An evaluation of worker cross training and flexible workdays in job shops

Abstract

Capacity flexibility is becoming increasingly important as a means for reducing inventory while maintaining customer service levels. We examine two means to increase capacity flexibility. In particular, we examine an environment where both cross training and flexible workdays are available to respond to workload variability. Flexible workdays are under consideration in the US Legislature. This proposed legislation provides the opportunity for workers to exchange overtime for time off. From a managerial perspective, flexible workdays allow management to shift capacity from periods of light load to periods of heavy load. We simulate the operation of a job shop with both cross training and flexible workdays. Our results indicate that cross training is a far more effective tool for improving performance as compared to flexible workdays. Flexible workdays can be valuable particularly in volatile conditions. However, our results indicate that the degree of cross training is a critical consideration in determining the impact of flexible workdays.

Keywords::

• Job shop scheduling
• workforce scheduling
• shop floor control
• simulation

Notes

¹Beyond the mean utilizati of 95%, we found that flexible workday policies start reverting to a fixed 8-hour day when excess capacity becomes scarce. A flexible workday policy, which compensates overtime at time-and-a-half, reduces the total available capacity whenever it is used.