Lean Operations Essay

occupation 1 To what extent could or should deane expect to harbor the philosophies and techniques of JIT/ slope to the political campaign of a staircase cadre? Staircases toil Company (SPC) is a underage, thriving, privately owned tone of voice and building materials partnership base in a small urban center in the UK. The society offers a all-embracing flesh of pure tone outputs, from regular doors, windows and staircases to supererogatory products such(prenominal) as non-standard sections or fussy profiles (i.e. old designs of skirting board). Its products stand bulge from its principal(prenominal) competitors (small joinery businesses) with high levels of whole tone. collectible to the quality of its products as easily as the ample demand of special steps in the region, sales has been subjoin cool off year by year in particular special stairs. However, the business is not as profitable as it was pass judgment and virtually(a) important guests have been complained recently due to late deliveries. Because of the loss of profitability, dean Hammond, the sore appointed General charabanc of SPC, is thought make ab discover carrying out some changes in the organisation in couch to jazz with the oc trustworthy problems. Precisely, he thinks scat and Just-in-Time principles and techniques strength facilitate SPC increase its profitability as well as improve the surgical cognitive operation of the completely organisation. However, although this school of thought has been applied success honesty to manufacturing and trading operations environment (Chowdary and George 2012), Mr. Hammond un admitns if the application of extend principles in a alliance that produces a high variety and low record book of products would make sense. The range management approach, highly-developed by Taiichi Ohno (1912-1990) at Toyota Motor bow window in Japan, forms the basis for the Toyota intersectionion System. The bourne inclinati on was first introduced in 1990 in the book entitled The Machine that Changed the realness by Womack, J unrivaleds and Roos. In die hard thinking, 5 principles were put forward an carrying out frame engagement to be apply by an organisation (Womack et al. 1990)Specify look on from the guests perspective,Identify and understand the value rain cats and dogs,Improve litigate cling (minimize interruptions during processing), allow value flow b arly by the nodes pull (all work is initiated by customer demand), and Pursue idol continuously (the goal is zero waste)The midpoint intellection of Lean philosophy is to maximise customer value while minimizing waste. From a production perspective, Lean manufacturing uses Just-in-Time (JIT) approach as its production dodge for minimizing waste and astir(p) quality (MindTool 2013). JIT provides for the cost-effective production and talking to of nevertheless the necessary quality part, in the sound quantity at the right pr ison term and place, while utilise a minimum of facilities, equipment, materials and human resources. JIT is accomplished by and through and through the application of particularized techniques which require total employee involvement and teamwork (Lee and Ebrahimpour 1984). The application of these principles in the manufacturing and accumulation processes characterized by a high variety and high volume (HVHV) of activity has been widely proven a not bad(p) success. However, the difficulties associated with applying Lean principles within HVLV organization have been reveal and analysed by Jina et. al (1997). The analysis of the pertinency of Lean principles in SPC has been carried out taking into consideration some aspects analysed by Jina et al. (1997) Product and product demand. The manufacturing and assembling process of SPC begins with a customers ready (simple dimensi one(a)d sketches of the compulsory product) what is called pull musical arrangement. Customers pu ll demand is one of the principles of Lean and it enables a keep family to produce only what is necessitate, in the correct quantity and at the correct time. However, the nature of the orders (called make to order) makes the application of the Lean principles a huge challenge for SPC due to small changes of the inputs (changes in the schedule, differences of product mix betwixt one period and the next one, volume changes surrounded by periods and the frequency of product changes within time-frame of customer lead time expectations) generates a outstanding impact on the performance of the manufacturing body (Jina et. al 1997).Nevertheless, the result give the gate be levelled within a set of cleargond flexibility parameters (Jina et. al 1997), to give some examples commonizing fond material and ideal parts and organizing for high and low level demand. Process. It ignore be give tongue to that processes currently do not follows any flow construction production is sylla busned without any potent criteria and at that place is no single flow route for either materials or machinery. This amorphous work floor causes joinery discussion section demarcation shops argon untidy and occlude (joiners are working on some(prenominal) part-finished items at once, single pieces of equipment are sharedby 10 or to a greater extent joiners, joiners try to fit in with severally opposite over the use of machinery, etc.) and boastful allowance of waste and forests defects are re generate around the shop class. Despite of this chaos, it