Optimal Due‐date Assignment in an Assembly Shop

Under intensified pressure from both domestic and foreign competition,today′s manufacturers must strive to keep delivery promises and reduce waste. This depends largely on a manufacturer′s ability to assign accurate and attainable due‐dates. Presents an analytical method of assigning optimal total work content (TWK) due‐dates that minimize the average amount of missed due‐dates in a dynamic job shop with assembly operations. The accuracy of the method is assessed through computer simulation of a hypothetical assembly shop with different job structures under various operating conditions. While it is generally more accurate for jobs with simpler structures, the simulation results indicate that,over a range of test conditions, the method is both simple and effective in assigning optimal TWK due‐dates for assembly shops.