Journal article
Undertaking manufacturing productivity improvement systematically using assistive devices: A case study
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING-THEORY APPLICATIONS AND PRACTICE, Vol.7(3), pp.242-254
2000
Abstract
Recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that U.S. manufacturing productivity has been steadily declining compared to other industrialized countries. This decline is occuring at a time when the pressure of increased global competition is mandating that U.S. manufacturers enhance their productivity. It is also being realized that complete reliance on automation, as a major means to raise productivity, is unrealistic. The "lights-out-factories" and "workerless factories," prompted by developments in advanced and completely automated manufacturing technologies, and projected as the shape of the future factory in the early 1980s, are far from becoming a reality; the human continues to retain a central role in modern manufacturing companies. It is well known, however, that humans are error-prone, and are often the source and cause of reduced manufacturing productivity. While some productivity problems are readily apparent in a manufacturing organization, and maybe relatively easy to identify and fix (e.g, worker injuries, frequent machine breakdowns, volume of scrap generated, etc.), there are numerous hidden productivity problems which are difficult to identify and measure. In other words, the opportunity for improvement (e.g., eliminating non-value adding activities, providing more efficient tools for performing the activity, etc.,) is not always obvious. If such problems can be systematically identified and measured by an analyst, it may be possible to use assistive devices to enhance manufacturing productivity. This paper presents a systematic procedure to identify situations where the need for improving productivity may be critical. The procedure is demonstrated with the help of a case study.
Significance: This paper provides a practical model to improve manufacturing productivity.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Undertaking manufacturing productivity improvement systematically using assistive devices: A case study
- Creators
- A KansalA MitalA PennathurK Gokli
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING-THEORY APPLICATIONS AND PRACTICE, Vol.7(3), pp.242-254
- ISSN
- 1072-4761
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2000
- Academic Unit
- Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984231832702771
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