has been identified that the specific case of the manufacturing and assembling staircases follows a repeatable process steps (although staircases are antithetic) knifelike timber, sanding, machining and tenoning, which makes this process potentially standardised. Therefore, it piece of tail be said that Lean principles faecal matter be applied to this process. However, in order to identify the applicability of Lean p rinciples to the rest of the processes, much discipline should be provided. Workers. The processes disorder is back up by the fact that, on one hand, SPCs joiners are capable of devising any product and, on the other hand, because they enjoy the wide variety of challenging work. Despite of this, proles flexibility to carry out a wide range of tasks is considered as a factor that would help the performance of Lean. To sum up, it can be said that the application of Lean principles is possible alone it allow be a great challenge for SPC.Task 2 What are likely to be the primary(prenominal) categories of cost and benefits in establishing the cadrephone? Are there any non- monetary benefits which should be taken into describe? Listed below, there is an analysis of the benefits (financial and non-financial benefits) and the costs (financial costs) evaluate to be achieved with the performance of Lean principles in SPC -Benefits. The company depart pull together financial a nd non-financial benefits which allow affect the revenue rain cats and dogs of SPC and the level of satisfaction of both(prenominal) customers and employees.The financial benefit of Lean for the company expected is an increase in its revenues as a consequence of increasing the productivity by finding and eliminating the waste within the process. This is achieved through reorganising and tidying the manufacturing floor (using 5S/CANDO or visual management), improving work flow to eliminate interrogation and transportation between spirit levels of production (workshop layout) (Page 2004), and increasing employee efficiency by specialising and standardising the work and savage out wasteful workNon-financial benefits are shown by the level of customer and employee satisfaction. On one hand, customer satisfaction increases by meeting requirements and on-time manner of speaking improving customer retention and attracting modern customers by, for example, word of backtalk (Cudney , Furterer and Dietrich 2013). And on the other hand, employeesatisfaction increases by em creatoring them and taking into consideration their opinion. -Costs. There are two aspects that would affect the cost stream cost decrease within the process and cost of lean implementation. Cost reduction can be located from different attributes of the manufacturing process inventory, defects, maintenance, labour cost, compensation, etc. (Ross 2002 Stegall 2012). from for each one one task in the process gets specialized and standardised, the employee can stop the production literary argument if they detect defects, thereby reducing the chassis of defects and work-in-process production line productivity is ameliorate to deliver products on time, helping the company to avoid compensation and discount, and reducing over-time working. specialised jobs require particular machines or tools, to be handled with care and regularly maintained by the employees using it, reducing risk of break-do wns and get/replacement costs. And also, a reduction of raw materials inventory (waste) is expected. Cost of Lean implementation can be located from fostering for employees for redefinition and re-assignment, production line stoppage, workshop layout re-organising, information technology systems and management cost for implementing in the raw system. These costs might be quite a high when the company implement the whole system, therefore in the short-term it could outdo the profit of the company.However, because Lean is a long loading, it will help transform the company and enhance the profit for the long term. Task 3 At what stage, and how, should Deane sell his subject to the joinery coach-and-four and the players? To sell the idea of Lean implementation and cellular phoneular manufacturing to the Joinery Department, Dean should have a system to approach first the Joinery Manager (JM) and a its employees (once the motorbus is already convinced). Frist, Dean ask to sell the idea to the JM because he is the one who will decide whether this plan will be done or not because his commitment and leadership are essential to achieve a successful implementation (Wrye 2013). To convince and engage the Manager with the idea, Dean reads to conduct and present a business report of the company an analysis of the current status of SPC (covering both quantitative and qualitative aspects), with the pros and cons of Lean implementation in a HVLV organisation. A strategy and implementation plan which shows the roadmap, methodology, goals, and objectives to be introduced. Dean can then work with the JM to custom-make the implementationof the plan to suit with SPC current situation. later on gaining the approval of the JM, Dean needs to prepare actions to sell the idea to employees, to gain an organisational understanding of the philosophy, methodology, implementation process, in order to take full advantage of the epoch-making changes. The JM and Dean need t o explain to the workers the current situation of the company, an overview of Lean and its benefits for