TCP i and TCP i-1 represent the total number of components needed for producing the current and previous part. Subtracting two times the common components reflects the savings from not having to changeover a component. To set production schedules two approaches are used, cluster analysis and mathematical programming. To sequence the parts cluster analysis is run on the component matrices for the parts by week. A long chain may be a good approximation to a sequence since distinctive clusters are not the objective of this study.
Average linkage is selected to contrast single linkage.
Average linkage should not produce chains. Ward s method is based on sum of squared distances and tends to form small clusters. Ward s method is also recommended for large data sets. The three amalgamation rules are coupled with the three distance measures, yielding nine potential sequences per week. A three stage mathematical programming approach was used to determine the production sequence.