KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Review on

Just in time and Kanban Scheduling

SUBMITTED BY:
Prabin Bhattarai
Bivek Adhikari
Bishal Bashyal
Adarsha Bhandari

SUBMITTED TO:
Asst. Prof. Hari Dhakal
Department of Mechanical Engineering

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April, 2024

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 INTRODUCTION
JUST IN TIME MANGEMENT

Just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing aims to minimize production turnaround time and inventory
levels by receiving goods only when needed, reducing waste and costs. Implemented effectively,
JIT enhances efficiency, risk management, and operational costs, aligning with the principles of
the renowned Toyota production system. By producing required units in appropriate quantities at
the right time, JIT eliminates unnecessary inventory, optimizing factory operation.

KANBAN

The Kanban system, originating from Japan, is a visual signaling methodology used for
workflow management and inventory control in production processes. It operates on the
principle of "pull" production, ensuring work or materials are produced only when demanded,
rather than being pushed through the system. Kanban employs physical cards or visual indicators
strategically placed throughout the production process to signal when specific tasks or items
need initiation or replenishment based on real-time demand signals.

Figure 1: Representation of Kanban Diagram

DETERMINING THE NUMBER OF KANBAN

Determining the appropriate number of Kanban cards is a critical aspect of implementing the
Kanban system effectively. The number of Kanban cards needed is influenced by factors such as
production capacity, lead times, customer demand, and desired inventory levels.

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CQNCCS and CCNCQS, two inventory systems respectively correspond to constant order
quantity and constant order cycle systems in the conventional inventory control system. When
the distances between two processes are short (which is achieved by CQNCCS) and the setup
processes are improved, the number of Kanban’s circulating between them can be calculated as
follows:

where Q, T, α, and C are, respectively, the average daily demand, the lead time, a safety
coefficient, and the container capacity. The lead time T is given by:

T = Processing time + waiting time + conveyance time + Kanban collecting time.

PRODUCTION SMOOTHING

The Just-in-Time (JIT) system aims to enhance manufacturing efficiency by aligning production
with market demand. Production smoothing is crucial in achieving this goal, as it minimizes
output variations across time periods. This involves maintaining balanced production quantities
for each product model to evenly distribute workload and aid in workforce planning. The JIT
system allows for flexibility in accommodating up to 10% variations in production estimates,
enabling adjustments to meet changing demand. Implementing production smoothing techniques
within JIT results in a more efficient manufacturing process, optimizing resource utilization,
reducing inventory costs, and improving customer satisfaction by ensuring timely availability of
products

SEQUENCING FOR JIT MIXED-MODEL ASSEMBLY LINES

Assembly systems can be categorized into single-model lines, batch-model lines, and mixed-
model lines based on the structural arrangement of products. Single-model lines focus on
assembling one product type exclusively, while batch-model lines handle multiple product types
in separate batches, leading to high inventory carrying costs and long lead times. Mixed-model
assembly lines, like the sandwich model, are prevalent in industries with diverse product
specifications and entail lower changeover costs compared to batch assembly. Sequence
scheduling is crucial in mixed-model production systems, involving determining cycle time,

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minimum process number, task relationships, and line balancing. In Just-in-Time (JIT) systems,
strategic product arrangement aims to minimize part usage variations and balance workload
across assembly lines or workstations. Heuristics are commonly employed to manage the vast
number of possible sequences efficiently within computational constraints

Figure: Mixed-Model Assembly Line

JIT focuses on cost reductions leading to increased profit margins. The sequence scheduling of a
mixes model assembly line plays a crucial role in achieving cost reduction, leading to the
following outcomes.

A smooth schedule in mixed-model assembly lines plays a crucial role in minimizing inventory
requirements, thus reducing overall costs associated with storage facilities, capital, and
obsolescence. Additionally, it optimizes workforce planning by ensuring a balanced workload
across both the assembly line and other work centers, leading to enhanced efficiency and
productivity. However, achieving an optimal workload distribution is challenging due to the
complexity and varying specifications of the products, highlighting the need for continued efforts
beyond mere line balancing to address workload issues effectively.

