Cost assessment of a production system - A method targeting a products aggregated value stream costs

A production system is often complex, involving several production steps with a material flow entering and exiting at different stages throughout the value stream. This article aims to present a method giving the aggregated cost of a product in a production system, were material and components entering the value stream carrying their own capital and handling costs. The article describes an empirical study involving a production system, with high material costs and a process-oriented layout. The findings indicate that increased capacity and decrease in number of active orders enables lead-time reduction whereas decrease in costs mainly depends on operation improvements.