The continuous improvement of production processes is a requirement to achieve and secure competitive advantages. This includes, among other things, to develop differentiating features faster than the competitors. In addition to technological innovations, organizational and logistical processes offer a significant potential for cost savings to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). For this reason enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are getting more and more important. This paper describes eight steps for selecting the optimal ERP system.
erp systems, erp selection
To survive in the rivalry of competing supply chains in strong market dynamics, logistic measures of single companies are no longer sufficient. The reaction to disturbances needs to be aligned within the supply chain. Otherwise losses of efficiency result as increased inventory costs and reduced logistic performance. These losses are caused in early tiers of the supply chain. Due to the Bullwhip effect, they result in highly amplified inefficiencies throughout the complete supply chain. This article presents the development of a methodical support for synchronising the logistic reaction in supply chains. Therefore, reactions on disruptions and demand changes are determined and – according to their effect on logistic objectives – quantified. Cause-effect relationships of all processes within the supply chain (Source, Make and Deliver) are identified.
supply chain management, logistic reactivity
The German forging industry is under ever increasing pressure to develop innovative products at low prices. The design of logistic efficient forging processes regarding economic aspects is an opportunity for cost reduction. Thereby, sumultaneous consideration of technological interfaces as well as indirect processes (e.g. tool logistics) leads to a continuous process chain optimization. Logistic effects of resulting process changes have to be identified within a dynamic production controlling system in order zu improve the logistic performance.
logistical optimization, process chain optimisation, production planning and -steering
Design and configuration of model-based rules. Disruptions in production with negative impact on the objectives of production logistics need to be identified and resolved. Small and medium sizes enterprises (SMEs) often lack of sufficient human capital to control the logistic relations in production and thus to realize a targeted improvement of a logistic process. Moreover, a profound knowledge about the complex relations between logistic objectives and measures against interferences in production is often missing. The missing knowledge of coherences may explain why aspired logistic objectives in SMEs are often not achied. This article introduces an approach for diagnosing interferences in production logistics and deriving recommendations for measures using an assistance system developed at the IPH - Institute of Integrated Production Hannover gGmbH.
assistence system, objectives of production logistics, diagnose of interruptions in production
Up to the present day, literature has already dealt with stockout-costs, but methods to quantify these costs have not been developed until now. The absence of these kinds of methods prevents an efficient logistic positioning between stockout-costs and the costs for holding safety-stocks. The costs for safety-stocks in a warehouse to provide a desired service-level can already be determined, but the stockout-costs connected with a desired service-level cannot be quantified yet. This article introduces a mathematical function to quantify the costs in a company’s production caused by missing material, depending on the amount of missing material and its missing time.
stockout costs, material shortage, service-level, logistic costs, warehouse costs
This article describes the logistic challenges of producing in networks. Followed by a definition of a production network, the greatest chances as well as the potential risks of producing in networks are identified. The unique features and requirements of network production in comparison with single enterprise production are pointed out and the production logistic research need is derived.
production, production networks, logistics, xxl-products
An efficient logistic controlling conducting a diagnostic of production logistic with a rule-based expert system can assist companies and in particular small and medium sized enterprises to meet the increasing requirements of the market concerning logistic efficiency. These requirements must, however, be aligned with the company's strategy. Based on the company's strategy a functional strategy has to be derived for the company's logistic to put the superior objectives sustainably into practice. The challenges are the derivation and monitoring of appropriate logistical key indicators that represent the strategic goals, in diagnosing a dysfunction in the production logistic as well as in the derivation of appropriate operational measures to handle the dysfunction and thereby to support the strategy.
logistical controlling, sme, keyindicators
This article presents research results concerning the wear behaviour of precision forging dies within the framework of the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 489 "Process chain for the manufacturing of precision forged high performance components". The wear behaviour is described in accordance to the wear curve of DIN 31051. Tests within the scope of this CRC have revealed two different kinds of measurable wear, material abrasion and material adhesion. Based on the wear curve of an examined precision forging tool the threshold level of damage is determined. The threshold level of damage complies with the maximal quantity of good parts which can be produced with the precision forging tool. An approach to identify an economic lot size for forging processes taking into account the maximal tool quantity was developed, in order to enable an integrated production planning and tool maintenance planning.
batch size determination, tool life quantity, abrasion behavior, forging industry
