The most common context for sequencing problems is a batch, or job shop, production facility that processes many different products with many combinations of machines.
"The difference in pharma is that they make so many different products," says Myerson. "But there is much more economic pressure on pharma now to reduce manufacturing costs". The MIT-Novartis collaboration demonstrated that companies could use the techniques of continuous manufacturing with only a small facility.
Today's industrial automation production systems (aPS) have to deal with the requirement to produce many different products.
"We offer many different products, for all different market segments, and not just one blanket product".
There are many different products to help consolidate and hide unsightly cords.
"You would have to micromanage so many targets for so many different products".
These reviewers typically appear to review many different products giving very high or five-star ratings to each product.
The company now makes so many different products that wholesalers and drugstores turn to it for one-stop shopping.
The web has been fragmenting for a while: instead of one internet, there are many different products and platforms: desktop, Android, iPhone, tablet.
Also, because there are so many different products those that do get collected can produce poor quality material outputs," says Gilbert.
"The problem with Japanese manufacturers is that they make too many different products," said Takatoshi Yamamoto of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter.
