Process Strategy and Selection

Process Strategy and Key Aspects

• Capital intensity refers to the mix of equipment and labor used
• Process flexibility relates to the degree a system adjusts to changes in processing requirements

Introduction to Process Selection

• Process selection involves deciding how the production of goods or services will be organized
• Influences capacity planning, facility layout, equipment and work system design
• New products/services planning hinges on process selection
• Technological and competitive changes cause companies to revisit periodically the process selection

Important Factors

• Forecasts, product/service design, and technology influence both capacity planning and process selection
• Capacity and process selection intertwine affecting facility/equipment choices, layout, and work design

Demand-Driven Process Selection

• Process choice is influenced by demand
• Key considerations include the level of variety and volume the process should handle
• Volume and variety have an inverse relationship
• Personnel/equipment flexibility needs align directly with the level of variety a process handles

Process Type Categories

• There are five basic process types
• Job shop is appropriate when low volume and high variety are needed
• Batch processing suits moderate volume levels with moderate variety
• Repetitive processing is best when high volumes of standardized goods/services are needed
• Continuous systems are for non-discrete outputs of very high volume and standardization
• Projects handle nonroutine work with unique objectives in a limited timeframe

Job Shop Operations

• Characterized by intermittent processing of small, varied jobs
• Requires a relatively small scale of production

Batch Processing

• Batch processing handles moderate volumes and variety
• Batch Processing means equipment doesn't need to be as flexible

Flexibility Characteristics

• Job shops have the highest job variety, process flexibility, and unit costs
• Job shops progress to continuous processing, steadily lowering variability, costs, and flexibility
• Volume of output is lowest for job shops and increases moving towards continuous processing

Life Cycle Considerations

• Products/services often progress through life cycles
• Shift from one process type to another when volume increases as familiarity grows
• Some stay at a certain level
• Some operations stay at a certain volume level, while others grow over time
• Hybrid processes can incorporate elements of distinct process types

Product and Service Profiling

• Key product/service requirements are linked with process capabilities
• Product and Service Profiling avoids inconsistencies by identifying key service dimensions

Sustainable Production

• Sustainable production refers to using non-polluting, resource-conserving
• Sustainable production is safe, healthy, and rewarding processes and systems
• The Lowell Center seeks wastes and ecological byproducts reduction
• They want chemical and physical hazard elimination
• The Lowell Center promotes energy/material conservation
• Ergonomic, safe workspaces through sustainable production

Lean Process Design

• Waste reduction is a key aspect, aligned with sustainability
• Lean principles emphasize workload variance reduction for level production and improved flow
• This is often implemented with cellular layouts

Types of Technology

• Technological innovation involves new/improved offerings or production methods
• Technology is scientific knowledge application for product/service development and improvement
• High technology refers to the most advanced equipment/methods
• Process technology includes the methods, procedures, and equipment used for creating goods and services, extending into supply chains

Benefits of Technology

• Process technology often comes through acquisition
• Process technology benefits organizations by boosting quality, lowering costs, increasing productivity, and enhancing processing capabilities

IT Role

• Information technology (IT) is the use of computers and electronics to store, process, and disseminate information
• IT is crucial in modern business
• IT involves electronic data processing, barcodes, radio frequency tags (RFID)
• It also uses point-of-sale systems, data transmission, e-commerce, and email

Automating Processes

• It's using devices with sensing/control features to run automatically
• Automating services becomes increasingly relevant
• Automation examples: ATMs, climate control, automated inspection/storage, mail processing, online banking
• Automation reduces variability compared to human labor

Automation Advantages

• Automation advantages include cost savings and the need for standardized job processing
• Automation can be crucial for maintaining competitiveness
• Automation reduces variable costs
• Automation is frequently cited as necessary for competitiveness

Classes of Automation

• There are three types of automation; fixed, programmable, and flexible
• Fixed automation is the least flexible, using specialized equipment for fixed operations
• It has low cost and high volume advantages
• Changing product process is difficult

Programmable Automation

• It uses general-purpose equipment controlled by computer programs, with the capacity to make a varied range of products in smaller batches
• Numerically controlled (N/C) machines and robots are a specific implementation

Flexible Automation

• Flexible automation is evolved from programmable automation using more customized equipment
• Significantly reduces changeover times and allows continuous operations without batching

Computer Aided Manufacturing

• Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) is the use of computers in process control, from robots to quality

