IGLC.net EXPORT DATE: 29 March 2024 @CONFERENCE{Gonzalez2009, author={Gonzalez, Vicente and Alarcon, Luis Fernando }, editor={Cuperus, Ype and Hirota, Ercilia Hitomi }, title={A Methodology for Integrated Buffer Design and Management in Repetitive Construction Projects}, journal={17th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction}, booktitle={17th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction}, year={2009}, pages={393-406}, url={http://www.iglc.net/papers/details/640}, affiliation={Postdoctoral Fellow, Escuela de Ingeniería, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. Lecturer, Escuela de Ingeniería de la Construcción, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile. E-Mail: vagonzag@uc.cl ; Professor of Civil Engineering, Escuela de Ingeniería, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. E-Mail: lalarcon@ing.puc.cl }, abstract={One important challenge of production systems in both manufacturing and construction is the management of the harmful impacts of variability. While both industries have commonly used buffer-based production strategies to deal with the variability issue, construction is characterized for using intuitive, non-general and wasteful buffering strategies. For overcoming these limitations, this paper describes a conceptual approximation for an integrated buffer (Bf) design and management methodology using Work-In-Process (WIP) in repetitive building projects. The Bf design component uses the Multiobjective-Analytic-Model (MAM) and Simulation-Optimization (SO) modeling, while the Bf management component uses the Rational-Commitment-Model (RCM), an operational decision support tool based on statistical analysis. Each individual component has been previously tested and validated in different case projects. This integrated methodology provides a comprehensive approach to deal with variability using WIP Bf, which explicitly considers: (i) a general production framework which covers the production levels from top to bottom; (ii) a general modeling framework which is suitable to any repetitive building project; and (iii) a sound theoretical framework for describing different production scenarios in repetitive building projects. The main characteristics, advantages, perspectives and limitations of the integrated methodology are addressed in the paper. }, author_keywords={Buffer design and management, work-in-process, multiobjective analytic models, simulation-optimization, rational commitment model, repetitive construction projects. }, address={Taipei, Taiwan }, issn={ }, publisher={ }, language={English}, document_type={Conference Paper}, source={IGLC}, }