Design and scheduling of apparel manufacturing systems with both slow and quick production lines

Proposes a model and solution procedure for a hybrid production system that combines a traditional large-batch, long-lead-time “bundle” production system with a fast, flexible, small-lot, “modular” production system in order to achieve both the productivity benefits of the bundle system and the speed and flexibility of the quick line. To implement an effective combination of these two system types, the authors address the following questions: what percentage of overall production capacity should be allocated to the quick production line? What scheduling policy should be employed for the two lines? These two questions are posed so as to maximize the “system profitability” of the entire manufacturing-retailer system. Results from a test problem are provided