INTER-PROCESS PROPER BUFFER DESIGNING METHOD AND INTER-PROCESS PROPER BUFFER DESIGNING DEVICE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a buffer optimizing method and device in which a buffer space is suppressed to a minimum by sharing a buffer regarding a buffer sharable process of a production line.SOLUTION: According to a designing method, production simulation means is used to define a result of a maximum processing amount of each process achieving a target production amount in the state where the number of buffers is not limited, as an initial value of a buffer and execute re-simulation on the basis of the initial value of the buffer, thereby calculating a saturation rate and a buffer allowance rate. A simulation is executed by performing an adjustment in which a priority of the process whose total evaluation value is low, the total evaluation value being obtained by summing up the saturation rate and the buffer allowance rate, is increased and the number of buffers in the process of the highest priority is reduced. The saturation rates and the buffer allowance rate of each process are calculated, a process of which the total evaluation value obtained by summing up these rates is lowest is defined as a shared process and displayed on a user interface as a candidate to combine buffers. Upon receiving a designation of the buffer shared process from a user, buffers are shared.