Production Systems - Why you shouldn't replicate?
Digjoy Samanta
Turning Data into Decisions | BI & Analytics Strategy | Automating Processes & Building Scalable Solutions | Power BI, SQL & Product Thinking | Prioritization & Roadmaps | Making Data Work Smarter
Currently, there are new factories being designed, completed or even set into action every month. There are many factories that are being upgraded to latest technology. While, some are being shut down as they cannot be re-worked upon or certain constraints like pollution, location being non-profitable. While it is no doubt, that we need to ensure that our factories yield a product which fulfills the customer needs, however, there is a need to understand that making these facilities defect free or Zero Waste based isn't the primary solution. What we really to need understand is that blindly mimicking Toyota Production Systems or TWI Manuals or Dr. Deming's work in Japanese facilities isn't the answer.
For example - a few years earlier, an Automotive company claimed to made the hybrid of Ford and Toyota Manufacturing Systems to yield the best results. As a result, many factories conducted the so called 'Gemba' walks across that companies facilities and just replicated the study in their factories. Result? They were producing the same defects or outliers. Above all, each company claimed to be 'a Six Sigma Franchise'. This became a part of the courses and hence, we see the blind herd of followers. I am not here to advocate about Six Sigma , but they called themselves as Lean Six Sigma People. Now, lets look at what their workers had to undergo - a training in all the machines and tools, the production facility was halted for sometime. The workers were continuously tested on their upgraded skills. Most importantly, after sometime when the company expanded, these companies did as well. But, these companies faced
- Mental fatigue among workers
- Lack of innovative ideas
- Research and Development occupied a small room in the Head Office, their productivity decreased and their spending as well.
- The Quality Department grew, while other departments didn't have much workers.
- The Quality Department had trainers who were outsourced so there was barrier in understanding what was exactly happening.
So blindly copying results didn't help. The most important element - free thinking was lost.
The above story highlights clearly some of the notions we have about process improvements as well. So what should have the companies actually done and what they missed.
- Set a realistic goal
- Ask your employees to get involved in the process for improvement.
- Instead of outsourcing, depute people with experience from your company to be a part of Quality Department.
- Don't resist from hiring new people who can add value.
- Invest time in continual improvement
- Try to gauge in customer's points more accurately.
- Innovation can happen, only if you allow free thinking.
- Make a schedule for workers which keeps into account factors like average working hours, etc. (Time study can help here)
Most importantly, don't replicate the production system as it is even though you might conduct a Gemba Walk across both the facilities. Then probably, you have misunderstood the idea of Gemba Walks in general. Technologies like Digital Twins might help to solve basic problems like understanding processes but can't replicate the exact results. Whenever a production facility needs to be set up, try to visualize the process both locally and globally. Some of the factors that you should keep in mind while making a production facility are as follows:
- Geography of the Place
- Time Required to set up a plant into complete action
- Phase wise set up with realistic timings
- Economy of the city and the country
- Financing Models and their current Conditions
- Politics surrounding the set up of industries
- Raw materials and their Availability
- Labor and their quality
- Supply Chain Network from raw material to processed products
- Electricity Supply
- Pollution levels in the area
- Legalities involved in the setting up and running up of plants
- Possible Risk and Opportunities and their Management.
- Technological Infrastructure that can be set up and its sustainability.
Most importantly involving employees at each step. Take everyone on board to get the best ideas. No doubt it's a long process but not an easy process. Instead of automating, think of optimizing the human machine interface to yield the best results.
Well, in the next articles, I'm going to talk about some of the process planning techniques, I learnt in my Industrial Engineering Class and Scheduling techniques which might help us out.
#IndiaStudents #StudentVoices #ProductionSystems #Manufacturing #Industry
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6 年I remember, years ago, Toyota being asked why they were so generous with their knowledge and so prepared to share it. The answer was along the lines of, "If you copy us, by the time that you do, we will have moved on". So playing catch-up is not the answer. Companies need to think about where they want to be in the future and then plan how to get there.
GM/Strategic Change Consulting Practice Lead at The Advantage Group, Inc.
6 年Really? C'mmon!. IF After more than half a century and so many cases of Demin'g approach wrongly deployed and unsustainable, people still haven't realized that copy pasting how Japanese companies did it doesn't work, never has and never will then Houston you have a problem. Or may be you have become the problem
Management / Quality Consultant “The measure of quality, no matter what the definition of quality may be is a variable.” (Shewhart, 1931)
6 年“What we really to need understand is that blindly mimicking Toyota Production Systems or TWI Manuals or Dr. Deming's work in Japanese facilities isn't the answer.” Great! A theory is needed: https://vanguard-method.net/library/dr-demings-aphorisms/without-theory-there-is-no-learning/ You may enjoy Dr. Deming’s 14 points in his seminar handout before they were condensed for his text Out of the Crisis. Some of his closest followers feel the handout version is far superior. Fourth page. https://www.apiweb.org/images/PDFs/always-applicable.pdf
Practitioner & Promoter of the Shewhart/Deming Management Method (SPC/14 Points) and the System of Profound Knowledge
6 年My understanding of Dr. Deming’s body of work is that it is built largely on the following influences: 1) the work of Shewhart 2) his own work largely statistical 3) directly, indirectly or intuitively on the human element of a Lillian Gilbreth and likeminded people? 4) other acknowledged influences. Review the Index of his published books. 5)?a retrospective of the Japanese Quality Miracle. Together through these influences Dr. Deming was able to compile a Management Method (14 Points) with the map of theory he called the System of Profound Knowledge in which the Method flowed. I know of no attempts to copy Dr. Deming because he warned against copying. But if there are those who attempted to copy Dr. Deming they did so in ignorance of his body of teaching. He encouraged the organic growth of quality. Now, there are many attempts to copy Toyota i.e. Six Sigma, Lean, etc. If you truly know Dr. Deming one would never copy another's quality system. It must be your quality system. Dr. Deming did not directly develop Toyota’s quality systems, but his influence across Japan is undeniable i.e. the Deming Prize for quality, direct quotes by Japanese managers of his contributions, etc. and?the lack of knowing him in the West until the 1980's.? Dr. Deming laid out a basic framework of a management method (14 Points) and theories that it is based on, so each and every one of us no matter what the human activity would have a consistency when managing mass production and just as important competing against it. The Deming Management Method is applicable to all size of human activities and economy of scales.
Attentive, Studious, Scholarly, Enthusiast, Thinker
6 年I am reminded about Bruce Lee and his core philosophy or Jeet Kun Do: use what works. And what he meant is that if your are to punch, punch don't do the fancy artistry for the pinch, just punch. Each system can vie to see which is top dog, yet in the end their like a yummy desert, taking and using what works the best for one's own business to achieve quality.