Operations and Production
Its critical that the writer pay attention to details hear in this paper and use APA 6th edition.
Today’s global business environment has placed huge demands on production systems to respond with
agility to rapidly changing customer requirements. This has generated new kinds of production systems
involving multiple decision-making entities interacting to maximize global performance. Based on your
readings this week, respond to the following questions:
�What are the role of multi-agent systems in operations, production strategy, and planning, and how
effective can such systems be in helping the organization meet the requirements of the modern global
business environment?
�What special features should be included in the design of an operations and production strategy by a
company intending to launch a new product, in order to ensure that the organization will gain competitive
advantage in global markets?
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Chan, Swarnkar, & Tiwari (2007, p10) argue that the agent’s attributes are inclusive of
the adaptability, which explains its capability to cope with evolution of the environment and the
capability to increment dynamically its own competence. The role of multi-agent is to control the
production strategy of an organization; since, the distributed decision making systems are
affected by a complexity of the agents control over it. The agent’s organization is comprised of
features like the decision making distribution in the production sector and the organizational
structure as a whole. In a multi-agent system, communication is very necessary because it helps
to coordinate all the agents in carrying out the different task assigned to them accordingly.
The agent’s communication can be classified according to communication vehicle that
interchanges information among various agents and the protocol, which explains the structure of
the information provided. The multi-agent systems aids in the discrete manufacturing since the
main focus of the agent is model definition (Lapre, & Scudder, 2004, p124). The multi-agent
systems have brought flexibility and effectiveness in various organizations; whereby, the firms
can be able to determine the functional specifications of their components. The agent’s flexibility
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also aids in acknowledging the least expensive organizational structure of an assembly line and
chip in on matters to do with the induction of the engine assembly. The agent systems have also
been applied to continuo’s processes, which later bring the benefit of paint savings due to the
lower number of color setups that are used. The agents aid in the policy making of jobs that
entails the planning, cost analysis, process planning o the organization objectives and advertising
the new product to the market. The agents also aid in the marketing of the product and procuring
of the product. According to Caridi & Cavalieri (2004, p107), the agent leads to better
manufacturing systems and improved co-ordination of various functional units in a given
manufacturing company.
A company that is intending to launch a new product with the aim of gaining competitive
advantage in global market ought to use the tradeoff method, which will help in the quick
delivery of the product to the required destination. This can be best achieved through the
maintenance of the high levels of finished goods inventories; hence, there will be flexibility in
the operation process. Through the use of the trade off method, the firm will improve their
performances and the productivity frontiers by investing in new technologies. The trade off
method will aid the firm in bettering and improving its performance; since, this leads to lowering
the cost of production of the product. The firm needs to employ the data and method strategy
because, they will improve the quality of production in regard to the customers complains. The
quality of the product presented in the market is mainly dependent on complains and claims
presented by the customers (Boyer, & Lewis, 2002, p14). Transportation of the product needs to
be of good standard; since; this interferes with the quality of the product. The quality of the
product needs to be improved through the avoidance of any tradeoffs as this helps to meet the
customer’s desire. The geographical location of the customers and the product should also be
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taken in to consideration to reduce the cost that may be incurred in transportation. Congestion in
time of transportation needs to be considered to avoid damaging the products and also the
products need not to be mishandled in the process.
References
Boyer, K. K., Lewis, M. W. (2002). Competitive priorities: Investigating the need for trade-offs
in operations strategy. Production and Operations Management 11(1) 9–20
Caridi, M., & Cavalieri, S. (2004). Multi-agent systems in production planning and control: An
overview. Production Planning & Control, 15(2). Retrieved from Business Source
Premier Database
Chan, F. T. S., Swarnkar, R., & Tiwari, M. K. (2007). Infrastructure for co-ordination of multi-
agents in a network-based manufacturing system. International Journal of Advanced
Manufacturing Technology, 31(9/10). Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database
Lapre, M. A., & Scudder, G. D. (2004). Performance Improvement Paths in the U.S. Airline
Industry: Linking Trade-offs to Asset Frontiers.
