Abstract
One of the characteristics of Japanese production systems is, as seen in improvement activities on the shop floor, that the some degree of autonomy is built into the production process. Recently, cell production systems featuring decentralized structures have been introduced in electric, electronics, and other industries. We characterize these systems as having some degree of autonomy and decentralization, thus realizing greater adaptability, and in turn, raising productivity. Here, we construct a conceptual model and propose a design framework for cell production systems, including autonomy and decentralization as design parameters, and considering adaptability and productivity as the objectives.
