How small batch sizes define modern manufacturing--The recession forced shops to decrease batch sizes, and the habit may be sticking

摘要

At one time Gary Conner spent much of his workday operating a laser cutting machine. Today the consultant at Oregon-based Lean Enterprise Training has a Shingo Prize under his belt, an award that recognized his book, Lean Manufacturing for the Small Shop. In it he wrote something profound: For years, the idea of buying in bulk at a discount has appealed to the frugal homemaker and purchasing agent alike. Bulk warehouse stores are a testimony to the "bigger is cheaper" mentality. Companies need to re-educate customers. This requires communicating that the ordered product can be made in economical lot sizes based on the customer's immediate need, rather than on some super-sized truck-load ... Customers have been trained (by suppliers) to believe that buying large batch sizes will save them money. The root of this evil is exorbitant setup times. The long-held belief that "bigger is better" is propagated on the idea that companies must amortize the cost of setups over the largest lot size possible. This idea needs to change.