The main objective of the course is to deliver knowledge about the technical organisations, the methods and tools for the design and management of a production system.

In particular, the course objectives are related to:

- Technical and managerial features of the most common production systems with a taxonomic framework;

- Criteria for selection and adoption of a production system and the advantages and disadvantages stemming from their adoption;

- Performance and operating conditions of production systems;

- Framework (models, processes, indicators) to assess performance of production systems;

- Methods, techniques and criteria for configuration and sizing of manufacturing (both fabrication and assembly) systems, and buffering of production flow;

- Models, methods and indicators for demand forecasting;

- Process of production planning;

- Models, methods and indicators for aggregate production planning, stock management, material requirements planning and production scheduling.

The main expected learning outcomes of the course, achievable through lectures and practices, consist of knowledge and comprehension of the main criteria and methods for the designing and management of production systems, as well as of the practical abilities to analyse the features of different configurations and to, correspondingly, synthesize design and management solutions. In particular, the course will allow students to achieve knowledge and comprehension in order to:

- Name, with precise terminology, context, functions and processes implied within different configurations of production systems;

- Describe and explain the general features, strengths and weaknesses pertaining to different configurations of production systems, while relating, in each configuration, to different functions, processes and impacts on operational and business performance;

- Describe and explain the main criteria, approaches, methods and mathematical formulations to provide rough design and management solutions for different configurations of production systems;

- Describe and explain the modelling criteria and methods to provide detailed design and management solutions after performance assessment and verification in view of the stochastic nature of activities in production systems;

- Identify, describe and analyse the main features of production systems and their implications in terms of managerial and organizational issues.

The course will also allow students to be able to practically apply the acquired knowledge and comprehension in specific problem settings, proposed during the practices and requiring abilities of analysis and synthesis, leading to:

- Distinguish different contexts and requirements identified in specific problem settings, eventually being able to understand problems and opportunities in a given business and industrial environment and to formulate the goals in terms of performance targets and main design variables;

- Analyse the data sets provided within specific problem settings, to estimate the achievable performance and costs;

- Design solutions within different configurations of production systems, considering the contexts and the requirements due to specific problem settings, the achievable performances and costs.

In the end, the students will:

- Be able to understand the main problems related to the design and management of production systems;

- Learn the reference methods and techniques to solve those problems within a systemic and systematic approach;

- Acquire the basic knowledge to effectively interact with all the company experts and professionals.

The following topics are presented during the course:

Introduction: The production system and classification of production systems.

Performance: Performance of production systems. Performance effectiveness (quality and service) and efficiency (productivity and flexibility). The measurement of the production capacity. Application cases.

Fabrication: Configuration of fabrication systems (job-shop, manufacturing cell, line). Group technology. Principles of sizing and techniques. Application cases.

Assembly: Configuration of assembly systems (fixed position, assembly shop, cell, assembly line). Principles and techniques of sizing. Application cases.

Production management: Introduction to production management. Objectives, constraints, decision variables, relevant costs for decisions. The phases of planning and production control process.

Demand analysis and forecasting: The demand forecast. Examples of models and forecasting techniques.

MPS: Aggregate production planning. Examples of optimization models and solution techniques. Application cases.

Materials planning. Push approaches: the technique MRP. Pull approaches: stock management techniques: areas of application. Application cases.

Scheduling: The operational planning of production: performance measurements, and reference models for the main production contexts. Application cases.

JIT: The Japanese production techniques: the JIT, kanban and the philosophy of Kaizen.

Tutorials are made by exercises based on application cases of the content of the lessons.

The knowledge and skills related to the course 086448 MANAGEMENT AND INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING (or 086468 MECHANICAL PLANTS or equivalent) are mandatory.

In particular, basic knowledge of cost accounting (e.g., fix vs. variable costs, investment evaluation, …), statistics and organisation theory and design are not recalled during the course.

The examination, to be taken in the scheduled dates, is a combination of a Written test and an Oral test on the content of the lectures and practices. The Oral test is optional (admission only upon passing of the written test), but mandatory when written exam result >= 27/30.

The written test consists of a set of Theoretical (open) questions (closed-book exam) and Numerical exercises (open-book and open-notes exam).

The evaluation of the numerical exercises will take place only when the theoretical questions result >= 5/30 (i.e. 5 out of 9 on theoretical questions).

If the written test result is <= 10/30, students will not be admitted to next scheduled call within the same exam session (but if they withdraw, the rule doesn’t apply).

Overall, the students will have to demonstrate, during the exam, his/her learning outcomes as proper knowledge and comprehension of the main criteria and methods for the design and management of production systems, as well as of the practical abilities required to analyse the features of different configurations and to, correspondingly, synthesize proper design solutions.

In particular, during the exam, the students will have to:

- be able to introduce, with precise terminology, the context, functions and processes implied within different configurations of production systems;

- be able to describe and explain the general features, strengths and weaknesses of different configurations of production systems, showing an understanding of the motivations at the background;

- be able to describe and explain, in each configuration of production system, the different functions and processes as well as the expected impacts on operational and business performance of different design and management solutions;

- be able to describe and explain the main criteria, approaches, methods and mathematical formulations, and their usage to provide rough design and management solutions for different configurations of production systems;

- be able to describe and explain the modelling criteria and methods, and their usage to provide detailed design and management solutions after performance assessment and verification in view of the stochastic nature of activities in production systems;

- be able to identify, describe and analyse the main features of some production systems and their implications in terms of managerial and organizational issues;

- be able to distinguish different contexts and requirements identified in specific problem settings as well as to analyse the data sets provided to estimate the achievable performance and costs;

- be able to provide design and management solutions within different configurations of production systems, considering the requirements due to specific problem settings, the achievable performance and costs.

With reference to the specific kind of test on the content of the course:

- The Written test with Theoretical (open) questions (closed-book exam) aims at highlighting the knowledge of the student and her/his capacity to communicate;

- The Written test with Numerical exercises (open-book and open-notes exam) aims at highlighting the knowledge of the student and her/his capacity to understand and apply the knowledge;

- The Oral test with theoretical questions on the content of the course aims at highlighting the knowledge of the student and her/his capacity to understand and apply the knowledge;

- The Oral test with questions aims at highlighting the capacity of the students to make links among the topics of the course and of previous courses aims at highlighting the capacity of the student to understand and apply the knowledge, to autonomously assess the situation, and her/his capacity to communicate.