Henry Ford vs. assembly line balancing

Ford’s Assembly Line at Highland Park is one of the most influential conceptualizations of a production system. New data reveal Ford’s operations were adaptable to strongly increasing and highly variable demand. These analyses show Ford’s assembly line was used differently than modern ones and their production systems were more flexible than previously recognized. Assembly line balancing theory largely ignores earlier practice. It will be shown that Ford used multiple lines flexibly to cope with large monthly variations in sales. Although a line may be optimized to yield lowest cost production, systems composed of several parallel lines may yield low cost production along with output and product flexibility. Recent research on multiple parallel lines has focussed on cost effectiveness without appreciating the flexibility such systems may allow. Given the current strategic importance of flexibility it should be included in such analyses as an explicit objective

Production/inventory management in a flow production environment.

Thesis (M.Com.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1991.Thesis (M.Com.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1991.A modular model named "Total Inventory Planning and Flow Control" is developed to better plan and control a manufacturing environment. The research into the philosophies, ideas and tools used by two apparently conceptually different manufacturing systems Manufacturing Resource Planning and Just-In-Time - shows that: * The main goals of Manufacturing Resource Planning and Just-In-Time are very similar; * There appears to be different tools used by the two systems, Manufacturing Resource Planning and Just-In-Time; * The two systems have different approaches to some of the manufacturing factors; * Both, Manufacturing Resource Planning and Just- In-Time, have "blind spots" in their system; * By combining selected complementary philosophies, ideas, concepts and tools from the two systems, a synergistic affect is created that overcomes the differences between the systems and covers the "blind spots" which occur in each system separately.A modular model named "Total Inventory Planning and Flow Control" is developed to better plan and control a manufacturing environment. The research into the philosophies, ideas and tools used by two apparently conceptually different manufacturing systems Manufacturing Resource Planning and Just-In-Time - shows that: * The main goals of Manufacturing Resource Planning and Just-In-Time are very similar; * There appears to be different tools used by the two systems, Manufacturing Resource Planning and Just-In-Time; * The two systems have different approaches to some of the manufacturing factors; * Both, Manufacturing Resource Planning and Just- In-Time, have "blind spots" in their system; * By combining selected complementary philosophies, ideas, concepts and tools from the two systems, a synergistic affect is created that overcomes the differences between the systems and covers the "blind spots" which occur in each system separately

Application of the Lean Philosophy to reduce Carbon Emissions in the Precast Concrete Industry of Singapore

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH