The reduction of production lead time using holonic manufacturing: experiment and analysis

Abstract

Purpose In modern industrial processes, the need of reducing lead time is imperious. This goal is pursued by “Holonic” structures, which are systems based on a network of collaboration. The purpose of this paper is to appraise the possible benefits, in terms of production duration, of such organizations compared to non-holonic arrangements. In addition, this analysis represents virtual teams, which are a significant and strategic attribute of holonic manufacturing systems. Design/methodology/approach The experiment performed in this paper is a simulation of an automobile assembly process under both a holonic and a non-holonic structure to observe lead times and the distinctive characteristics of each organization. Other targets of this research are to monitor the advantages that either strategy may offer in terms of efficiency and to examine a possible model of how virtual teams can be used in holonic networks. Findings The findings are unexpected. An initial expectation might lead to the belief that, given the better coordination and communication of holonic networks, lead times would be diminished. This experiment, utilizing virtual teams of university students, indicated otherwise. Research limitations/implications It should be noticed, however, that future experiments in real manufacturing assembly processes are recommended to complement the findings of this study. Originality/value The management of lead times is indeed a complex task that includes a diversity of variables. Holonic structures should balance several factors that might play a role in lead times and ultimately in the success of a project. An original experiment with the participation of many universities in different countries is presented in this study. The exposure of global characteristics of modern manufacturing structures constitutes the main value of this research.

The Manufacturing Holonic Structured Virtual Team Organization: Labour Cost Reduction?

“…Virtual teams located in several countries can form a holonic network. This research utilized the experiment described by Torres-Palacio (2019), which consisted in a practical investigation that compared HMS to NHS.…”

“…As presented in the experiment by Torres-Palacio (2019), there were several international institutions (universities) forming a global network. These were Purdue University (66 students, Indiana, USA), Universidad de las Américas (UDLA) (42 students, Ecuador), Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) (6 students, Ireland), Ivy Tech (12 students, Indiana, USA), Coastal Carolina (6 students, South Carolina, USA), Technische Universität Kaiserslautern (6 students, Germany) and Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) (12 students, Ecuador).…”

“…The study by Torres-Palacio (2019) also revealed that the total assembly time in holonic groups was (73.7792 + 24.6044 + 3.7875 + 10.4905 + 3.8500 + 3.1167 + 11.5398) = 131.1681 h. At a cost of $10 per hour, there was a total labour cost of $ 1,311.681. Apparently, holonic groups would be more expensive than the traditional non-holonic units.…”

“…To appraise a possible cost reduction when employing holonic structures, the total assembly times were considered. The data were obtained from the measurements completed by Torres-Palacio (2019). In addition, the times required to answer questions asked by the workforce to the supervisor (questions of participants to the researcher) were also contemplated, as well as the time spent in virtual meetings in the case of holonic-structured teams.…”

“…The experiment performed by Torres-Palacio (2019) indicated that the total assembly time in non-holonic teams was (48.6501 + 20.1469 + 5.0222 + 6.6802 +2.5667 + 2.9128 + 6.2167) = 92.1956 h. Under the consideration of $10 per hour of labour cost, then the total cost for non-holonic groups was $921.956.…”