Abstract This paper examines in depth how manufacturing organizations in the United States are not as profitable as can be, by looking at management, integration human factors, technology and facility available to achieve near perfection. The paper debates along with the authors of the book, "The Goal" by Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Fox, the different approaches to making profit, by increasing throughput through sales while reducing the inventory and the operational cost of the organization. The paper uses the Toyota Company as an example of these ideas.
Table of Contents
Abstract
Introduction
Methods and Discussion:
Bottlenecks and non-bottlenecks resources
Inventory
Batch Size and the importance of setting a batch size
Operational expenses
Conclusion
Bibliography
From the Paper "In the book, "The Goal" by Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Fox, evaluate the manufacturing process used by most organizations. According to the authors, manufacturing processes followed by the west and most developed countries are flawed. These flaws can be eliminated from the process by implementing specific operating practices. The goal for any organization is making money, and experts in the field propose different ways of approaching it. Making money, according to Dr. Goldratt, is simple: increase throughput through sales while reducing the inventory and the operational cost of the organization. No individual can identify and analyze all the factors affecting a manufacturing organization alone."
Abstract The paper examines the Riordan virtual organization's supply chain process and analyzes the material plan requirements as well as the supply chain process for the China location. The paper identifies bottlenecks in the supply chain process that are inefficient and shows how using lean processes and just-in-time inventory for custom orders will improve the company's efficiency.
Outline:
Introduction
Strategic Capacity Planning
Lean Production
Supply Chain Process
Bottleneck Conclusion
From the Paper "The Hangzhou, China location for Riordan is a decentralized unit that manufacturers electronic fans for sale to purchasers around the globe. Its unique role is the ability to offer special custom fans and equipment to its buyers. Using strategic capacity planning, several bottlenecks in the process are apparent.
""Capacity planning is a process to predict the types, quantities, and timing of critical resource capacities that are needed within an infrastructure to meet accurately forecasted workloads." (Schiesser, 2004). Capacity planning involves the inputs of a company compared to the outputs. Riordan's manufacturing process overview outlines the inputs and outputs of different departments. Raw materials go to the receiving department and are then processed and sent to the molding department or become byproducts. The molded parts are then turned into inputs for the trimming department or discarded as by products. The trimming components go to the assembly department; the assembled pieces go to packaging, packaged pieces then finally go to shipping."
Abstract A router is used to manage network traffic and to find the best route for packets to be sent. This paper discusses the algorithms available in order to find the best route to destination for these packets in the network environment. The two main algorithms are "Global routing algorithms" and "Decentralized routing algorithms". The paper evaluates in detail these two methodologies together with their bottlenecks and illustrates examples with diagrams, graphs, tables and code.
From the Paper "In this step, routers should choose the best route for packets to every node. They do it by using an algorithm such as "Dijkstra Shortest Path Algorithm?. In this algorithm, router, based on information that has been collected from other routers, build a graph of network. This graph shows the location of routers in network and their links. Also every link will be labeled with a number that is called weight of link and is also known as cost of link. This number is a function of delay time, average traffic and sometimes simply, it is the number of hops between nodes. For example if there were two links between a node to destination, the router chooses the link with the least weight."
Abstract This paper examines the book "Theory of Constraints" by Eliyahu Goldratt and looks at how Goldratt, using his main character Alex Rogo, establishes the idea or premise that the goal of any manufacturing organization is simply to make money. It shows how Goldratt successfully in his work creates the idea that a company must make money and turn a profit to succeed and how the path to this goal is recognition of an organization's constraints, or potential bottlenecks to success. It discusses how his ideas are supported in the field by like minded entrepreneurs that are seeking to realize reduced inventory and profit.
Outline
Introduction
Financial Measurements
Conclusions/Assumptions
Dependent Events/Statistical Fluctuations
Support of Goldratt's Premises/Ideas
References
From the Paper "Goldratt establishes three types of financial measurements that he believes are necessary to measure the achievement of the ultimate goal, making money (CBPA, 2003). He studies net profit, ROI and cash flow. Net profit refers to the amount of sales after operating expenses are subtracted (CBPA, 2003). ROI measures net profit as divided by investment and cash flow is according to Goldratt, a "standard measurement of survival" (CBPA, 2003). Goldratt assumes correctly that financial measurements are critical to measuring the success of the company and progress toward the ultimate goal (Goldratt, 1990). They provide insight as to the conditions currently present in a plant environment, and the conditions necessary to provide a profitable and safe environment."
Abstract Today's organizations, regardless of their business focus, possess qualities of a bureaucratic nature, including excessive paperwork, red tape, and other challenging bottlenecks that can hinder productivity and performance. Consequently, organizations are often limited in their activities and the potential to produce quality results in a timely fashion. The following references from professional journals discuss this dilemma in detail, both within governmental bodies and within the public sector. It demonstrates that modern bureaucracies can serve as both a blessing and a nightmare, depending on the situation.
