Proper modelling of industrial production systems with unintended outputs: a different perspective

Abstract

The question of how to properly model production systems with unintended outputs has proven both controversial and of particular interest to the productivity and efficiency community. The paper explains why some of the arguments put forward in these controversies are hardly convincing for industrial and other processes. Among other things, there is a lack of clear conceptual labelling of the different types of joint production, especially coupled production, which is the main source of undesirable and other unintended outputs, unless neglected. It is largely ignored that the desirability of such by-products may depend on the quantity produced.