Lean & Agile Manufacturing Lean Manufacturing: Its an integrated business approach to eliminate non- value added activities

s from the customer delivery cycle in operation. This approach enables companies to respond quickly to changes in customer demands. It is not restricted to shop floor only. Its a production strategy that aims at high levels of production using less efforts, less time, & less materials. Its a way of thinking, an attitude. The technique of lean manufacturing can be applied to every situation in a company by finding out what the customer wants, eliminating waste from processes & making flow continuously according to customer pull. Idea is to create a culture in which people at various levels of an organization are continuously improving their productivity in everyway. (516 MT / Kackar)

Four Pillars of lean manufacturing

i) JIT, ii) Kaizen, iii) Cellular Technology, iv) Supply chain integration

Kaizen

JIT

Lean Manufactur-ing Supply Chain Cellular Integration Technology

(516 MT / Kackar)

Special features of Lean manufacturing:

Lean manufacturing produces goods with few people, little inventory, & little wastes. Lean ensures that each production stage processes exactly what, how much & exactly when next stage wants it . Lean allows large variety in products without the kind of change over costs that customised mass production involves. Lean embraces every facet of the organization sourcing, manufacturing marketing, accounting & strategic planning.

(517 MT / Kackar)

Advantages & Limitations of Lean Manufacturing Process

Low inventory levels due to use of JIT Simple & multitask machinery which aids variety products manufacturing. More value to the customer. Reduction in manufacturing lead time. Integrates people & techniques to improve the workplace & strengthens companys competitive position. Traditional vs Lean Manufacturing Sr. No. 1 Production 2 Mfg. lead time 3 Both quantity 4 Scheduling 5 Inspection 6 Layout 7 Inventory twins 8 Flexibility 9 People empowerment Traditional Make to stock Long Large Push Sampling Activity based Low Low Low Lean JIT ( Customized) Short Small Pull 100% at source Cellular type High High High

(518 MT / Kackar)

Agile Manufacturing
The word Agile manufacturing is coined to indicate the use of principles of lean production on a broader scale. The principle underlying agile manufacturing is ensuring agility (ability to move quickly & easily) & hence flexibility in the manufacturing organization so that it can quickly respond to changes in the product demand & customer needs. This is to achieve through people, equipment, computer hardware & software & sophisticated communication systems. It integrates key functions & disciplines involved in creating, designing, making, selling, servicing the product.. It encompasses critical operations like technology, product & process engineering, administration & marketing /sales/services within the organization as also vendor, suppliers, community & government. Thus agile manufacturing is the science of business system that integrates management, technology, & workforce making the system flexible enough for manufacturing to switch over from one product (existing) to another product (desired to be produced) in cost effective manner within the framework of the system. Agile mfg. encompasses entire business process, i.e. planning, finance, & process design , tooling, layout, materials & inventory, cost specification, pricing, marketing, sales & services (519 MT / Kackar)

Agile Manufacturing contd

Made to order Customized Products Orders /Quotes Product Specifications Sales & service options System Configutation

Product Configuration

Marketing & sales Customers Community Agile manufacturing

Technology

Management Product Process Engineering

519 MT / Kackar

Lean versus Agile At first glance , agile manufacturing might seem to be another way to describe lean production There are similarities & also differences. The major difference is that agile manufacturing takes an enterprise view, where as lean production is typically concerned with the production floor. Lean production is regarded by some as an enhancement of mass production methods. Agility implies breaking from mass production mold so that a wider variety of custom products can be made. It is viewed that subtle differences between lean production & agile manufacturing is not that important. What really counts that both are based on similar concepts Further both are viewed as a milestone on a path to develop new production theories. (PPC 53 Sipper& Bulfin / Kackar)