For job shops, Lean reduces flexibility

摘要

Every manufacturer aspires to become Lean like Toyota. However, every high-mix low-volume (HMLV) manufacturer that desires to be competitive and profitable cannot sacrifice flexibility. Ensuring that flexibility and Lean coexist and complement each other is a headache for any small, medium or large job shop. Take the case of a typical machine shop that makes a variety of parts in a range of lot sizes and delivers them to different customers. To be flexible, a shop takes a most un-Lean approach - it implements a process layout, locating its machines and support services into functional departments. Thereby, the job shop is condemned to operate in a batch-and-queue production mode for all 250 working days in the year.