Abstract
The authors presented in their previous paper a method of enumerating alternative ways of performing an assembly-type work, being given a series of work steps together with the appropriate information on all parts and equipment involved in it. The basic idea is characterized by the identification of a set of "essential transformations (ETs)" in a given task. There are numerous ways to build a product unit utilizing a set of ETs depending upon the combination of the sequence of ETs. This paper purposes an algorithm for listing alternative methods to be executed on a computer system and presents a procedure for applying the system in designing and/or improving work processes. As a basic idea in achieving the above, a "state/change transition matrix" is constructed which is processed by the algorithm. By the use of the system, when a set of ETs with a proper set of sequences is input, the system will output a set of corresponding alternative work sequences. For example, if a set of ETs and a set of feasible sequence alternatives are extracted from an existing method of work, and they are input into the system, the system will output the corresponding number of alternative methods of work.
