A case study in the design of BTO/CTO shop floor control system

Although computerized information systems are conventionally used to control production, applying a manual approach and improper logistical assignments typically reduces operating efficiency and increases customer service response time. Satisfying the requirements of remaining competitiveness in the current marketplace, such as offering build-to-order (BTO) or configuration-to-order (CTO) services is difficult. This study presents an integrated information system for use in shop floor controlling systems (SFCS) for kitting parts, producing goods, packing finished goods and distributing them, to enhance the performance of the BTO/CTO production system. Several information technologies and devices, such as barcode system, the electronic pick-to-light picking system, electronic Kanban (eKanban), and others are adopted to support the relevant logistics. A personal computer (PC) manufacturer is used to demonstrate the proposed system. The findings of the study reveal that the proposed information system can respond to the status of the production line in real time. This responsiveness can help the production controller to make a suitable decision and quickly meet the requirements of the BTO/CTO production system. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.