Improvement in planning and resource management for an automotive company’s parts feeding system

The increasing sophistication of the automotive market and the constant change in customer requirements increases companies’ concern to ensure efficient internal logistic flows in line with Just-In-Time philosophy and Lean principles, to deal with wastes and variability. Variability arises from the growing differentiation of products, from the adoption of multi and mixed model assembly lines, and from the uncertainty in customer demand resulting from the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19. Considering the automotive supplier company as research subject, several problems were found to be compromising the efficiency of one of its in-plant parts’ feeding systems, the most critical problem being the lack of planning and management of resources (human and material) needed to perform the logistic service. Through Action-Research methodology stages, the actions taken culminated in the development of a simulation and decision-support tool for the component supply system resource management and efficiency improvement. The simulations made revealed reliable and adjusted results of workload and workforce to face the variations in customer demand and the existing product mix. After the tool creation, resource planning and balancing was no longer based on managers experience and empirical knowledge only but based on scientific knowledge: concise and reliable data from information systems, measurements, study of times, and literature review on in-plant milk run systems, lean, just-in-time and continuous improvement techniques.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

"The Shift from Belt Conveyor Line to Work-cell Based Assembly Systems to Cope with Increasing Demand Variation and Fluctuation in The Japanese Electronics Industries"

As consumption patterns become increasingly sophisticated and manufacturers strive to improve their competitiveness, not only offering higher quality at competitive costs, but also by providing broader mix of products, and keeping it attractive by launching successively new products, the turbulence in the markets has intensified. This has impelled leading manufacturers to search the development of alternative production systems supposed to enable them operate more responsively. This paper discusses the trend of abandoning the strategy of relying on factory automation technologies and conveyor-based assembly lines, and shifting towards more human-centered production systems based on autonomous work-cells, observed in some industries in Japan (e.g. consumer electronics, computers, printers) since mid-1990s. The purpose of this study is to investigate this trend which is seemingly uneconomic to manufacturers established in a country where labor costs are among the highest in the world, so as to contribute in the elucidation of its background and rationality. This work starts with a theoretical review linking the need to cope with nowadays' market turbulence with the issue of nurturing more agile organizations. Then, a general view of the diffusion trend of work-cell based assembly systems in Japanese electronics industries is presented, and some empirical facts gathered in field studies conducted in Japan are discussed. It is worthy mentioning that the abandonment of short cycle-time tasks performed along conveyor lines and the organization of workforce around work-cells do not imply a rejection of the lean production paradigm and its distinctive process improvement approach. High man-hour productivity is realized as a key goal to justify the implementation of work-cells usually devised to run in longer cycle-time, and the moves towards this direction has been strikingly influenced by the kaizen philosophy and techniques that underline typical initiatives of lean production system implementation. Finally, it speculates that even though the subject trend is finding wide diffusion in the considered industries, it should not be regarded as a panacea. In industries such as manufacturing of autoparts, despite the notable product diversification observed in the automobile market, its circumstances have still allowed the firms to rely on capital-intensive process, and this has sustained the development of advanced manufacturing technologies that enable the agile implementation and re-configuration of highly automated assembly lines.

Charting Our Own Course: Today’s Challenges, Tomorrow’s Opportunities, December 2008

The Office of Energy Independence presents Iowa’s second annual energy independence plan, which highlights accomplishments achieved thus far and makes recommendations for the coming year. This plan shows that Iowa has made significant progress in building the foundation for reaching energy independence in just the past year. Continued investment and further efforts will enable Iowa to push toward even greater advances, while creating new jobs and diversifying local economies. With those aims in mind, the state has been investing extensively in the new energy economy. One important example is the Iowa Power Fund, an annual appropriation from the Iowa General Assembly administered by the Office of Energy Independence. In less than one year, the Office has received more than 160 project applications totaling more than $308 million in requests. The projects approved thus far will help advance Iowa’s wind and solar industries, foster new energy efficiency practices, and develop the bio fuels industry for a more economically and environmentally sustainable future. Iowa’s position as a leader in the new energy economy is dependent on the success of the Power Fund, and on the success of this plan. This plan clearly states that Iowa must boldly pursue a strong position in the emerging energy economy worldwide

Skills Academy research report

"This research was commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government in July 2009 in order to review the development, operation and sustainability of Skills Academy networks across the UK and other relevant countries, to determine the strengths and weaknesses of such networks and to make recommendations to support the policy development of a Skills Academy network in Wales." - overview

Benefits of the Cook Inlet Ferry to the Municipality of Anchorage

The purpose of this study is to examine the economic benefits of the Cook Inlet Ferry to the Municipality of Anchorage. The Cook Inlet Ferry is currently being built at the Ketchikan, Alaska shipyard. The U.S. Navy has financed construction of the ferry as a prototype military landing craft for northern, ice-filled waters. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough paid for Ferry engineering, design, and outfitting with federal transit monies. Following short-term Navy testing of the craft, it will be transferred to the Borough to provide ferry service in Cook Inlet. The Borough will provide operating and maintenance information to the Navy on an ongoing basis. The Borough will operate the ferry, which will provide regular service between Anchorage and Port MacKenzie as well as service to other points on Cook Inlet. The Ferry is expected to be operational by 2010.Matanuska - Susitna Borough Economic Development DepartmentIntroduction / Two Municipalities, One Regional Economy / Potential Benefits of the Cook Inlet Ferry / Economic Impacts on Anchorage of Industrial Development at Port MacKenzie / Conclusion / References / Appendix: Notes on Methodolog