Lean Transformation for Production Planning and Inventory Management of Drawer Configuration

摘要

In this study, a Lean Transformation (LT) initiative is taken to find an 'optimal' planning of inventory consumption that meets drawer demand. A real-time decision support system is proposed to assist with the inventory management of single chip modules and production planning of drawers for a server manufacturing industry. Several Lean tools including affinity diagram, SIPOC diagram, lean wastes, fishbone diagram, process map, and time study analysis are utilized to understand the voice of the customers and processes. As a part of the LT initiatives, an eight-step project completion methodology is applied to achieve the goal. The LT initiative is successful in minimizing the inventory management and production planning time by 50% coupled with significant amount of cost savings each year. Furthermore, the study is successful in eliminating the use of paper and increasing inventory visibility by developing an interactive web-enabled dashboard. The sustainability of the LT initiatives is insured through employee training, user manual preparation, and documentation of the LT activities.