Dual Resource Constrained (DRC) Shops: Literature Review and Analysis

Abstract : The majority of manufacturing systems in practice are constrained by machine capacity and labour capacity. Consequently a broad literature on Dual Resource Constrained (DRC) shops exists. However, to best of our knowledge, no systematic review of the literature has been presented. Rather, existing reviews follow an ad-hoc procedure for article selection. In response, this study presents a systematic review of the literature concerned with DRC operating issues, such as worker assignment and production planning and control methods. Results highlight that, while early literature on dual resource constraint job shops was mainly simulation based, recent literature tends towards advanced scheduling mechanisms. This arguably introduces a bias towards deterministic contexts. Moreover, most DRC literature focuses on shop floor control decisions as labour assignment and dispatching. This neglects higher-level planning and control methods, such as order release control.