BS8- Lean Production

Question 1

What is lean production?

Answer 1

Originating from japan, it is an approach in which all employees are involved in putting into operation a series of working practices that will help the business to meet the demands of the consumer in an efficient and effective manner.

Question 2

What is kaizen?

Answer 2

It is a philosophy which regards improvements in quality as an ongoing thing, it isn’t just something that happens occasionally.

Question 3

Identify the possible benefits and drawbacks of implementing cell production

Answer 3

Benefits-

• Closeness of cell members should improve communication, avoiding confusion arising from misunderstood or non-received messages
• Workers become multi-skilled and more adaptable to the future needs of a business
• Greater worker motivation, arising from variety of work, team working and more responsibility
• Quality improvements as each cell has ‘ownership’ for quality on its area

Drawbacks-

• The company culture has to encourage trust and participation, or workers can feel that they are being constantly pushed for more and more output with no respite
• The company may have to invest in new materials handling and ordering systems suitable for cell production
• Cell production may not allow a firm to use its machinery as intensively as in traditional flow production
• Some small scale production lines may not yield enough savings to make a switch cell production economically worthwhile
• The allocation of work to cells has to be efficient so that they have enough work, but not so much that they are unable to cope
• Recruitment and training of staff must support this approach to production

Question 4

What is ergonomics?

Answer 4

It looks at the relationship between the employee and the capital equipment being used.

Question 5

Identify the possible benefits and drawbacks of implementing ergonomics?

Answer 5

Benefits-

• it can minimise the amount of time waisted in using machines or equipment.
• it makes tasks involving machines a lot easier and quicker.

Drawbacks-
-it can be expensive implementing it however once implanted it can become a lot more efficient so make up for the cost.

Question 6

What is total quality management (TQM)

Answer 6

It considers the effect usage of small the resources used within the production process, whether directly or indirectly related to the actual production process.

Question 7

Identify the possible benefits and drawbacks of implementing kaizen

Answer 7

Kaizen is striving for constant improvements

Benefits-

• improving one part of the production process can often encourage other parts to improve
• employees are sometimes rewarded for bringing up possible improvements
• the product process will constantly get better and more efficient

Drawbacks-

• if improvements are constantly being made then eventually jobs may be affected
• employees may be reluctant to suggest some ideas as it could lead to there job no longer being needed.
• continues improvements could mean that employees don’t always know what they have to do leading to accidents and stress.

Question 8

What is cell production?

Answer 8

It is a form of teamwork, employees are placed in teams and each is given a particular part that they are responsible for.

Question 9

Identify the possible benefits and drawbacks of implementing (TQM)

Answer 9

Total quality management:

Benefits-
-if everyone is checking for mistakes and bad products then the likely hood of them being sold is a lot less.
-the business has a lost less worries
-employees feel more responsible
Drawbacks-
-employees however want not want the extra work when it is being implement
-it can take a lot of extra time when it is all added up.

Question 10

What is time based management?

Answer 10

It is an attempt to reduce the time taken between the generation of an idea for a product and it going into production. Also know as lead time.

Question 11

Identify the possible benefits and drawbacks of implementing time based management

Answer 11

Benefits-
-it is sped up by the use of CAD
-it can save the cost of building models
Drawbacks-
-employees have to learn new methods and skills
-if it is rushed then the product could end up a failure and it would have all been a waist of time.