Question and Answers

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1. While Taichi Ohno was impressed by certain aspects of the Ford Production System, he was bothered by other aspects. These included: large, special purpose equipment, a focused, specialized workforce, and an ever-driving emphasis on cost efficiency.  Why are these aspects inconsistent with lean?

The lean system refers to the systematic way of doing away with production activities that are of no importance and do not add value to the firm’s production processes. Concerning the above text, the lean system is operating on the production principles; it deals with what the client needs, only as urgent as the client may want it, with specific features desired or opted for, with the best quality, within the shortest time possible, with maximization of the workforce, raw materials or machinery, and application of best production techniques that reinforces the professional development of employees.

There is no big deal with the lean facets concerning large and distinct purpose types of machinery, which could be considered needless, and therefore, it’s just labor wastage. An expertized labor force does not automatically reinforce all employees’ progress stages, and when the cost efficiency is of significance. Lean system operations are limited to clients and what they desired (Ruttimann, 2016). Finally, clients’ satisfaction by operation on what they need for every order is very resourceful in terms of costs as the ford production systems are concerned.

2. Figure 8-4 illustrates the analogy of a boat hitting rocks as the level of waterfalls. Why is water a good analogy for inventory? Is the sequence in which rocks are encountered an excellent way to prioritize inventory reduction activities? How might this prioritization scheme differ from one used in an accounting department?

Water is the best analogy when describing matters related to inventory because, like water, inventory is mostly adopted in the covering up issues that arise from the system. It insinuates that it is difficult for individuals to reflect on themselves or how dangerous a person is. Still, by tumbling water in the streams or minimizing inventory, one can easily recognize the difficulties (Ciroth, 2020). When there is a shortage of products, people tend to blame the lack of enough inventory levels instead of solving the underlying risks, uncertainties, and inconsistency. The given order of hammering rocks is one of the suitable techniques traditionally used by firms, a two-phase process; it begins by dropping off water to reveal the principal delinquent of the production system, which is overrun.

The next step puts much effort into the origin of the problems that result in the elevation inventory levels. The root cause is wastage related to the production system, waste from the production process, lead time, inventory wastes, and wasted motions. These wastes are minimized by lowering inventory levels, identifying, and removal wastes. Problems mainly begin with output flaws, which makes the excess transportation of materials pointless, thus raising lead time and inventory waste. It, therefore, results in superfluous developments such as inspection and selection. Accounting systems such as SAP applies diverse order grounded on statistically planned optimal security of stock necessities. It also determines the best security level by using historical standards, anticipated service standards, and production time. It starts by lowering inventory to stock standards that satisfy the needs, followed by the detection and elimination of the fundamental complications.

3. Why is the achievement of the following goals critical to the success of lean systems? Give an example of how each area contributes to the success of a lean system.

(i) Formatting time and minimization of costs;

As a result of fruitless nature, formatting time and related costs are wasted within the manufacturing system. The decrease in formatting time leads to a corresponding decrease in turnover time and costs, thus enabling small-scale batches production, which adds elasticity and eliminates extra time. Methodologies such as Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) saves a good example in which the development is undertaken in a single minute to give a new part.

1. ii) comparatively steady workload; demands can portray an unexpected decline or increase, which means troublesome vicissitudes in the manufacturing plans experienced throughout the production process. They promote incompetence and the creation of wastes. It also requires minimization of fluctuating workload, which leads to continuous consumption and manufacturing, thus ensuring decreased setup time, increased work competency, scheduling, and an increase in machinery utilization. Supposing that a line is creating two products A and B, A consumes three hours of arrangement and one hour for processing. The arrangement time for B takes two hours and half an hour for processing. If there is a constant workload variation, then there is no need for an arrangement at every hour. As setting-up progresses, work shoulder has undertaken after machine setup. Additionally, all down positions become starve as no work done is coming out of upstream places. Things worsen if the system has erraticism in onset time. All these can be solved when one uses a comparatively steady workload.

iii) Workers’ empowerment is part of total quality control principles that permit all workers to detect quality issues and correct them. For instance, when a part requires dispensation in four types of machinery. The machine-1 machinist noticed a fault connected to its actions due to anxiety, he will be given a second chance of passing the next machinist, and the process continues in that manner, which is a convers when dealing with finished goods

4. You work in the marketing department of a firm that sells mountain bicycles and related gear. Its manufacturing division has decided to wholeheartedly adopt the lean systems philosophy. Will this affect your ability to delight your customers? Make a list of the potential pluses and minuses of this lean systems decision.

