Fit Manufacturing
Despite the increasingly challenging demands being placed on companies involved in the manufacturing sector, successful operations, both new and old, are seen to be flourishing where they can take advantage of a gap in the market. This demonstrates that the constantly changing manufacturing economy is still creating opportunities which can be exploited. However, there is currently no structured approach to enable companies to do so. This paper describes a generic structure of elements common to the identification, characterisation and realisation of opportunities for sustainable growth. The paper subsequently uses the elements discussed to contribute to the new Fit Manufacturing paradigm. This is a manufacturing strategy linking the improvements in manufacturing efficiencies and/or effectiveness achieved through Lean and Agile Manufacturing with the ability to break into new markets through integrated marketing and product innovation strategies to achieve long term economic sustainability.
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Hi. This is a good paper. I have great difficulties in accepting on the results of the SWOT analysis for lean manufacturing that suggested continuous improvement is a weakness as opposed to otherwise. As for the assumption that continuous improvement lead to low morale of the workforce, I would presumed such challenging tasks would motivate the workforce out of routine work boredom. I believed the Japanese manufacturing giants such as Sony and Toyota have been practising continuous improvement approach for decades. Perhaps you can convince me otherwise.
Thank you.
I think there are couple of factors here:
1 - Culture: Japanese work culture is different to that of Europe which is different to that of the USA. So what might be good for Japan might be demoralising for the UK.
2 - Your best is never good enough: I can certainly imagine that continously being told that yes you've improved your productivity (or whatever) but it's still not good enough can have a demoralising effect.
Thanks for your thoughts and what you said is quite true.
However, in this global competitive market, it is difficult to take a breather and not continuous to improve when your global competitors are improving irrespective of any circumstances and with intensity. Therefore, it is crucial to motivate the staff to continue to improve.
From another perspective, is there a way to be better and competitive without continuous improvement?
PS: Your second statement is outright demoralising (never tell anyone that his improvement is not enough if he has improved) but it's an implementation problem .. the right implementation is ..
Congrats! .. give you an award or prize and bonus .. then tell you .. You have done well!.. Keep up the good work ...
Thank you.
K.W.Ng
By refer to basic meaning of 'FIT'...
the idea is 'FIT MANUFACTURING' would be a practice for manufacturing companies to sustain eventhough they may already lean enough or agile enough...
Therefore, the SWOT analysis of both current practices has been accounted.
The initial idea is integration of some elements in lean and agile for developing the 'Fit manufacturing' concept may neccessary in order to gain the sustainable benefits...
What?...How?...
mmm...we are on the way towards that...
A piece of thought...
;)
Zuhriah Ebrahim
Fit Manufacturing Team
Manufacturing Engineering Center,
Cardiff University,
Wales, UNITED KINGDOM
Dear authors,
You define fit manufacturing as the integration of 3 business strategies. Is fit manufacturing a goal or a methodology?
Many thanks,
Rossi
(Cardiff)
Thanks for your questions - I agree that continuous improvement is an important benefit to a company - there is no place in the market for a company that does not aim to 'improve'.
We would argue that improvement does not just mean reducing waste, producing faster or costing less.
However, this is the clear message that goes out to the workforce when a continuous improvement initiative is announced.
You are right - this maybe an issue with the implementation rather than the practice itself, but consider what is the measure for continuous improvement?
In the knowledge that the Japanese and leading Lean companies have been continuously improving for over 20 years, the UK/Europe will never catch them up, so they must aim to achieve greater results than gradual improvement. Fit aims to target long term sustainability by achieving particular gains in growth areas - new product, new technology, new processes (which may become the commodity themselves for these companies).
In essence I think that continuous improvement is usually considered primarily in terms of lean, and reaches a ceiling of achievement.
Thankyou again and best regards,
Richard.
Rossi,
Thankyou - a great question!
We frequently debate just such a point, and this has led us to the current research thread of defining what is required for the benefit/growth of the company.
The findings are largely shared with the sustainable manufacturing approach. Hence our thoughts which are published here that...
sustainability is the goal to be reached, that current best practices only partially meet these requirements and that a new practice, integrated to the framework of existing knowledge is required to move beyond the current constraints. We propose that Fit is the new paradigm to enable this.
(on the 'flip' side, do you believe that sustainability is a goal or methodology!?)
Best regards,
Richard.
Thank you for your reply and I agreed with mostly what you have said. Continuous improvement may not be a gradual improvement. If continuous improvement is applied to developing new product and new technology, it may be contribute to huge improvements. I think it would be good to think of better ways and technique to implement continuous improvement to contribute to sustainability
more effectively and more successfully.
Thank you.
Regards
K.W.Ng
Hello Rossi and Richard,
My answer is that the term "Fit Manufacturing" refers to both the methodology and the goal.
By applying the methodology, we hopefully will reach the goal.
Best wishes.
DTP.
This is an invitation to the Lean community (in particular, our colleagues in LERC) to comment on our Fit Manufacturing strapline: "Delivering sustainable benefits."