The theory and practice of workload control: A research agenda and implementation strategy

Abstract

a b s t r a c tThe Workload Control (WLC) concept is one of few Production Planning and Control (PPC) solutions appropriate for Make-To-Order (MTO) companies yet its successful implementation is an enduring challenge. Most implementations reported are in large organisations yet it has been argued that WLC is particularly suitable for Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) with limited financial resources. Moreover, previous studies do not adequately describe the process through which implementation success was achieved. In this paper, data collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews with key personnel from 41 companies is presented in order to build up a body of evidence on the characteristics of MTO SMEs that affect WLC implementation. The data paints a complex picture of MTO production and suggests that research is likely to be required to move theory closer to practice and organisational change to move practice closer to theory. The former is recommended where processes perform well or appear difficult to change; the latter is recommended where fundamental WLC principles are involved. Two outputs emerge from the study: (1) a research agenda for refining the WLC concept to improve alignment between theory and practice, covering the customer enquiry, order entry, design and engineering and order release stages; and (2) an implementation strategy, including elements of organisational change and covering pre-implementation, implementation and postimplementation stages. The characteristics of MTO SMEs identified should be used in future research to develop more realistic simulations for testing conceptual refinements while field research should apply and extend the implementation strategy presented in order to develop a more detailed roadmap for successful WLC implementation in practice.

The applicability and impact of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems: Results from a mixed method study on Make-To-Order (MTO) companies

“…Many MTO companies operate towards the upstream end of supply chains, serving large customers at short notice (Stevenson et al, 2011). As a result of the typical supply chain positioning and leverage of MTO companies, short-notice requests are commonplace.…”

Information architecture for effective Workload Control: an insight from a successful implementation

“…While a few WLC systems are presented in the literature, information requirements for such systems to be effective have not been explicitly articulated. In addition, previous empirical studies suggest that the inherent information flow in MTO companies is typically fuzzy and incomplete (Silva, Roque, and Almeida 2006;Stevenson 2006;Stevenson et al 2011), which explains the challenges encountered in WLC implementation and confirms the need for effective information management. In response, this paper is motivated by the following research question:…”

“…The 6 challenges encountered in WLC implementation are mainly attributed to the discrepancy between the real-world situations and the simulation experimental settings where the WLC concept was initially designed. Some (e.g., Stevenson et al 2011) argued that the WLC concept should be refined to be more suitable for the practical environment and organisations need to adapt their practice in line with the fundamental WLC principle. Examples of challenges frequently stressed in the literature include:…”

“…Stevenson et al (2011) proposed a roadmap towards successful WLC implementation and concluded the need for detailing/building up the elements including the information flow within the roadmap.…”

“…The shift of the research focus stresses the importance of WLC empirical research and advocates the need for more implementation cases to examine solutions proposed in simulation studies. However, success in WLC implementation remains hindered, where the lack of complete and real-time information has frequently been reported as a key barrier (Tatsiopoulos 1983;Hendry, Elings, and Pegg 1993;Silva, Roque, and Almeida 2006;Stevenson 2006;Huang, Stevenson, and Hendry 2008;Stevenson et al 2011). …”