Analysis and optimization of searching procedures in manufacturing environments

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Hermann Lödding
• Subject Area: Production Systems, Operations Management, Quality Management and Factory Planning
• Term: from 2017 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 365697984

Searching procedures are common in industrial manufacturing environments. Workers search for workpieces, parts, tools and for information like process parameters or dimensioning. Especially in one-of-a-kind productions a high amount of work time is spent on searching. This leads to high costs.Although searching procedures do have a high significance in other scientific disciplines, an overall methodology to describe and analyze industrial searching procedures is missing. Existing methods such as work sampling or the integral analysis of labor productivity are not designed to measure the searching effort.Methods like 5S or color markings as a part of visual management can help to reduce searching procedures. Also, modern information technologies like barcode or RFID scanners can support the searching process. These methods and technologies can be helpful, but a systematic approach to find and prioritize effective methods for avoiding searching procedures is still not available.The aim of this research project is to develop a methodology that allows a structured and systematic description and analysis of searching processes in industrial manufacturing environments and enables the user to choose a suitable improvement method.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants