Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS) typically possess real time control capabilities by which the routing flexibility can be utilized towards performance improvements. Real time control requires a high level of computer based status monitoring and decision automation and hence high IT investments. Not all manufacturing companies can afford the real time control capabilities. However they may possess a partial level of computer based decision automation resulting in decision delays in decision processing and implementation. It is interesting to study how the lack of real time control in such semi-computerized flexible manufacturing (SCFM) systems affects their performance. In this paper we study a typical SCFM at different levels of decision delays and observe that the role of on-line control strategies is crucial for effectively exploiting the flexibility. Our efforts differ from the other researchers' who have mostly assumed real time decision making based on real time status of the manufacturing systems. Such assumptions are justified to some extent for the FMS, but are not valid in the SCFM situation. Our research indicates that it is essential to explicitly model and analyze the effect that decision delays have on the flexible system performance. Our motivation in studying this domain has stemmed from our experience in the Indian manufacturing environment where a phased development of information based automation and integration in manufacturing systems is preferred.
Decision Delay, Sequencing Decision, Dispatching Decision, Routing Flexibility, Semi-Computerized Flexible Manufacturing (SCFM) System, On-line Control Strategy
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