Producing Goods and Services OPERATIONS: Producing Goods and Services

Learning Objectives Discuss the strategic value-adding role operations plays in the supply chain. Explain the concept of a transformation process and its application to goods and services. Appreciate the tradeoffs and challenges involved in production operations. Understand the primary production strategies and types of planning.

Describe the various production process layouts. Learning Objectives, continued Discuss the primary assembly processes and production methods for goods creation. Describe the various production process layouts. Explain the role of productivity and quality metrics for improving operations performance. Know how information technology supports efficient production of goods and services.

The Role of Production Operations in SCM Manufacturing and service production supplies a economic utility called form utility. Effective production operations are supported by and support the supply chain. Supply chain tradeoffs must be understood and made. Production Process Functionality No two processes are organized exactly alike or perform to the same level. Process functionality helps the success of an organization. Assemble-to-order methods tend to be more complex, be more labor intensive, and require longer processing time than the mass-production-oriented, make-to-stock operations.

Figure 14.1 The Production Process Source: Brian J. Gibson, Ph.D.

The Role of Production Operations in SCM, continued Production Tradeoffs Processes that can produce a range of products are said to have economies of scope. Low-volume production runs of a wide variety of products are required to meet changing customer demand. Tradeoffs between production processes for goods and the costs involved in manufacturing them must also be understood. Production and supply chain costs vary for make-to-stock, assemble-to-order, and build-to-order products.

Figure 14.2 Total Cost of Manufacturing Source: Adapted from Bowersox, Closs & Cooper, Supply Chain Logistics Management, 3rd ed. (2010)

Production Challenges The Role of Production Operations in SCM, continued Production Challenges Intensified competition, more demanding customers, and relentless pressure for efficiency as well as adaptability. Competitive pressures for many established manufacturers and service providers Customers’ demand for choice and rapidly changing tastes.

Operations Strategies and Planning Production Strategies In the era of mass production, operations strategy focused on reduction, efficiency, and scale. The push-based strategy works well for supply chains that focus on the immediate delivery of off-the-shelf, low-cost, standardized goods. Lean production tries to have materials arrive at the needed location just in time for rapid processing and flow through the system. Lean production relies on pull-based systems to coordinate production and distribution with actual customer demand.

Figure 14.3 Evolution of Production Strategies Source: Adapted from Manufacturing Strategy: An Adaptive Perspective (SAP 2003)

Table 14.1 TPS Seven Deadly Wastes Source: Ohno, Toyota Production System: Beyond Large Scale Production (1988)

Production Strategies, continued Operations Strategies and Planning, continued Production Strategies, continued Machine flexibility General purpose machines and equipment staffed by cross-trained workers provide the ability to produce different types of products Routing flexibility Provides managers with a choice between machines for a part’s next operation Offshoring Activity be relocated to a contract manufacturer in another country Adaptive manufacturing Provides companies with the ability to replace planning and replanning with execution based on real-time demand

Production Planning Long-range plans Medium-range plans Operations Strategies and Planning, continued Production Planning Long-range plans Covering a year or more, focus on major decisions regarding capacity and aggregate production plans Medium-range plans Span 6 to 18 months and involve tactical decisions regarding employment levels and similar issues Short-range plans Ranging from a few days to a few weeks

Figure 14.4 Production Planning Activities Source: Adapted from Wisner, Tan, & Leong, Principles of Supply Chain Management, 2nd ed. (2009)

Production Planning, continued Operations Strategies and Planning, continued Production Planning, continued Resource requirements planning (RRP) Long-run, macro-level planning tool Rough-cut capacity plan (RCCP) Checks the feasibility of the master production schedule Capacity requirements planning (CRP) Checks the feasibility of the materials requirement plan Aggregate production plan (APP) Long-range materials plan that translates annual business plans, marketing plans into production plan Master production schedule (MPS) Medium-range plan that is more detailed than the APP

Production Execution Decisions Assembly Processes (MTS), make to order (ATO), assemble-to-order (BTO), build-to-order (ETO), engineer-to-order Production Process Layout Facility layout Involves the arrangement of machines, storage areas, and other resources within the four walls of a manufacturing or an assembly facility.

