Integrated approach for optimizing quality control in international manufacturing networks


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Type
Article
Change log
Authors
Arndt, T 
Lanza, G 
Tiwari, MK 
Abstract

This paper aims at providing an integrated approach for optimizing quality control in International Manufacturing Networks (IMN), which can be characterized by consisting of numerous plants acting autonomously according to an individual target system. A key challenge is to ensure the overall process quality despite distributed value creation processes and differing target systems in dynamic environments. Hence, the developed approach allows for identifying potentials in the quality control strategy by using a value stream-based method to visualize quality characteristics and procedures in the production process chain. Furthermore, the approach contains a framework for identifying possible improvement measures and a simulation-based evaluation concept to evaluate the effects of different measures with respect to individual target systems. The simulation combines elements of a discrete-event simulation in order to depict the value stream with agent-based modelling for realizing different target systems by considering distinctive plant roles. The paper concludes with a case study of a globally operating automotive supplier to apply the approach. A forward research agenda is proposed that evaluates the approach in multiple cases, deriving patters across companies or industries.

Description
Keywords
Quality control, international manufacturing network, plant roles, simulation-based evaluation
Journal Title
Production Planning and Control
Conference Name
Journal ISSN
0953-7287
1366-5871
Volume Title
30
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Sponsorship
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/K02888X/1)
This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) under Grant LA 2351/28-1.