An evolutionary approach to select a pull system among Kanban, Conwip and Hybrid

This paper describes a methodology for the choice of a pull production-control strategy. The methodology is based on optimization, using an Evolutionary Algorithm and discrete-event simulation, of a generic system that can model Kanban, Conwip, and Hybrid. This approach is illustrated through the examples of production lines with six, eight, and ten stages. The optimization procedure leads to a simplified Hybrid system.