Macro- and micro-modeling of field service dynamics

✍ Scribed by Jack B. Homer

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 271 KB
• Volume: 15
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0883-7066
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1727(199922)15:2<139::aid-sdr164>3.0.co;2-b

✦ Synopsis

A system dynamics model to investigate ®eld service issues was developed for a major producer of equipment for semiconductor manufacturing. This strategic model has a broad scope and multi-year time horizon, and treats variables in an aggregate and deterministic way that is typical for such models. The high-level approach is adequate in most respects, but lacks the detail necessary to resolve a key issue regarding the impact of product crosstraining on service readiness. As a result, it proved useful to supplement the strategic macro' model with a micro', OR-type model that portrays the daily queuing and assignment of service jobs. The micro model provides detailed what-if results that were used for calibrating the strategic model and may also be used for making tactical manpower decisions at the local level. Traditional OR tools may have a role to play in supporting strategic modeling eorts when important operations-level relationships are not adequately understood.