We consider a heuristic for serial production systems with random yields and rigid demand: all usable units exiting a stage move forward. We calculate optimal lots and corresponding expected costs for binomial, interrupted-geometric, and all-or-nothing yields. Our method is that it makes it easy...

The increased complexity of contemporary manufacturing makes it hard to maintain a predictable level of output. We consider several types of multistage systems in an environment where yield is random, production is in lots and demand needs to be satisfied in its entirety. For each possible...