the whole company and for each employees job.The workers also need to be acknowledged for the value of their work, their power over the production line and their office of products quality. Some grooming and information about the new system might also need to be provided before actual implementation. Some details should be taken into account when the surgical incision start implementing Lean Because SPC is a HVLV manufacturing business should adapt Lean principles to the reality of the organiation product design geared to logistics and manufacture organising manufacturing on Lean principles and integrative supplier relationships (Jina et al. 1997) The manager should have a clear goal for implementing Lean for the worker to follow (Womack and Jones 2003) Lean is a new concept so it should be explained without technical terms or phrases to avoid confusion or rampart (Wrye 2013) . The strategy of implementation should contain small steps to give the workers time, and help them gain their confidence and build momentum to progress with Lean. Task 4 How different would the cell work be from that in the main Joinery Department? Traditionally, each worker has their own zone and working on different product or order. all(prenominal) worker goes through the aforesaid(prenominal) process, uses the equivalent tools so they have to wait for the tools and their bend dexter to use the machine. Lean cell manufacturing is a common workplace that has become an inviolate part of Lean manufacturing because it seeks to take full advantage of the similarity between parts, through standardisation and common processing. Its implementation in the work floor implies the specialisation of each step so that one mortal is in charge for one activity, using one particular tool or machine to eliminate delay time (Lean Enterprise Institute 2009).The worker will have space to move for their job but the movement and motion will be minimised by eliminating the gap between their tools and each other so that they can pass the finished part to the next stage immediately. Julian Page (2004) suggested the external facing U-shape cells which taking up the comparable amountof space and give the worker more options to communicate with each other with the least movement required. For the staircases, the workshop new layout will have 5 major cells cutting timber, sanding, machining, tenoning and assembling Each cell have its own tools and machine that only that cell uses. The machine which will be used for different purpose will be situated at machining cell Machining cell will be placed near the middle of the whole workshop so that if any other cell needed to use the machines, they can admission them with the least movement Cutting timber cell after the order was placed, timber will be delivered by vender on to the first station. Here timber will be cut to requir ed shape. Off-cuts will be at the same place and the workers at this cell know how many and what shape there are, so they can be used for upcoming occasions Assembling cell can be spilt into 3 smaller cells glue, wedges and treated. After this cell, the product will be finished and transported straight to packing or delivery Workers can rotate within or between the cells if they want flexible jobs, since they can all do every stage of the manufacturing line. Kanban card can be used between part manufacturing cells and assembly cells to settle the level of work-in-process (Jina, Bhattacharya and Walton 1997). Further information should be needed in order to picture if this layout can also be apply to the rest of the products of SPC. Another technique to be taken in is CANDO (clean-up, arranging, neatness, discipline and on-going improvement) to help maintain the Lean workshop, control obsolescence and inventory, go along working tools (Page 2004).The cells and workshop is present ed below gens 1. SPC AS-IS workshop layoutFigure 2. SPC TO-BE Lean cellular workshop layoutTask 5 What risks are associated with Deanes proposal?The main risks associated with Mr. Hammonds proposal are listed belowPeople. Behaviours exhibited by people in the workplace such as the lack of trust and commitment is the main risk identify in Mr. Hammonds proposal. It is also one of the main reasons for unsuccessful implementation of Lean. oJoiners procedures to manufacture and put up products might experiencechanges with the implementation of Lean and, therefore, it may cause stress and rejection to them. Lean manufacturing requires constant employee input on quality control, which some employees may feel opposed or unqualified to do (iarnien and Vienaindien 2012). oDifficulties in finding managers with sufficient leadership and vox populi skills to overcome this can be also another risk to bear in mind (iarnien and Vienaindien 2012).Investment. Inability to make come out properly i n the change. oDue to the unstructured work flow, SPC will need to make large upfront investment in achieving a level of standardized processing. oImplementing Lean manufacturing very much means completely dismantling preceding physical plant setups and systems. The re-location of the machinery as well as training employees can increase considerably companies expenses. Duration. The implementation of Lean philosophy and principles is a long journey process and not easy implemented.Bibliography and referencesCHOWDARY, B. and GEORGE, D. (2012). 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