Time lag effects - operations function, Operation Management

Assignment Help:

Time Lag Effects - Operations Function

Feedback control in complex systems can bring its own problems, due to time lag between measuring the output deviation and realising the effects of the corrective adjustments. A well-known illustration of this phenomenon was presented by Jay W Forrester in his book, Industrial Dynamics. He had been consulted by a white goods manufacturing concern which had been experiencing wildly fluctuating production levels over a period of years; despite the best efforts of the company's management they had been unable to keep production output in reasonable balance with customer demand. Forrester and his team studied the operations of the company's distribution chain (shown in simplified form in the figure) and formulated a computer simulation model of the factory - warehouse - distributor - retailers.

1355_Time Lag Effects – Operations Function.png

The figure below (adapted from Forrester, 1965) shows the results obtained when a 10 per cent step-increase in demand at the retail outlets was introduced. This chart is necessarily 'cluttered', to show how the various order, inventory and production levels changed in response to the initial increase in sales.

1964_Time Lag Effects – Operations Function 1.png

For our purposes it will be sufficient if you locate the two lines labeled 'Retail sales' and 'Factory production output'. It was found that, because of a series of time-lags in the chain, the feedback signal was greatly amplified by the time it reached the factory, resulting in over-reaction. Note that the production level climbs by 45 per cent, creating an excessive build up of inventories. In response the production level falls to 3 per cent less than the original level, and so on. It takes about 18 months for the fluctuations to be damped out.


Related Discussions:- Time lag effects - operations function

Why hrm-r technologies financial impact of talent management, • Analyze the...

• Analyze the article's perspectives concerning talent management and technology issues. • Suggest strategies for evaluating HRM-r technologies financial impact of talent manage

Explain control process flow diagram, A typical change request from will in...

A typical change request from will include which of the following content item? a. a description of the change a long with the impact of marking the change. b. a status accounting

Benefits of e-business, Benefits of E-Business There are many benefits...

Benefits of E-Business There are many benefits claimed for e-business, including: 1.      Increased capacity 7 days, 24 hours  2.      Reduced transaction costs/ cost of

Explain manager of a production department, Suppose that you are the manage...

Suppose that you are the manager of a production department that uses 400 boxes of rivets per year. The supplier quotes you a price of $8.50 per box for an order size of 199 boxes

Generate an ld score for the current layout, 1. Develop an ld score for the...

1. Develop an ld score for the current layout. What problems can you identify with the current layout? 2. Use trial and error to come up with a better layout that lowers the ld

Explain a stereotype associated with an asian country, 1. Think of a stereo...

1. Think of a stereotype associated with an Asian country and one associated with a Latin American country. How can these stereotypes potentially influence decisions related to HR

Activities of operation manager in operation management, Responsibilities o...

Responsibilities of Operations Managers in Operation Management The responsibilities of operations managers  1. Understand and participate in setting business strategy

Explain most apprenticeship programs are in skilled trades, 1. Which one of...

1. Which one of the following statements is NOT true of apprenticeships? Most apprenticeship programs are in the skilled trades. A major advantage of apprenticeships is the a

Describe how channel partners rely on each other, Marketing channels are ju...

Marketing channels are just as important to an organization as pricing and product decisions. •Identify and describe three primary types of channel partners. •Provide an example of

Explain leadership in action, Complete the Leadership in Action: David Neel...

Complete the Leadership in Action: David Neeleman Reinvents Airlines. Answering the case questions involves identifying relevant facts from the case, applying the chapter concepts

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd