The selection of the production route in the assembly system

Purpose: The aim of the conducted research is the outworking of the methodology enabling the selection of the fastest production route from the set of the alternative production routes. The presented approach is applied to the assembly system described by the following matrices: the assembly process matrices specified for each assembly process, the processes links matrix specified for the entire system and the alternative routes matrix specified for the entire system. In the considered assembly system rhythmic concurrent production with wide assortment is realised. Design/methodology/approach: The considerations presented in that paper have the theoretical roots in theory of constraints as well as critical path scheduling techniques. Findings: The result of carried out works is the three-step methodology enabling the determination which production route from the set of the alternative production routes enables the fastest customer order realisation. The proposed methodology enables production planning in the way ensuring the satisfaction of the customer needs as soon as possible. Research limitations/implications: The future research will concern the assembly system behaviour in a starting-up phase and a cease phase as well as transient phases. That work boils down to meta-rules determination for the considered class of the system. Practical implications: The proposed three-step methodology can become the integrated part of existing authority software. The outworked computer system aids the decision-making process connected with production planning and ensures effective utilisation of production resources. Originality/value: The main achievement of the given paper is to outwork the three-step methodology permitting to solve the decision problem concerning the selection of the fastest production route from the set of the alternative production routes, which are possible for the realisation in the assembly system.