and roadmap that outlines a logical path to identifying sources of competitiveness when designing and managing Global Production Networks. The process of internationalization in global markets has often been tackled from the business point of view, but rarely from the perspective of the production and logistics systems that support it. This book takes an in-depth look at the strategy of production and logistics operations, providing a roadmap for managers who need to analyze, assess, define, and deploy the operations strategy in their companies.

Written by Neil M. Coe, this Advanced Introduction provides a comprehensive guide to the vibrant and expanding global production network (GPN) approach, through deftly exploring its antecedents, theoretical underpinnings, and debates and controversies in the field. The author argues overall that, during a time of profound on-going challenges within the global economic system, the need for a GPN framework has never been more pressing.