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"
Infor has helped thousands of
manufacturers successfully make the transition to
lean by combining best-in-class business application solutions, leading edge technology, and lean business
practice expertise with industry experienced professionals."
Source : Infor
Dealing with Chaos: 4 Steps to Manufacturing Success
Manufacturing is also known as :
Lean Manufacturing,
Manufacturing Solutions,
Manufacturing System,
Manufacturing Equipment,
Manufacturing Automation,
Manufacturing Process,
Manufacturing Engineers,
Manufacturing Community,
Manufacturing Executives,
Manufacturing Engineering,
Manufacturing Companies,
Manufacturing Definition,
Manufacturing Industry,
Production,
Manufacturing Services,
Manufacturing Marketplace,
Manufacturers Directory,
Manufacturing Extension,
Manufacturing Practice.
Executive summary
Change, Uncertainty, Variability, Chaos... call it what you will, but it is certain that the dramatic
shifts in demand, supply, costs, availability of materials, energy, market conditions, interest rates,
geopolitical issues, green initiatives, etc. that have emerged in recent years will continue, and likely
get more volatile. Therefore, it is essential that companies irst understand the impact external
changes have on their operations, plans and competitiveness, and then proactively prepare
themselves to thrive and grow in this new reality.
Many manufacturing and distribution companies have rightly focused on Lean operations and
Lean thinking as key to competitiveness in today's global markets. Cost reduction, waste
elimination, shortened lead-times, improved quality and demand-driven production all contribute
to the success of industry leaders across the spectrum and around the globe. One prime
characteristic of Lean operations, however, is the elimination of traditional "bufers" that protect a
manufacturer from disruptions caused by late receipts of parts and materials, equipment
breakdowns, quality rejects, insuicient lead-times (promises within lead-time, engineering
changes after production has started) changing demand, and other everyday challenges. In
today's increasingly unpredictable environment, this lack of bufers places additional stress on the
plant and the supply chain in their struggle to satisfy customer demands.
Contrary to what some might believe, a Lean enterprise is not one that does not need traditional
information system support. On the contrary, Lean companies still need systems to manage
customer orders and billing/collections, purchasing and supplier management, accounting and
inance, engineering, and, yes, even materials and planning. In fact, planning and the included
simulation, collaboration, and communications functions are critical tools for detecting impending
or developing change, determining the projected impact of the change (before it afects
operations), identifying the best strategy for responding to the change, and implementing that
strategy not only in the plant but through the entire supply chain.
The pursuit of excellence
Manufacturers continually strive to become better - improving quality, reducing costs, increasing
lexibility and agility, looking for ways to improve customer service. This imperative has led to a
stream of developments in information systems (MRP, MRP II, ERP, SCM, SRM, CRM and many
more) as well as a continuing evolution in operational strategies from just-in-time to TQM, Six
Sigma, Kanban, and other lean approaches.
In recent years, a great deal of that efort has been focused on Lean initiatives, and that has been
a good thing. Lean companies now dominate many vertical industries with lower costs, superior
quality, and great lexibility from eicient processes and a culture of continuous improvement.
We've learned from the Japanese and the automotive industry in general that demand-driven
operations and a focus on supply chain eiciencies can pay big dividends in almost any
manufacturing environment.
Today, however, the manufacturing world is characterized by uncertainty. The dramatic swings in
the cost of oil and all related petroleum-based materials are just one example of many. Critical raw
materials are suddenly in short supply as weather patterns disrupt fragile supply chains. Wildly
luctuating exchange rates change the economics of imported materials and the demand for
exported products. Stresses in the banking arena inluence the availability of funds and credit as
well as interest rates and stock values. Civil unrest changes the availability of materials and the
nature of demand in certain areas of the world. Any disruption caused by, say, a labor dispute or a
warehouse ire, ripples through the supply chain causing havoc across entire industries around
the globe.
Lean operations, by their very nature, reduce or eliminate the usual "buffers" that manufacturers
build into their operations to overcome expected volatility. Extra inventory (often called "safety
stock"), padded lead-times, generous lot sizing, and "shrinkage" allowances all contribute to an
ability to continue operations when the inevitable but unwelcome disruption occurs. A late delivery
from a vendor? Unexpectedly high reject rates? Short counts? Machine breakdowns? No problem
if there is extra inventory to continue operations until the disruption is resolved. But each of these
bufers increases inventory and inventory is an undesirable commodity in a tightly managed,
eicient (Lean) environment. Lean companies strive to eliminate inventory and other wasteful
practices but in so doing can become more vulnerable to disruptions.
