Steelcase Inc.
Proposed Project for the
MSU Industrial Math Students
Predicting Product Mix and Volume In Order To Inventory the Correct Grades, Cuts, and Species of Veneer
One big challenge that we have is inventorying the correct species, cut, and grade
of veneer for the incoming product mix and finish choices (veneer species and cut)
that customers have made. A useful tool would be a predictive model that could suggest
the what that product and finish (veneer species and cut) mixes are going to be
needed and additionally suggest the correct inventory levels of veneer which should
be keep on hand.
Background
Most commercial wood office furniture is not made from solid wood. In very simple
terms, logs are harvested and cut into thin sheets, called veneer, which is then
glued to MDF or particleboard. These boards are then stained and finished and assembled
into the final product.
We have 4 standard veneers that we stock, 3 are available in two different cuts,
while the other is only available in one cut. The veneer is graded with the highest
grades (best veneer) going onto the most visible surfaces. Different product lines
also have different specifications around what grade of veneer is used and where
the different grades can be used on the product.
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