2006 Graduate Catalog and 2005 Annual R & D Report - Sirindhorn ...

2006 Graduate Catalog and 2005 Annual R & D Report
Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology (SIIT)
predict future behaviour and the effects produced by
changes in the systems or in its method of operation.
Cellular Manufacturing Systems (CMS)
CMS is another form of manufacturing system which
applies the concept of group technology to provide
some of the operational advantages of a flow shop
while maintaining some of the strategic advantages of
the job shop. Many research areas are involved in the
concept including different types of cell formation and
production planning for controlling the operation
within and among the cells (inter-cell workload
transfer).
Production Planning and Control (PPC)
Production planning uses the information from
product and sales planning to plan the aggregate
rates of production and the inventory levels. The
objective of production planning is to provide
sufficient finished goods in a period to meet the sales
plan objectives while staying within financial and
production capacity constraints. It is one of the richest
areas that still require further research.
Economic and Strategic Justification Methods
The main objective of justification processes is to
justify an investment to see whether or not it is worth
investing. However, in justifying new manufacturing
technologies, traditional justification methods, with
their overemphasis on short-term savings, cause
these projects to be rejected while others fail to come
up to expectation. Many forms of the integration of
economic analysis which provides results in monetary
terms with strategic analysis showing results from
evaluator rating of his or her subjective feeling are an
interesting area for further research.
Dr. Pisal Yenradee
Associate Professor
B.Eng. (1 st Class Honors) in Production Engineering, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology North Bangkok
M.Eng. & D.Eng. in Industrial Engineering and Management, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand
Areas of Specialization: Production and Inventory Control (P&IC) systems, JIT, MRP, and TOC; P&IC systems
for Thai industries; Applied Operations Research; Supply Chain Management.
Research Interests:
Small- to medium-sized industries (SMIs) in Thailand
face considerable production and inventory control
(P&IC) problems. These problems greatly deteriorate
the manufacturing competitiveness of SMIs. In order
to alleviate the problems, their characteristics and
causes should be analyzed. Some causes of the
problems are manageable while others are non
manageable. The non-manageable problems must
be considered as constraints for developing the P&IC
systems. The P&IC systems suitable for the SMIs in
Thailand should be developed based on these
constraints. Particular research topics in this
research area are listed as follows:
Analyses of Production and Inventory Control
Problems in Thai Industries
There are various possible problems related to the
production and inventory control (P&IC) systems in
Thai industries. The nature, characteristics, and
causes of such problems should be known in order to
design an appropriate P&IC system or to improve the
performance of the system. This research aims to
identify the characteristics and also real causes of the
encountered P&IC problems in Thai industries using
an interview survey and case studies.
Guideline or Methodology for Developing the
Appropriate P&IC System for Thai Industries
It is reasonable to assume that the situation of
industries in developed and developing countries are
different. Therefore, the P&IC systems widely used in
developed countries, for example, Just-in-Time, MRP,
and TOC (Theory of Constraints) may not be suitable
for Thai industries. An entirely new system or a
modification of certain existing systems may be
required by Thai industries. This research aims to
recommend P&IC techniques or systems suitable for
Thai industries by focusing on aggregate planning,
master production scheduling, detailed production
and purchasing scheduling, and shop floor control.
Affordable MRP System for Small- to Medium-
Sized Industries (SMIs) in Thailand
Material Requirement Planning (MRP) software
packages available in the market at present are very
expensive and may be unaffordable by SMIs in
Thailand. The software is designed as a general tool
to be applicable for almost all types of industries. It is
therefore complicated and difficult to use. This
research aims to design various MRP systems
(having different planning logics) which are
appropriate for different types of SMIs in Thailand.
Since the MRP systems are specifically developed
(not a general-purpose one) for each type of
industries, they are therefore less complicated, easier
to use, and more affordable.
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