Optimizing Assembly Line Operations: A Study on Dispatching Rule Performance

Due to rising environmental awareness, many individuals are moving away from fossil-fuel vehicles like gasoline and diesel cars. In contrast, electric vehicles improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions, leading to a surge in their popularity. This growth presents challenges for the motor industry, including a gap between product availability and demand, causing longer delivery times. Efficiently assigning orders to machines, adapting production, and ensuring timely delivery are critical research areas. Dispatching rules are vital in managing production processes, determining how goods are handled as they enter the system. Conventional dispatching systems, which rely on dispatcher expertise and on-site information, often result in incomplete orders being delayed, causing financial losses. This study aims to evaluate various dispatching rules using system simulation to identify the optimal approach for improving order fulfillment. Using the DC motor production line for electric vehicles as a case study, this research develops a production model through FlexSim, used primarily for visualizing production processes. The dispatching rules evaluated include First In, First Out (FIFO), Shortest Processing Time (SPT), and Earliest Due Date (EDD). Results highlight ways the company can improve its processes by comparing fulfillment rates and delay times.