It is not our intention here to disparage Lean in any way. To the contrary, Lean thinking and the use
of Lean techniques are now essential to competitiveness in many industries. It is important,
however, for companies to understand the impact changes have on operations, plans and
competitiveness, and proactively prepare themselves to thrive and grow in this new reality. Be
aware, too, that Lean companies must still plan. In fact, efective and dynamic planning is even
more critical in a Lean environment where there is much less room for errors or surprises.
The Lean enterprise and the Lean supply chain are a veritable ballet of coordinated activities
designed to minimize "waste" - deined as anything that does not add value. Prime examples of
waste are inventory, handling, and delays that are not essential to producing the product and
delivering on-time to the customer. Extending the ballet analogy a bit, if one dancer trips, it can ruin
the whole performance.
Lean enterprises do not operate solely on mechanical methods like kanban. Even in the Leanest
of plants, there is still a need for computer systems to manage customer orders and billing/
collections, purchasing and supplier management, accounting and inance, engineering, and,
yes, even materials and planning. Parts of traditional ERP systems, customer software, and
ERPs speciically adapted to serving these needs in a Lean environment provide the needed
functionality to manage the operations that support the demand-driven production line and closely
coordinated supply chain. The good news is that these systems are also the key to keeping the
Lean plant operating in a chaotic world.
Lean or not, manufacturing companies are faced with the challenge of recognizing change as early
as possible, assessing the potential impact of the change, formulating an appropriate response,
and implementing that response in the most expeditious manner possible. The intelligent
application of information management technology is a key part of that process.
Demand disturbances
Lean enterprises are "demand driven" meaning that, at least in theory, nothing happens until
there is a customer order (demand). As soon as there is demand, all activities are tied to that
demand in a "pull" execution strategy - materials are pulled into and through the plant to make the
product and ship it out. In reality, everything must be prepared in advance to be able to respond
to the demand signal. And that takes planning. Inherent in that planning process is some kind
of forecast. Based on the forecast and plan, production facilities are set up, materials and
components are staged, and everything is ready to respond quickly. When the demand hits and
the products are produced, replenishment activities pull replacements into line ready for the next
demand.
When demand changes, or does not it the forecast, the otherwise smooth execution no longer
meets demand exactly and the intricate arrangement of production and material low is now out
of synch. The most efective preventive strategy is early detection and quick adjustment to
minimize waste and assure product availability.
First of, the forecast must be as accurate as possible and carefully monitored. This is best done
through working closely with key customers using collaboration technologies built into modern
planning suites. Then monitor the forecast and use business intelligence applications to help
detect trends and changes. Next, advanced demand planning applications ofer simulation
capabilities to let you try various "what-if" scenarios to identify the impact of changes and formulate
the best response strategy. Finally, lock in the revised plan and let the system communicate the
necessary changes through the plant and down through the entire supply chain.
Before Pawtucket, Rhode Island-based Colonial Mills installed Infor ERP SyteLine (now Infor
ERP SL), the maker of braided rugs struggled to maintain an 81% on-time shipment and 7.5
days from order to shipment for the 150,000 items that they manufacture and distribute.
After implementation, company CIO Bill Turgeon says "Now we can view all details within the
manufacturing process...alerting us to potential problems so we can react in time." Colonial Mills
quickly raised its on-time record to 92% while cutting order-to-shipment time in half. "Most of our
competition quotes delivery of 20 days or longer."
Even though the rug designs Colonial now manufactures are the most complicated in the
company's history, production rates and other key measurements translate into higher
proitability. "We credit SyteLine and a dedication to Lean principles. The application made all the
diference in helping us maintain our position as industry leader in on-time shipment and low
turnaround time." Colonial is much better able to respond to varying demand and has reduced
costs at the same time.
Supply snafus
It happens to all of us. A key supplier fails to meet a delivery date. A transportation foul-up delays
a shipment. A key material suddenly becomes in short supply. A lot fails inspection and is not
usable. If there isn't enough extra inventory to cover the problem, production will be interrupted.
Again, early detection and quick response, and ixing the problem once and for all, are the keys to
resolving this kind of problem. But preparation can help minimize the damage.
Most Lean enterprises have established close working relationships with suppliers - pretty much
a necessity for getting the kind of service necessary to be successful with Lean. Working closely
within those relationships to avoid the kind of disruptions listed above is the irst step. Despite
your (joint) best eforts, sometimes problems cannot be avoided. In those cases, your planning
system can help you quickly identify the impact of the shortage and how you might be able to
redeploy production resources in the interim. Also, you may have contingencies built into your plan
(alternate suppliers, substitute parts) that could be activated on short notice. It's good to have
thought these things through in advance so you are prepared to move quickly to resolve the
problem.
