Communication in Decentralized Production Systems – An Analytical Approach

Moving away from strictly centralized, hierarchical to decentralized decision-making structures in production processes generates various potentials. This includes high flexibility in reaction to unplanned events and an increased focus on individual customer requirements up to lot size 1. The decentral approach causes fundamental changes in the communication structure of the autonomously acting actors involved. The analysis of these changes can form a basis for determining decentralization and an evaluation of decentralized decision-making structures. This paper proposes an approach to operationalize the autonomy of actors in decentral-controlled production processes based on their communication structure. First, it creates an understanding of decentralization in production processes and gives a formal description. Next, it identifies a suitable indicator of social network analysis and the justification for the necessity of an additional factor. Afterward, it describes the aggregation to actors’ autonomy, the decentralization of process steps, and the decentralization of the process. Finally, the paper concludes with a simulation study that validates the results.