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So, a smooth sequence schedule in mixed-model assembly line with JIT principle can lead to
very significant cost reductions by minimizing inventory, optimizing workforce planning and
improving overall efficiency.

Mathematical Models for JIT Sequence Scheduling

The models that have been used to describe the JIT sequencing problem mainly seek to minimize
the deviation from an average, which depends on the goal in question. For smoothing of (1) parts
consumption, the model seeks to minimize the difference between actual and mean parts
consumption. Other goals are meant to minimize deviation from the mean of (2) product rate, (3)
product load, and (4) subassembly load.

Single Objective Problems

In single objective problems, the aim is to optimize one specific outcome, achieved by defining
an objective function and finding the best solution that minimizes or maximizes it while meeting
all constraints, though real-world scenarios often entail trade-offs between multiple objectives.

Parts usage smoothing

This represents the objective function S that we want to minimize.

 S is the objective function that we’re trying to optimize. In this case, S represents the sum
of differences in parts usage smoothing across all stages of production.
Q
 ∑ PTU represents a summation where we are adding up the differences in parts usage
k =1

smoothing for each stage of production, form k=1 to k=Q, where Q is the total number of
stages.
 ΔPTUki represents the difference in parts usage smoothing for a specific stage k and
product type i. It is calculated by using the formula,

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 1
Where, Xj,k represents the actual usage of part type j at stage k. represents the average usage of
Q
part type j over all stages of production. β represents the total number of part types.

The objective of minimizing S is to ensure that the actual quantity of each part used during
production closely matches the average requirement over the entire production period.

Product load smoothing

Product load smoothing aims to balance the workload across the assembly line or workstations.
The objective is to minimize variations in production rates across different stages of the
assembly process. This ensures a more even distribution of work and helps prevent bottlenecks
or overloads in specific areas of production.

Where, ΔPRLki represents the difference in production rated smoothing for a specific stage k and
product type i, Pi’,k represents the actual production rate of product type i’ at stage k, 1/Q
represents the average production rate of each product type over all stags of production and α is
the total number of product types.

The objective of minimizing ΔPRLki is to ensure that production rates are balanced across
different stages of the assembly process, leading to a smoother and move efficient production
flow.

Subassembly load smoothing

Subassembly load smoothing refers to balancing the workload across different subassembly
processes or workstations within a larger assembly process. The goal is to minimize variations in
workload and production rates among subassembly stages, ensuring a more even distribution of
work and preventing bottlenecks or overloads in specific areas.

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Where, ΔSLki represents the difference in subassembly workload smoothing for a specific stage k
and subassembly type i, Si’k represents the actual workload of subassembly type i’ at stage k, 1/Q
represents the average workload of each subassembly type over all stages of production and α
represents the total number of assembly types.

Multilevel and Multicriteria Problems.

In JIT sequence scheduling, addressing multilevel and multicriteria problems involves utilizing
mathematical models like multi-objective optimization and hierarchical decision-making, which
consider conflicting objectives and decision-making across different levels, with formulations
varying based on context and optimization techniques. Comprehensive understanding of specific
formulas and mathematical representations within each category requires consultation of relevant
literature and research articles in JIT sequence scheduling.

where xjvk is the actual number of units of j at level v used by all products from stage 1 through

k, Cvk is the cumulative number of all units of level v used up to stage k, qjv is the total quantity

of unit j at level v, and Tv is the total number of units at level v needed by all products. Wv is the

weight, which indicates the relative importance of a given level.

Solution Methodologies

Optimization Procedures

The space of feasible sequences would be very large; therefore, explicit enumeration would be
unfeasible, except for very small problem instances. Therefore, implicit enumeration
techniques such as dynamic programming and branch-and-bound techniques are mostly used.
Some of the procedures for solutions to problems that have been pro- posed in the literature are
described in the following sections.

