Author:
Cellular Production systems have steadily gained in popularity over the past two decades. Reorganizing work processes into cells has helped many organizations improve lead times, lower costs, and increase quality and competitiveness. Cellular manufacturing is a powerful concept that is relatively simple to understand; however, its ultimate success or failure depends on deciding where cells fit into your organization, and then applying the know-how to effectively design and implement them. Reorganizing the Factory presents a thoroughly researched, comprehensive discussion of the many related issues you must address if you are going to create what Hyer and Wemmerlov call the cell advantage. Unique in literature, Reorganizing the Factory includes a focus on the managerial issues that accompany organizing work into cells. The authors have found that in most implementations, issues such as measurement, compensation, training, employee involvement, and labor resistance are critically important. These issues are often overlooked in the planning process, yet they can occupy more of the implementation time than the technical aspects of forming cells. This detailed and comprehensive "life cycle" approach will take you from basic concepts and advantages of cells through the process of justifying, designing, implementing, operating, and improving this new type of work organization within your own environment. Contents include: Justification of cells (including economic) * Designing efficient manufacturing cells * Administrative cells * Operation of cell systems * Selecting and training cell employees * Compensation systems for cell employees * Common implementation pitfalls and strategies to avoid them * Ensuring cells are continually adapting to the dynamics of competition * Detailed examples of industry application and check sheets for action.
