Kit preparation for mixed-model assembly: efficiency impact of confirmation methods

Pages547-560
Date08 April 2019
Published date08 April 2019
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-07-2018-0287
AuthorPatrik Fager
Subject MatterInformation & knowledge management,Information systems,Data management systems,Knowledge management,Knowledge sharing,Management science & operations,Supply chain management,Supply chain information systems,Logistics,Quality management/systems
Kit preparation for mixed-model
assembly: efficiency impact of
confirmation methods
Patrik Fager
Department of Technology Management and Economics,
Chalmers University of Technology, Goteborg, Sweden
Abstract
Purpose Confirmations are applied in kit preparation for mixed-model assembly to promote quality, but
research that explains the impact on time efficiency has been lacking. The purpose of this paper is to
determine the extent to which the type of confirmation method relates to time-efficient kit preparation when
order batching is applied.
Design/methodology/approach An industrially relevant laboratory experiment is applied, simulating
kit preparation with order batching for mixed-model assembly. The time efficiency is studied as associated
with four confirmation methods barcode ring scanner, button presses, voice commands and RFID-reading
wristbands when applied as pick-from and place-to confirmation. Furthermore, the paper also considers the
quality outcome.
Findings Efficiency is promoted by methods that minimise interrupting the pickers motions when
performing pick-from confirmations and with methods that allow each hand to place components and
perform place-to confirmations simultaneously here represented by button presses and RFID-reading
wristbands. Moreover, combining various methods for the tasks of pick-from or place-to confirmation can
benefit efficiency.
Research limitations/implications Pickers at an early stage of the learning curve (one shift of training)
were considered.
Practical implications The findings promote the customised applications of picking information systems
in industry.
Social implications Combining various methods for the tasks of pick-from and place-to confirmation can
provide more fitting applications that better align with the pickers preferences.
Originality/value Combinations of various methods when applied as either pick-from or place-to
confirmation, or both, are studied.
Keywords Order picking, Confirmation methods, Kit preparation, Kitting, Mixed-model assembly,
Order batching
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Mixed-model assembly often involves numerous component variants and the materials
supply to assembly is critical (Kilic and Durmusoglu, 2015). Kitting a materials supply
principle by which assembly is supplied with kits of components sorted by assembly object
(Bozer and McGinnis, 1992) is associated with many benefits when applied in mixed-model
assembly (Hanson and Brolin, 2013) and has received increasing attention in recent years
(Sali et al., 2015). When kitting is applied, the kit preparation is a central process, which
typically is performed by manual labour and needs to display a high efficiency to ensure a
low running cost (Caputo and Pelagagge, 2011; Hanson and Medbo, 2016). Moreover, kit
preparation must ensure a high quality, so that each kit contains the right components in the
right amounts, otherwise costly disruptions are likely to occur in the receiving assembly
processes (Boysen et al., 2015; Caputo et al., 2017a, b).
To support quality in the kit preparation processes, different confirmation methods are
used: pick-from confirmations are used to ensure that picking is performed from the right
locations (i.e. that the right components are picked) and place-to confirmations are used to
ensure that the components are placed in the right kits, which is necessary when more than
Industrial Management & Data
Systems
Vol. 119 No. 3, 2019
pp. 547-560
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0263-5577
DOI 10.1108/IMDS-07-2018-0287
Received 9 July 2018
Revised 4 September 2018
Accepted 22 September 2018
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0263-5577.htm
547
Kit preparation
for mixed-
model
assembly

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