The general behavior of pull production systems: The allocation problems

The design of tandem production systems has been well studied in the literature with the primary focus being on how to improve their eciency. Considering the large costs associated, a slight improvement in eciency can lead to very signi®cant savings over its life. Division of work and allocation of bu€er capacities between workstations are two critical design problems that have attracted the attention of many researchers. In this study, ®rst an understanding into how the system works is to be provided. Except for the integration of two allocation problems, the basic model utilized here is essentially the same as the previous studies. Theoretical results that characterize the dynamics of these systems may also provide some heuristic support in the analysis of large-scale pull production systems. Ó 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.