Level Schedules for Mixed-Model, Just-in-Time Processes

A mixed-model manufacturing facility running under a Just-in-Time (JIT) production system is controlled by setting the production sequence of the final assembly process. This sequence is set to achieve the primary goal of an organization operating under a JIT system, which is to maintain a constant rate of part usage. In this paper, a graph-theoretic approach is used to determine an optimal solution for this goal for a new, nonconvex objective function. Furthermore, it is shown that a schedule always exists such that, at all times, the deviation of actual production from the desired level of production for every product is never more than one unit.