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Manufacturing Systems Foundations of World-Class Practice (1992) / Chapter Skim
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Taking Risks in Manufacturing
Pages 189-195

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From page 189...
... As companies become risk averse, change, except for historically proven methods, is usually minimized although the pressure for increasing output and reducing costs continues. Products, processes, and manufacturing plants have life cycles, and, when we are lucky, these coincide with external business cycles.
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From page 190...
... But just saying this does not make it happen; to capitalize on the human resource and experience requires empowering the work force. Participation in the strategic planning process ensures that all employees understand the direction in which the organization is moving and why.
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From page 191...
... PLANNING FOR CHANGE Strategic Planning Strategic planning is used to create a "planned crisis" that focuses the people and energy on tough goals that are derived from market knowledge and technological opportunities. At Intel we use our manufacturing capabilities as a strategic market force to drive down the cost and increase yields to prolong the life of each of our integrated circuit manufacturing
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From page 192...
... Setting specific goals and brainstorming on how to get there is the start. The senior management of a manufacturing company needs to understand the ramifications associated with reaching the mature phase in the life cycle of a plant or a manufacturing technology, especially in light of more fierce global competition.
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From page 193...
... As this capability evolves, there is a corresponding opportunity to implement a process control system used and maintained by production teams and individuals. The benefits of using such a system are that it promotes teamwork, systematically empowers direct labor production people, improves the learning rate, and improves material quality and product yields.
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From page 194...
... When changes in the process or product are considered major, qualification is usually required from the customer. To maintain consistency with a structured change control procedure requires educating the work force in the philosophy of change control and the mechanics of the process.
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From page 195...
... We must fundamentally break the paradigms established by our education and the structural norms of classical American manufacturing, which have conditioned, and now impede, our competitive opportunities. Senior management must learn how to empower their work force, and they must begin to assume the role of leaders.
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Key Terms

  • change control
  • process control
  • senior management
  • manufacturing operation
  • process engineers

  • continuous improvements
  • manufacturing operations
  • manufacturing company
  • production processes
  • senior managers

  • improve factory
  • manufacturing plants
  • statistical process
  • circuit manufacturing
  • production teams

  • control rules
  • process ensures
  • die obtained
  • human emotions
  • increase yields

  • customers expose
  • improving process
  • life cycles
  • future business
  • corresponding change

  • scrap rate
  • phases people
  • downstream processing
  • managing transitions
  • bill bridges


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