Intended learning outcomes: Differentiate between adaptive and generative variant-oriented techniques. Disclose typical sets of characteristics and production types that arise frequently with the four product variety concepts.
Variant-oriented techniques are techniques for the planning & control of a product variety concept with low or high variety.
The subsequent Sections will present different variant-oriented techniques. They can best be grouped in two classes.
Adaptive techniques entail two steps. The first step determines a suitable “parent version” from the existing variants. Secondly, this parent version is adapted, or specified in detail, according to the actual requirements.
Adaptive techniques are expensive in terms of administrative cost and effort. For use of these techniques to be economically feasible, the value added must be high. The techniques are implemented in the product variety concepts standard product with options and product family. See Section 7.2.
Generative techniques are variant-oriented techniques that configure the process plan for each product variant during order processing from a number of possible components and operations. Generative techniques use rules that already exist in an information system.
With generative techniques, order administration is quick and inexpensive, so that the product variety concept product families with many variants, even when value added is often low, can be handled efficiently in terms of operations. See Section 7.3. Products according to (changing) customer specification require additive and generative techniques to a different extent. Here see Section 7.4. Adaptive and generative techniques are closely associated with the product variety concepts. For further details, also see [Schi01]. Figure 7.1.2.1 summarizes four sets of characteristics that are typically and commonly found together with a particular product variety concept.
| Product variety concept / Variant oriented technique | …and typically associated characteristics and production types |
|---|---|
| Standard product with (few) options / Adaptive techniques | Repetitive manufacturing or batch production Production with frequent order repetition Make-to-stock or assemble-to-order (from assemblies) Small batch production possible |
| Product family / Adaptive techniques | Repetitive manufacturing, seldom batch production Production with infrequent order repetition Assemble-to-order (from single parts or subassemblies) Mostly single-item production to customer order |
| Product family with many variants / Generative techniques | Mass customization Tendency toward production without order repetition Make-to-order Mostly single-item production to customer order |
| Product according to (changing) customer specification / Generative and adaptive techniques | One-of-a-kind production, often together with mass customization Production without order repetition Engineer-to-order or make-to-order Mostly single-item production to customer order |
Fig. 7.1.2.1 Typical sets of characteristics and production types that arise frequently with the four product variety concepts.
Each set of characteristics has a production type and values for the features frequency of order repetition and production environment (which, according to Figure 4.5.2.1 and Figure 4.4.5.2, are closely associated with the product variety concept) as well as order batch size.
Continuation in next subsection (7.1.2b).
Quiz variant-oriented techniques.
Course section 7.1: Subsections and their intended learning outcomes
7.1 Logistics Characteristics of a Product Variety Concept
Intended learning outcomes: Differentiate between high-variety and low-variety manufacturing. Describe different variant-oriented techniques, and the final assembly schedule.
7.1.1 High-Variety Manufacturing
Intended learning outcomes: Identify values of characteristic features for high-variety manufacturing. Explain long- and medium-term planning for manufacturing according to customer specification or of product families with many variants.
7.1.1b Low-Variety Manufacturing
Intended learning outcomes: Disclose values of characteristic features for low-variety manufacturing.
7.1.2 Different Variant-Oriented Techniques
Intended learning outcomes: Differentiate between adaptive and generative variant-oriented techniques. Disclose typical sets of characteristics and production types that arise frequently with the four product variety concepts.
7.1.2b The Final Assembly Schedule (FAS)
Intended learning outcomes: Present the concept of the final assembly schedule (FAS). Describe how the MPS concerns the highest structure level still having a small number of different items. Identify FAS/MPS/OPP patterns in dependency on the product variety concept and their relation to the patterns of the T analysis.
