Production planning of a multi-site manufacturing system by hybrid modelling: A case study from the automotive industry

The paper deals with lot sizing and scheduling problem (LSSP) of a multi-site manufacturing system with capacity constraints and uncertain multi-product and multi-period demand. LSSP is solved by an hybrid model resulting from the integration of a mixed-integer linear programming model and a simulation model. The hybrid modelling approach is adopted to test a local as well as a global production strategy in solving the LSSP concerned. The model proposed is applied to a supply chain of a multi-site manufacturing system of braking equipments for the automotive industry. Solutions obtained by the hybrid model under the local or the global production strategy are compared with an actual reference production plan. The approach could help decision making in adopting a cooperative, rather than competitive, production strategy. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.