What Really Makes Factories Flexible

Introduction In this literature, What really settles computeies bend equal? the writer brought expose the topic for factory flexibleness, which assigns as a actionfacilityorganizedtorespond to customer coiffes quickly in launch to provideafulland varied rangeofoperationsorservices, crossways manyproduct lines with very shortchange everyplace generation and may introduce refreshed products of similar range fairly easy. For example, some(prenominal) or less modernautomobile jells be designed asflexiblefactories to pull in various models.Having acknowledged the grandness of tractability, how would manufacturing passenger cars in a broad rove of industries aim pathways to improve the do? What atomic number 18 the difficulties of defining flexibility of a set up and how do they government none flexibility in term of adjust productivity? What measurements atomic number 18 necessary to show usefulness of the process? The condition carry outed a research in a study of sixty- integrity factories in North America that manufacture fine subject to find out the answer.Define the problem Unlike most other industries in which distinct industrial plants make variant products, the paper industrys products be more comparable across plants since paper are produced by very similar process. There are a few characteristics for the paper industries to be the right candidate. In paper industry, the qualities of products by grades are straightforward descends which can be able to be measured by the rootage.These numbers enabled the author to drive both(prenominal) the range of paper a plant could produce and how much quantify it consumeed for a plant to switch from do one shape of paper to qualification another. By using these numbers the author was be able to define the available flexibility for manufacturing plants necessityed to measure and find the ways to improve the processes. Defining the problem is the first thing needed by each manager. What is flexibility? Managers are having rugged times to define as the term may mean very unlike for different people.At plant level, it is about the ability to change over or adapt new system, however, specifying and characterizing this ability is not an easy task. As one manager may talk about the flexibility to produce the casefuls of return from up and down depending on what the market needs another manager may talks about the flexibility to change over from making one type of paper to another with less time and money. In the authors point of view, flexibility should be emphasized in determining by its competitive environment.The measurement of flexibility can be based on a) product range in different things as a plant can surrender the ability to produce a small number of products that are very different from one another b) mobility for a plant to change over from making one product to another and c) concord of performance as a flexible plant can perform compara bly well to make any product within a specified range. Once managers have defined the different engagings of flexibility they are trying to develop, another set of issues had come up as how to measure the flexibility and advancement of flexibility.Also it is frequently unclear in which popular features of a plant must be changed in order to make its operations flexible. The depth and wisdom of experience managers have to be guardedly assessing their strategies to define what kind of flexibility they are looking for before embarking on a flexibility program, or otherwise the results can be disastrous. discount and analysis to select beat out alternatives By collecting production information, the author was able to measure the b raketh of paper grades that each plant was sure-footed of producing and the changeover time that each plant required to switch betwixt grades.There were additional measurements of flexibility such as workforce by length of service, the level of calc ulator integration (CIM), the change and break frequency, etc. Each plant may emphasize in a totally range of factors from different quality and types of flexibility based on the managers, so end up there are large differences across plants. unrivaled major issue covered in this literature is that the degree of computer integration (CIM) does not really help on plant flexibility by change magnitude range of products produced or improving change over time even though large money was invested in it.Managers often have difficulty justifying CIM projects on the basis of cost savings or quality improvements therefore justify them on basis of improved flexibility CIM will provide. In this case, except the engineers or a few clever employees understand how the system works most of the plant operators are not trained to control which create problems. Operators instead decide to perform manual-change over, which in a surprising findings the best manual change system operate much faste r than computer.This result shows the serious problem from operators as they have no interest to adapt the change to operate CIM. It hit hard on the managers with thoughts being reluctant that they are doing something right, but actually they are wrong. Implement decision to change the system For successful manager to consider out the issues of CIM before implementing it in a plant, they should consider building up skills for their operators. As the author denoted, Plants become more flexible when managers stress to workers the importance of flexibility. For example, a plant that wants to excel at customizing products will need to develop the capabilities to carry out large range of jobs in the plant. Managers then need to determine what type of workforce or equipment (ex CIM) needs to enhance flexibility. afterward that managers need to figure out different ways to measure the type of flexibility sought and emphasize the importance of the measures to the employees. Trainings shou ld be added in the process to build up experient workforce and eventually to see improvement in flexibility.For example, continuous learning problem such as operational excellence may help management team in different level to control and keep an eye on a flexible manufacturing plant. Evaluate the end By integrating the appropriate steps to a) defining the problem of flexibility, b) logical implication and analysis to select best alternatives and c) implement decision to change the system, the coterminous step is to evaluate the outcome to see if there is any improvement or if not, further alterations will need to be made. Outcomes that need to be evaluated are not limited to employee preparedness in different level.Employees training based on experience are decisive for a manufacturing plant to increase flexibility. More experience workers are not willing to adapting the new systems such as CIM comparing to less experience workers who are more willing to change. Conclusion A good manufacturing management team designs what is best way for its plant to run, and plants that are flexible in terms of mobility (in terms of change over time) and range (in terms of various productivity) tended to have a clear measures of what flexibility should be developed.Managers have to decide what benefits the plant, how the plant operate, what kind of flexibility they are looking for, select the right decision making similarlyls such as CIM, training for the employees based on different levels of experience, analyzing the data and provide surveys for customers. Managers should provide people the support needed in order to achieve the goal for lower the cost, decreasing change over time, increasing by dint ofput and eventually make more money.Manager should never put too much faith in depending on CIM to complete the tasks in ease. CIM provides critical advantages to improve factory flexibility only if it can be apply in the right way to fit the system. CIM generally ne eds experienced operators to control so trainings are critical for employees in different level. CIM could only be one of the alternative tools for managers to use. The flexibility of a plant depends much more on people (manager, field-supervisors, engineers and operators) than on any technical factor (automation, CIM).Managers should never only embraced in CIM as the solution to the growing need to forge new capabilities, instead managers should put more faith in the day to day management of people. Extended Research I read two other articles which were written within the last three years. It is overt that both articles talk about how computer integration both packet and hardware can help to improve process flow and flexibility of a plant. This is because a more mature CIM system has been established through studies from field experts and universities.In general, employees nowadays understand that continuous learning is the keys to confine competitiveness in the job market. This doesnt mean that managers job are easier to do, but flexibilities in all level from a plant, a team, or just individual are critical in order to maintain a competitive advantage. Reference 1. Manufacturing Flexibility Synchronizing the Shop appall and Supply Chain by Aberdeen Group 2. Improving Plant proceeding and Flexibility in Batch Process Manufacturing With an Example from the Food and deglutition Industry by Filippo Focacci