Continuous improvement: No one solution for all--Job shop managers must choose the best improvement techniques from various methodologies

摘要

The essence of lean thinking is the identification and elimination of waste in any administrative and manufacturing process in any production system. Waste is any element or activity in the production system that does not provide value to the customer. Value is anything that the customer is willing to pay for. Customers pay for the final product so they deserve price reductions achieved through cost reductions gained from eliminating wastes in the order fulfillment process. This fundamental element of lean manufacturing really can apply to any manufacturer, from the largest assembly operation to the smallest job shop. But delve into the specifics of lean, and it turns out that all aspects of lean are not equally applicable to every organization. A high-mix, low-volume (HMLV) job shop is fundamentally different from the assembly facility of an OEM like Toyota, Ford, Maytag, Alcoa, Boeing, and John Deere.