Changes in the global supply chain hit hard when lead times for critical materials went from a
few days to at least 30 days - and sometimes as much as 120 days - for cleaning product and
industrial chemical supplier CPAC, Inc. This wake-up call motivated CPAC to get better control of
inventory information and integrate business information from forecasting to manufacturing and
distribution with Infor ERP Syteline. "The lexibility that the system gave us was critical in allowing
us to react to constantly changing customer needs and the market while maintaining reasonable
inventory levels," according to Jim Mullin, CPAC division IT manager. "Rush shipments have
decreased by more than 40%." The company is implementing the SyteLine forecasting application
to help manage the changes in the ordering process required by the new, longer lead times.
Production perturbances
In a conventional (non-low) plant, production control and capacity planning applications
provide the tools to schedule and manage the low of work through the plant. When that low
is interrupted because of schedule changes (change in demand, late order change, late
engineering change), material or part shortages, or because of production problems (machine
breakdowns, unscheduled maintenance, personnel issues, etc.), the scheduling system will
react immediately to adjust to the changed conditions. Once the scheduler is made aware of the
change in production status, the impact on job completions can be seen immediately. If there
are possible work-arounds (alternate work centers that can complete the operations, outside
vendors to of-load the work to) that impact can be simulated to get new estimates of completion
and shipments. In any case, the system can tell you when work will be completed under the new
situation so you can alert customers, if necessary. In addition, schedules can and should be
adjusted for all other resources in the plant to keep them productive while the problem is
being rectiied.
In a low shop, it's not so easy to adjust to disruptions. In some cases, it may be possible to change
the product mix to work around changes in demand or supply but generally changeover has a
considerable cost and unplanned changeovers should be avoided if at all possible. In most cases,
then, it is best to attack supply and equipment problems directly, in order to get the process
back on-line as quickly as possible. Once again, preparation is the key. If there are alternate
suppliers or substitute materials, now is the time to activate them - your planning system can
show the impact of the disturbance and simulate the recovery alternatives so you can choose
the best approach. It is also of critical importance to utilize enterprise asset management and
maintenance management systems to proactively avoid equipment breakdowns and
unplanned outages.
For production problems, options are limited. When a line is down, it's down. The system can show
the impact on projected customer shipments and, if it is a feeder line that's down, immediately
identify the products, customers and shipments that will be afected and by how much. Simulation
of potential failures can help you be better prepared by clearly identifying the impact and helping
you choose compensatory strategies to result in the best customer service and minimum
overall cost.
Design dilemmas
Late order changes and late engineering changes - those that occur after the start of production
- are a diicult but unavoidable fact of life for many manufacturers. There are two strategies that
can help here - prevention and efective change control.
Enhanced engineering processes might help avoid "late" changes by shortening the engineering
process and improving the quality of the initial release. Integrated engineering control and release
applications manage documents, speciications and worklow. They enhance the ability to
coordinate with other departments - procurement, production, inance, and customer service
- to improve the manufacturability and appropriateness of the design, and manage the release
process so that all areas of the business are on board with the release of the product or change.
Collaboration enhancements help you include customers and suppliers in the design and
development processes to exploit their expertise and capabilities as well. If it is a change to an
existing product or an item already in production, the integrated tools can help assess the impact
of the change and assist in determining the best break-in point to minimize waste, scrap, and
obsolescence.
In cases where there is a change after production has started, the important thing is to put the
change into place as quickly and efectively as possible. Efectively, in this instance, means full
coordination with all afected departments and resources, careful consideration of the impact
of the change, management of the change implementation process for minimum waste and
disruption, and good communication so that all parties are on board with the change as it goes into
efect. It should be obvious that integrated information management systems are essential for
accomplishing a smooth engineering change implementation. The worklow function manages the
communication and coordination as well as the updating of iles and schedules. The integration
supports impact analysis and planning.
Quality quandaries
Regardless of varying demands, supply disruptions, production problems, or all of the
aforementioned challenges, quality is and will remain a basic requirement for all manufacturers in
all industries. Although modern management theory dictates that quality should be designed
in and built-in rather than added on through inspection and old-fashioned QC, it is imperative
to measure, monitor and, in most cases, document quality through all stages of the product
lifecycle. Integrated quality applications help get this important job done with minimal impact on
production and operations.
In the context of variation and uncertainty, solid quality processes and quality management can
help reduce surprises - more reliability of incoming parts and materials (fewer rejects through
working closely with suppliers to insure quality), fewer production disruptions (early detection of
control issues, often before bad products are produced or production must be disrupted), and
reduced rework and rejects on completed products.
Recognizing change - and assessing the impact
As with most things, the earlier a problem or situation is recognized, the easier it is to ix and the
impact will be minimized. It is far better to identify a potential future shortage than to ind out the
supply is exhausted when the part is needed. Preventive action is nearly always less expensive
and less disruptive than corrective action. Therefore it is important to always know what is
happening within the plant, and as much as possible, up and down the supply chain.
