Capabilities

CASRE faculty, staff, and student research and industry partnership efforts have been grouped into three focus areas: (1) Manufacturing Intelligence, (2) Organizational Intelligence, and (3) People-based Systems. We have developed a body of knowledge corresponding to each of these areas in the form of industry-sponsored research, academic research, research publications, and MS and PhD theses. The work in these areas has been supported by federal and industry grants and been published in leading journals in these subject areas.

Manufacturing Intelligence

Manufacturing Intelligence is the use of patterns in production data to analyze, improve, or forecast the performance of processes. The translation of this definition to research is illustrated by summarizing three active projects. In Work Area Analytics, sensor-based data is collected from a production floor to automatically detect and track entities which use the work area. This information, collected over arbitrarily long periods, can be used to gain a better understanding of work area utilization and to assess risk. In Variation-based Performance Management, the trend in variation of all active production processes is used to anticipate system disruption and to identify a group of processes which may trigger it. The methodology provides advance warning to a production manager to remedy process degradation. In Production Fundamentals research, data from production processes of increasing complexity, from single to multiple stations, is analyzed for trends in fundamental metrics such as WIP, cycle time, and throughput. The trends in values of fundamental metrics are leveraged to predict specific events, e.g. the time available before WIP in the system increases. CASRE has a Production Lab which facilitates data collection for these projects. The lab has a fully functional conveyor system with sensors and PLC controls.

Manufacturing Intelligence includes at least the following research capabilities:

• Analytics
• Data integration
• Risk management
• Design process development
• Prototype development
• Lean
• Design analysis

Organizational Intelligence

Organizational Intelligence is the development of techniques and strategies which improve organizational metrics at the process, plant, and supply chain levels. Our work on organizational intelligence encompasses several active projects. In Packaging Optimization, a packaging and work accountability strategy for flexible and rigid packages was developed for a distributor in a federal supply chain. This optimization strategy results in tight, stable packaging formations which protect contents from damage and reduce transportation hazards and losses in the supply chain related to poor packaging and loading of goods. In Transportation Logistics, the consolidation of small loads for optimization of logistics and the partial delivery of payloads across multiple locations was studied. The work was validated by a leading delivery company and is under review for further enhancements to the model. In Flexible Supply Chain Design, the supply chain for an industrial partner was redesigned to accommodate stable as well as volatile changes in demand. The modification of supply chain settings to improve the response to sudden changes was simulated and the impact of the flexible design studied to validate the model.

Organizational Intelligence includes at least the following research capabilities:

• Simulation and modeling
• Optimization
• Advanced supply chain
• Resource planning
• Systems integration and agile methodologies
• Lean
• Design analysis

People-based Systems

People-based Systems are developed with the understanding that individual, organizational, and national culture plays an important role in determining success of a strategic plan for an organization or improving its productivity. The incorporation of cultural variation into the design of systems and delivering training to individuals has a clear and measurable impact on organizations. In Lean Team Assessment, team building efforts for Lean system implementations are studied from the point of view of skill requirements. This assessment includes understanding the soft skills that are responsible for the success of a Lean system, and the type of training which may be imparted to improve the composition of project teams. In Risk Mitigation using Visual Tools, we consider a visual ergonomics approach to improving risk awareness on site. Work area factors are considered to allocate visual aids to specific locations, so that people avoid situations which can lead to accident and injury. In Construction Safety, the difference in risk attitudes shaped by an individual’s cultural background was studied. Specific demographic groups, based on their perception of risk, could then be linked to focused training which would help improve the organization’s safety levels and enhance productivity.

People-based Systems includes at least the following research capabilities:

• Advanced training solutions
• Lean
• Risk management
• Resource planning
• Design process development