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Nearest Integer Point Algorithm (NIPA):

Description: NIPA seeks the integer point closest to the average production values for various
product types, iteratively adjusting to minimize the squared differences between integer and
average points. Let the average and integer points be respectively denoted by Vk = (vk1, vk2,
vk3,..., vkα) and Wk = (wk1, wk2, wk3,..., wkα) . The procedure solves for each k,

Formulation:
𝑁
Objective: Minimize Σ𝑖=1 (𝑊𝑘𝑖 − 𝑉𝑘𝑖)2

Phase 1 adjusts integer points based on proximity to average

points. Phase 2 corrects infeasibilities by rescheduling affected
stages.

Branch-and-Bound Algorithm:
Description: Branch-and-Bound determines lower and upper bounds on the optimum solution
through Lagrangean relaxation and product selection at each stage.
Formulation:
 Lower Bound: Obtained via Lagrangean relaxation, selecting products to minimize
variation.
 Upper Bound: Selects products at each stage to minimize variation over three
successive stages.
Dynamic Programming (DP) Algorithm:

Description: DP computes the variation between average and actual product values,
recursively finding the minimum cumulative variation for feasible states. Let us define vi as the
α × 1 unit vector representing product type i. The stage variation for a given state Y is given for
the problems. Formulation:
 Objective: 𝛾(𝑌) = min [𝛾(𝑌 − 𝑢𝑖 ) + 𝜇(𝑌)]

 Identifies optimum paths and products through backward traversal.

Bounded Dynamic Programming:

Description: Bounded DP combines dynamic programming with graph property exploitation,

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using bounds to eliminate vertices that cannot lead to the optimum solution.

Formulation:
Utilizes bounds to eliminate vertices not contributing to the optimum solution. Considers
potentially good vertices within a moving window for improved computational efficiency.
These methods offer varied approaches to address the PRV problem efficiently, each balancing
computational complexity with the pursuit of optimal solutions.

Heuristics
Greedy algorithms, commonly employed for tackling the JIT assembly line sequencing problem,
rely on intuitive decision-making to prioritize local optimization, offering effective sequences
with moderate computational resource requirements, though not guaranteeing optimal solutions.

Goal Chasing (Single-step Heuristic):

The single-step heuristic of Goal Chasing prioritizes tasks to achieve specific goals, such as
minimizing production time or maximizing resource utilization, but may exhaust valuable
resources prematurely due to its potentially greedy nature.

Earliest Due Date (EDD) Heuristic:

The Earliest Due Date (EDD) Heuristic prioritizes tasks/products based on due dates to minimize
lateness and ensure timely delivery, drawing from single machine scheduling problems, but its
effectiveness may vary in multidimensional scenarios.

Parametric Sequencing Procedure:

The Parametric Sequencing Procedure utilizes a multi-attribute function formula with dynamic
weighting to address multi-goal problems in a greedy manner, offering a straightforward
approach without explicit goal aggregation, but requiring dynamic weighting and potentially
lacking explicit goal assignment.

Expert Systems:
Expert Systems leverage expert knowledge to provide decision-making support by incorporating
rules, algorithms, and knowledge bases, offering valuable insights into complex sequencing
challenges while relying on expert input and potentially requiring significant domain expertise.

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Metaheuristics:
Metaheuristics offer flexible and adaptive frameworks for solving combinatorial optimization
problems by exploring diverse solution spaces and escaping local optima, albeit demanding
significant computational resources and longer execution times compared to other heuristics.

CONCLUSION

Implementing JIT and the Kanban system, alongside effective sequencing techniques,
significantly enhances productivity, reduces waste, and boosts operational efficiency, urging
organizations to leverage both mathematical models and practical heuristics for cost-effective
inventory management and optimized production processes

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