Identifying or predicting a change in demand at the outset can prevent a lot of unsold product or
shortages later on. Further, demand changes have a profound impact on production schedules and
the need for parts and materials, so early detection of a change in the trend is a signal to adjust
all production and procurement plans to accommodate the change. But not just blindly and
mechanically - one of the deining characteristics of a Lean operation is level production, so any
change in plans to accommodate demand changes should be carefully considered in light of the
demand of most eicient production.
Early detection afords the luxury of time to assess the potential impact of the change. In many
cases, a quick adjustment will avoid the majority of the disruption and diiculty. Absent the
ability to make the adjustment quickly, simulation and planning systems can identify the costs
- money, production schedules, and/or customer service - that will result from the disruption.
Finding the proper response
Sometimes the proper corrective action is obvious - if demand is turning down, reduce production
and procurement. If demand is moving up, do the opposite. But it's not always that simple.
Sometimes supplies are limited or production cannot be increased enough. Or it might not be
desirable to simply reduce production for various reasons. In those situations, it is extremely
helpful to be able to conduct simulations - "what if" analyses - to model the result of various
actions.
Planning applications can model an entire supply chain and complete "what-if" analyses that can
be shared with suppliers so that all participants are prepared for likely scenarios. Contingency
plans with suppliers (and your own production facilities) make it easier and quicker to make the
necessary adjustments - you already know what to do and it's just a matter of putting those
contingency plans into efect.
Simulation lets you try out any number of alternative strategies and determine which keeps
production lowing smoothly with minimum extra costs (expediting, premium freight, overtime,
etc.). You can specify the relative importance of each factor and "trade them of" to ind the solution
that is most acceptable.
Implementing the response
Plans are good but they must be executed. The inal step is to complete the actions outlined above
and monitor the results. Because the plans and simulations are part of the same system that
manages the process, passing the new instructions to all afected parties is quick and easy
- and all departments are tied in and coordinated. It is important to monitor all activities during
and after the response is implemented to insure that everything is proceeding as planned, the
response is the right one, and production objectives (and customer service) are being achieved.
Also, the cause of the disruption merits continued monitoring to conirm that the change occurred
as predicted, is continuing, and has not mutated even more than anticipated. It is a continuing
process, and changes continue to disrupt the best laid plans.
Summary
Manufacturers and distributors have embraced the Lean philosophy to great beneit in improved
performance, shorter lead-times, better quality and lowered costs. The tight controls necessary for
success with Lean, however, leave companies more vulnerable to supply disruptions, production
problems, quality issues, and abrupt changes in demand.
All indications are that variability, chaos, uncertainty, change - however you choose to
characterize it - will continue to be an increasingly challenging fact of life. It is essential that
companies irst understand the impact external changes have on their operations, plans and
competitiveness, and then proactively prepare themselves to thrive and grow in this new reality.
Manufacturers, therefore, must be prepared to recognize impending change as early as possible,
assess the potential impact, determine the optimum strategy for dealing with the change, and
implement that strategy in the most efective way possible.
The key to that four-step operating philosophy can be found in broad-based, integrated information
management systems like Infor ERP SL. With forecasting and comprehensive measurement
systems to detect change, advanced planning systems and simulation to assess the impact
and formulate a response, integrated enterprise and supply chain applications and worklow
to communicate through the supply chain, manage the response and monitor quality and
performance, Infor ERP SL gives you the visibility, tools, and capabilities to meet the challenge and
succeed.
While it is important to have Lean operations - it is now also important that manufacturing
operations and the supply chain are lexible and prepared to react to change. Together, this Lean,
lexible, and eicient operation will allow your facility to continue to reduce operational costs,
increase cash low, increase company value whether public and private, and most importantly,
grow your business on a global basis.
About Infor
Infor delivers business-speciic software to enterprising organizations. With experience built in, Infor's
solutions enable businesses of all sizes to be more enterprising and adapt to the rapid changes of a
global marketplace. With more than 70,000 customers, Infor is changing what businesses expect
from an enterprise software provider. For additional information, visit www.infor.com.
Disclaimer
This document relects the direction Infor may take with regard to the speciic product(s) described in
this document, all of which is subject to change by Infor in its sole discretion, with or without notice to
you. This document is not a commitment to you in any way and you should not rely on this document
or any of its content in making any decision. Infor is not committing to develop or deliver any speciied
enhancement, upgrade, product or functionality, even if such is described in this document.
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Phone: +1(800) 260 2640
Table of contents
- Executive summary
- The pursuit of excellence
- Demand disturbances
- Supply snafus
- Production perturbances
- Design dilemmas
- Quality quandries
- Recognizing change - and assessing the impact
- Finding the proper response
- Implementing the response
- Summary
- About Infor