Production Process Layout, continued Production Execution Decisions, continued Production Process Layout, continued Successful layout is one that does the following: Reduces bottlenecks in moving people or materials Minimizes materials-handling costs Reduces hazards to personnel Utilizes labor efficiently Increases morale and ease of supervision Utilizes available space effectively and efficiently Provides flexibility Facilitates coordination and face-to-face communication Project layout Fixed location layout where the product remains in place for the duration of production Workcenter Process-focused layout that groups together similar equipment or functions

Production Process Layout, continued Production Execution Decisions, continued Production Process Layout, continued Manufacturing cell Process-focused layout that dedicates production areas to a narrow range of products that are similar in processing requirements Assembly line Product-focused layout in which machines and workers are arranged according to the progressive sequence of operations Continuous process facilities Similar to assembly lines, with product flowing through a predetermined sequence of stops.

Figure 14.5 Facility Layout Matrix Source: Adapted from Jacobs & Chase, Operation and Supply Chain Management: The Core (2008)

Packaging Design issues can affect labor and facility efficiency. Production Execution Decisions, continued Packaging Design issues can affect labor and facility efficiency. Can provide another level of product differentiation. Design impacts ability to use space and equipment. Ease of handling during materials handling and transportation. Protecting the goods in the package.

Production Metrics Total cost Total Cycle Time Delivery performance All money spent on manufacturing must be summarized and the total compared to the previous period. Total Cycle Time Total cycle time is a measure of manufacturing performance that is calculated by studying major purchased components and determining the total days on hand of each one. Delivery performance Is the percentage of customer orders shipped when the customer requested them to be shipped.

Production Metrics, continued Quality This may vary by company but it must focus on quality from the perspective of the customer. Safety The standard metrics of accident/incident frequency, severity, and cost are important to monitor, with continuous improvement (i.e., reduction) as the goal.

Production Technology Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) Central software used to monitor and control production operations. Linked to other enterprise tools like ERP systems, product life cycle management tools, and scheduling and planning systems.

Table 14.3 MES Key Functionality Source: Manufacturing Execution Solutions Association International, MES Functionality & MRP to MFS Data Flow Possibilities, (2011)

Summary Production operations include all activities and processes involved in changing the composition of a good or service—component fabrication, product assembly, and service request execution—for the purpose of creating form utility. Numerous tradeoffs must be made regarding production: volume versus variety, responsiveness or efficiency, make or outsource, and focusing on a limited number of competitive dimensions. Intensified competition, more demanding customers, and relentless pressure for efficiency as well as adaptability are driving significant changes across many manufacturing industry settings.

Summary, continued There have been significant development and shifts in production strategy. Organizations have advanced from forecast-driven mass production to demand-driven lean, flexible, and adaptive approaches. Capacity planning and materials planning are used to balance inputs, capacity (resources), and outputs so that customer demand can be fulfilled without creating waste. Most manufacturers use a combination of four production methods—make-to-stock, assemble-to-order, build-to-order, and engineer-to-order—to satisfy demand for their products. Within the make-to-order method, companies can leverage assemble-to-order, build-to-order, or engineer-to-order options, based on product complexity and weakness.

Summary, continued Facility layout involves the arrangement of machines, storage areas, and other resources within the four walls of a manufacturing or an assembly facility. Facility layout is influenced by the product characteristics, production strategy, and assembly process employed by the organization. Packaging plays important roles in the smooth transfer of finished goods from the plant to the distribution center and customer locations. Sustainability is a key consideration in packaging selection, and companies are turning to recyclable and reusable materials for exterior and interior packaging. Production KPIs must be linked to corporate goals and objectives, customer requirements, and overall performance of the production operation.

Summary, continued Critical production KPIs address total cost, total cycle time, delivery performance, quality, and safety. Manufacturing execution systems software solutions improve an organization’s ability to manage production operations and make them more responsive to disruptions, challenges, and changing marketplace conditions.