EVALUATION OF EFFECTS OF EXTERNAL FACTORS ON DUE DATES PREDICTION IN MANUFACTURING JOBSHOPS

Abstract

Where jobs of different types enter and leave floorshop in a random manner, accurate prediction of due dates is affected by internal and external factors. Most existing studies on jobshops have paid little or no attention to the effects of external factors which could be crucial to due date predictions particularly in developing countries. Hence, there is need to consider the severity of external factors alongside the inherent internal factors in order to arrive at reliable due dates prediction in jobshops. This study proposed a framework for the identification of salient factors that severely affect the due dates in developing economy. The study closely monitored the due dates predictions for12 selected jobshops in Southern Nigeria spanned a period of six months and related it with the external factors surrounding the operations of the jobshops. The variation among the expected and actual due dates were visualized and factors responsible for their variation were identified. The results, when statistically analysed, revealed that meeting due dates is largely depends on factors like regular supply of electricity, good road network, competitions, socio-economy status of the location, and among others, in varying degrees.