Being that lean refers to having no surplus or slight excess, lean manufacturing, therefore, refers to production design that functions at a minimum resource or with fewer wastes. Significantly, it is an idea that emphasizes minimizing various types of resources within the production chain. Resources refer to time, inventories, labor force, investment, raw materials, and wastes. The best answer to the client’s delight relies on whether the client’s demands are capricious or equitably constant. When the client’s demands are highly inconsistent, implementing a lean system will directly distress the client’s enjoyment. When there is fair demand constant, a skeletal system’s execution will have no impact on client delight (Boretti, 2019). The merits and demerits related to the execution of lean systems are as follows;

 Advantages

1. it leads the improvement in the competence and utilization of the system.
2. Reduced inventories of the chunks and output resulting from the execution of JIT.
3. It also promotes the reduction of batch magnitudes, which leads to proper scheduling.
4. Waste minimization leads to a corresponding increase in profit margin.
5. It also promotes reduced production and sequence time.

Disadvantages

1. Supplier problems: dealers of parts may not provide discounts on unimportant quantities or refuse to work on a lean production system when there is a constant supply of small quantities. Interior and rural dealers can refuse to work due to high transportation costs for continuous delivery.
2. Client problems: bicycle is a product that a client thinks to be a prompt business and can immediately get it. When the producer tells the client that the bicycle will be delivered to his residence in two days as the firm works on a lean system and grasps no inventory, the customer may opt for another brand that meets his expectations in terms of delivery.
3. Cross exercise of employees: lean system operation relies on cross-training of employees for determining imperfections and execution of various operations, which all are done at a cost.
4. Discuss how lean systems might apply to a fast-food hamburger stand. How will it have to be modified to deal with daily demand variation?

The lean system can be applied to hamburger stand by only having the exact number of workers who will work on the available demands with a corresponding adequate raw material that deliver services to hamburger. The lean system in hamburger stand needs demand sequence analysis per hour, regular cyclical, and social origin to advance demand predictions. Optimistic predictions will stem typical employees and raw materials obligations (Helmold, 2020). The inconsistency related to the provision of various types of hamburgers must be minimized and restricted by providing homogenous hamburgers.

Modifications in Lean System to Cater to Demand Inconsistency by Inventory Usage

The lean system can be improved to accommodate a ‘make-to-stock’ approach that gives out final products for instant sales or deliveries, in expectation of demand. This approach gives standardized products in large quantities based on predictions. It is gifted with the delivery time, with clients’ participation in hamburger assortments. This is applied to fast-food cafeterias such as Burger King. It only allows the client to enjoy delivery speed but limits them from customization of the product.

Modifications Using Part-Time Employees

Hamburger stand experiences variation in demand and services time, making them have no idea how worth the clients. No idea on what type of order will be ordered by any client, which could be inimitable and require diverse provision time. For instance, higher demands can be experienced at mealtime and a corresponding lower demand during resting days (Zhu, 2020). Modification of a lean system can be done by hiring part-time workers who work at high seasons.

Discussion 8

In 75 words or more, explain how the lean system approach improves internal operations and across the supply chain.

The lean system approach in the supply chain removes wasted materials and leaves behind only materials that are useful for the production process. It deals with raw materials that are not helpful in the production process and human resources that do not help in the production process. Technology is an essential factor in the production process. Therefore, lean system approaches look at ways to improve its technology to increase its production process and improve its services (Mayano-Fuentes, 2020). Customers can get their deliveries on time when they make demands of their products. The firm can also counter the problem of producing a large volume of goods that go to wastage when customers do not purchase them.

The lean system approach focuses on working with its employees to create a conducive environment where they can get feedback from their employees on customer satisfaction and make changes to suit their tastes and preferences (Mayano-Fuentes, 2020). They use the six sigma’s DMAIC for analysis, improving and controlling their operations.

It also focuses on making quality products at affordable prices to their customers while ensuring that they make profits in the end.

References

Boretti, A. (2019). Advantages and Disadvantages of Diesel Single and Dual-fuel Engines. Frontiers in Mechanical Engineering, 5, 64.

Ciroth, A. F. (2020). Life Cycle Inventory Dataset Review Criteria- a New Proposal. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment,25(3), 483-494.

Helmold, M. (2020). Lean Management on the Downstream (Demand Side). In Lean Management and Kaizen. Springer, Cham, 107-112.

Mayan-Fuentes, J. M.-M.-J.-D. (2020). Extending Lean Management along the Supply Chain; Impact on Efficiency. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management.

Ruttimann, B. G. (2016). Lean and Industry 4.0-Twins, Partners, or Contenders? A Due Clarification Regarding the Supposed Clash of Two Production Systems. Journal of Service Science and Management 9(6), 485-500.

Zhu, X. H. (2020). Application of Green-modified Value Stream Mapping to Investigate and Implement Lean and green Practices; A Case Study. International Journal of Computer Integrated Manufacturing 33(7), 716-731.