Stability analysis on resource matching in crowdsourced manufacturing

Abstract

Recently, crowdsourced manufacturing concept highly attracts attention. In crowdsourced manufacturing, each participant shares their manufacturing resources to improve asset efficiency. To realize this concept, it is important how to make matching between resource requests and resource offers which achieve high efficiency improvement in fair way. Previously, some authors show production efficiency improvement with some resource matching algorithm. But, as shown in market design research field, matching stability is important in resource matching problem not only efficiency. In this research, we propose two stability indices 'number of blocking pairs' and 'loss caused by blocking pairs' for resource matching. The concept of blocking pair is well known, but to utilize it for resource matching problem, there are some obstacles. So, we propose analysis method of resource matching stability. And, we evaluate efficiency of the crowdsourced manufacturing system and matching stability of some representative optimization methods. The computational experiments give the following conclusions. (1) M:n type matching methods improve efficiency of the crowdsourced manufacturing system compared with the conventional dispatch method. (2) Resource matching method should be selected with consideration of features of crowdsourced manufacturing system, because distribution of profit among participants differs according to resource matching method, and matching stability differs according to stability analysis term length. (3) In the case of profit maximization of whole crowdsourced manufacturing system, a polite discussion is necessary, because profit of each participant might be reduced. In the future, we will develop new resource matching method with good balance between management effect and matching stability.