Operations Strategic Objectives and Decisions as Support for Lean Manufacturing

Changeability in Operations: a Critical Strategic Resource for European Manufacturing?

Changeability has become a buzzword for operations management, especially in German literature. Therefore, we analyze the concept in comparison with existing concepts for variability, such as flexibility and agility. Agility is an enterprise-wide concept incorporating product design as well as manufacturing systems design and aiming at lean and often dislocated manufacturing processes. Flexibil...

Strategic, Tactical Decisions and Information in Rapid Manufacturing Supply Chain

The efficiency and agility of its supply chain is vital to the commercial success of any product. Sharing strategic and tactical information effectively within the supply chain is often a key factor in achieving this goal. This paper proposes a framework to identify strategic, tactical decisions and information. The framework is used to conduct a sector based analysis of the Rapid Manufacturing...

Strategic Layout Planning and Simulation for Lean Manufacturing a Layopt™ Tutorial

LayOPTTM is an innovative facilities layout analysis and optimization software package which can be used by layout planners and engineers in the optimal solution of single and multiple floor facility layout problems. LayOPT is ideal for the re-design of the overall layout for an existing facility or the development of a block layout for a new building. It can be applied to manufacturing, wareho...

Lean Manufacturing for High Performance

Techniques for cash management in scheduling manufacturing operations

The objective in traditional scheduling is usually time based. Minimizing the makespan, total flow times, total tardi costs, etc. are instances of these objectives. In manufacturing, processing each job entails a cost paying and price receiving. Thus, the objective should include some notion of managing the flow of cash. We have defined two new objectives: maximization of average and minimum av...