The role of the supply chain in the elimination and reduction of construction rework and defects: an action research approach

Since 2007, Ireland has suffered a circa 80% reduction in construction output. This has resulted in bankruptcy, unemployment and bad debt. Contractors have attached greater emphasis to production efficiency and cost reduction as a means of survival. An Action Research (AR) strategy was used in this research to improve processes adopted by a SME contractor for the control of defects in its supply chain. It is conservatively estimated that rework, typically accounts for, circa 5% of total project costs. Rework is wasteful and presents an obvious target for improvement. The research reported here concerns the (first) diagnosing stage of the AR cycle only, involving: observation of fieldwork, analysis of contract documents, and semi-structured interviews with supply chain members. The results indicate potential for supply chain participants to identify root causes of defects and propose solutions, having regard to best practice to avoid re-occurrence. A lack of collaborative forums to contribute to production improvement was identified. Additionally the processes, used to collect, manage and disseminate data were unstructured and uncoordinated, indicating scope for developing more efficient methods. The research indicates good understanding of the potential benefits for supply chain collaboration but suggests that the tools and knowledge to collaborate are currently lacking in the SME sector

Integrated New Product Introduction Challenges in Aerospace Manufacturing

The key dynamic in supporting an efficient and effective new product introduction is the nature of the exchange of information between the functions of manufacturing engineering and design engineering. This paper describes a study of this dynamic with particular regard to the role of manufacturing engineering in developing robust production process for the design intent. This study reports related work in this area and establishes the views of participants concerning product introduction process at a major aerospace manufacturer. It is found that integration between the manufacturing and design function driven by communication of qualitative data has brought benefit to the process in terms of quality cost and time. However, a stronger definition regarding the quality and usability of manufacturing process knowledge communicated to the design function is required for more effective and efficient new product introduction in the shortening timescales of the changing industrial environment

Synergizing Lean and Green for Continuous Improvement

Part 1: Knowledge-Based SustainabilityInternational audienceFor many years small-medium enterprises (SMEs) have attempted to improve their manufacturing and environmental operation performance in a view to achieving competitiveness and operational excellence. This paper looks at the literature in order to investigate the relationship between lean and green management and their relationship to one another while keeping in mind their simultaneous implementation at a foundry SME. Separate literature streams have arisen to address issues in green and lean using systems engineering tools but research has largely neglected the intersection of the two. The presented research synthesizes the literature addressing the intersections of green and lean and suggests a research agenda to address gaps. Suggestions for implementing environmental management systems for sustaining continuous improvement activities have also been provided