Numerically Controlled Machines

• It is programmed using mathematical relationships to tell processing instructions
• Instructions are stored on something such as a microprocessor
• Best for complex parts needing frequent processing and close tolerances in small batches

Numerical Control Machines

• Limitations of Numerical Control machines are high skill needs to program, inability to detect wear

Robotics

• Robots removes humans from unsafe or dull work

Levels of Robotics

• Lowest level robots follow fixed instruction sets
• More advanced robots use programmable, repeatable instructions
• Higher level robots receive instructions from a computer
• Top-tier robots recognizing objects and make decisions
• Collaborative robots, or Cobots, designed to work with humans

Flexible Manufacturing Systems

• Consist of a machine group handling varied requirements creating similar products with controllers
• Flexible manufacturing systems is more flexible than hard automation and represents a sizable technology Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (CIM)
• It uses a system linking activities through a central computer
• The overall CIM goal is responsiveness to customer orders through fast production and lower labor costs

The Internet of Things

• It extends connectivity to devices for information sharing, benefiting AI, machine learning, and maintenance predictions

Additive Manufacturing

• 3D printers are controlled by CAD and apply successive material layers
• It's slower than conventional production and can replicate objects using 3D scanning
• The three areas of development of additive manufacturing are printers, software, and materials

Subtractive Manufacturing

• Subtractive uses cutting, grinding, and milling

Drone Technology

• Drones are unmanned aircraft that are remotely controlled or programmed

Process Flexibility

• Flexibility applications are matched to definite situations needing flexibility
• It is used when demand has variety or uncertainty

Plant Layout Decisions

• Considers moving work and is key due to financial investment, long-term commitments, and operational cost/efficiency

Types of Layout

• Basic layout include product, process, fixed-position, and hybrid

Product Configuration

• Product layouts suit repetitive processing for fluent movement

Process Configuration

• Process layouts handle varied requests in intermittent processing

Fixed and Mixed Configurations

• Fixed-position layouts for projects
• Hybrid layouts combine options include cellular & flexible manufacturing

Production Lines

• Production lines uses standardized processes and are organized for quick/smooth and or high volume

Design of Assembly Lines

• U-shaped lines boost communication and assignment flexibility
• Prevents a single station from disrupting teamwork

Preventative Maintenance

• Means worn parts are swapped periodically
• This lowers breakdown probabilities

Organization

• U-shapes are compact, reducing linear space

Work Design

• It reduces discontinuous work needing adjustment

Operation Groupings

• They allow easier functional similarity execution

Cell Creation

• This production method uses the grouping of similar workstations

Workflow

• It sequences steps for the same demands while improving speed

Layout Configuration

• It is used for buildings that work with a system

Cellular Configurations

• Cellular layouts support diverse products
• Minimizing waste is its goal

Production Techniques

• Single-minute die exchange lowers machine setup time

Group Technology

• It emphasizes organizing part items
• It allows families using like assembly processes

Analysis Strategies

• Assembly families are assessed with visual exams, design overviews, or flow check

Service Layout

• Custom service can use process or fixed layouts

Layout Considerations

• Retail stores gain insights from customers
• It's done using retail layouts

Warehouse Layout

• Items often and less often ordered are put closer, respectively

Office Design

• Cubicles should have easy computer access

Restaurant Design

• Food that requires refrigeration should be grouped in a manner that follows the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point framework

Hospital Considerations

• Facility design uses patients
• Equipment is carefully designed

Servicing Machines

• Self-run service is better than customer touchpoints

Assembly Construction

• Product layouts reduce time if set

Balancing

• Balancing involves appropriate tasks for quick turnaround
• If the process works faster at the same rates, balancing works

Measuring effectiveness

• Measures with high rates benefit

Measuring

• To improve process, look at charts
• Charts have many varieties

Heuristic

• They give reliable assignment clusters

Line Balancing Metrics

• Assessing performance has two ways: balancing, line effectiveness

Formulas

• Idle factors indicate the theoretical minimum

Diagram Use

• Charts help determine order of action

Effectiveness

• They help show charts for product timeframes

Balance Measurement

• This is done measuring time, output, and idle times

Layout Requirements

• Entrances, flooring, spaces, and docks and elevator sites all change design

Service Design

• Customers can have their path measured
• To get the benefits of flow process charts, a person or place must be chosen to make sure a specific item or person's activity can be marked even as materials are tested.