From the Paper "An article by Chang and Turnbull (2002) entitled "Bureaucratic behavior in the local public sector: a revealed preference approach" provides an analysis of the popular opinion that bureaucracies are largely influenced by public spending, and although this concept deserves attention, other theories have been developed that contrast this model. According to the authors, "In the US and other countries with strong democratic institutions, however, local government decisions reflect not only bureaucratic preferences, but also the possibly countervailing effects of the voters in the public decision making process" (192). As a result, it should be noted that strongly democratic nations such as the United States are subject to bureaucratic decisions largely based upon voting preferences and opinions. However, regardless of voter preferences, some bureaucracies still function independently of the citizen vote and objections to the consequences of red tape and excessive paperwork. This viewpoint is only one of many that will be presented in the remainder of this discussion."
Abstract This paper summarizes and reviews "The Goal" by Goldratt and Cox. The paper discusses "Theory of Constraints", a philosophy for improving production throughput presented in "The Goal", and looks at the concept of throughput accounting, a concept embraced by Goldratt and Cox in "The Goal".
From the Paper "In The Goal, (Goldratt and Cox, 1986) Alex Rogo manages a troubled manufacturing plant. When his district manager informs Alex that profits must increase or the plant will be shut down, he turns to Jonah, a former professor. With Jonah's help, Alex turns the plant around while at the same time abandoning traditional management principles in favor of Jonah's Theory of Constraints and Throughput Accounting practices."
Abstract This paper examines how maintenance issues and scheduling are very important for the petroleum industry and how different business units have to work in close coordination with each other in order to achieve the best performance from all the equipment within the organization. It also discusses the importance of training and education and how training should not be restricted to the maintenance departments, but rather the need and reason for maintenance should be provided to all employees within the organization. It shows how the stability of the oil and gas industry depends on its ability to answer the market's increased demand, while still providing profits. All scheduling for maintenance in the oil production business should be done based on the bottleneck, the product most required.
Outline
Introduction
Existing Conditions in the Petroleum Industry
Problems Faced by Maintenance Departments and Their Impact on the Petroleum Industry
Discussion of the Maintenance Requirements
Maintenance of Tanks Used For Storage of Petroleum Products in Tank Farms
Maintenance of Refineries on a Holistic and Generalized Bases
Results Expected From the Maintenance Program Set in Place
From the Paper "Many of the key players in the oil and gas industry are striving to reduce their outstanding debts and improving their cash flow. Organizations involved in the productions, distribution and warehousing of petroleum products are realizing that by using preventive maintenance (PM) and behaving proactive with regards to the problems and issues faced within their operations that can achieve their goal of reducing costs and operational expenses. Constant risk assessments of the manufacturing and production facilities and periodic evaluation of all the work processes has helped many other industries improve their bottom line. The petroleum industry is quick to realize the gains and advantages that can be got by using many of the tried and tested management tools used by other industries."
Abstract In the book "The Goal", plant manager Alex Rogo turned to his former professor, Jonah, after being told that the manufacturing plant will shut down if profits don't increase. Jonah helps Alex turn the plant around my employing Jonah's Theory and Constraints (TOC) and Throughput Accounting practices to improve operational management. At the heart of TOC, is the notion that the goal of achieving greater profits requires the management of constraints that limit the system from getting more of what it is trying to achieve as is discussed in this paper.
From the Paper "A bottleneck is defined as any resource whose capacity is equal to or less than the demand placed upon it (137-138). The first objective of TOC is to identify the bottleneck that is holdup up everything else, gauge the input into the system by the capacity of the bottleneck, never let the bottleneck be idle, and then elevate the capacity of the bottleneck. Jonah asserts that the capacity of the entire plant is equal to the capacity of its bottlenecks and the only true way to increase throughput is by fixing the bottleneck. "
Abstract This paper provides an overview of evolutionary thought and discusses how mankind has impacted the evolutionary cycle of the Earth and its creatures.
Introduction
Overview of Evolution
The Original Frontier
Man's Effect on Evolutionary Trends Through Genetic Bottlenecks Conclusion
From the Paper "Perhaps the most baffling aspect of evolution is the way in which mankind is viewed by many people as somehow being separate and apart from the evolutionary cycle -- perhaps because of the universal perception of man's soul. However, we are inextricably linked into the Gaia process; we all live on a planet whose cycles and processes result in changes in climate and geographic terrain; changes in circadian patterns and changes in food and other resources. Therefore, it is impossible to separate man from nature, just as it is impossible to separate mankind from the evolutionary process. In other words, a definition of "evolution" must include anything, good or bad, that mankind does to our environment as being part of the natural selection process. To the extent that plants and animals are able to adapt to a changing environment is the extent to which that species will survive and thrive. This changing environment can be created by any natural force: changes in climatic conditions as a result of ice ages ebbing and flowing, changes in terrain as a result of earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, etc., and indeed, acts of man."
Abstract This paper describes what is involved in the field of network management. The paper explains that it entails safeguarding the network from threats of unauthorized users, an emphasis on avoiding bottlenecks in the network, making sure network resources are available to the users and attendance to hardware and software failures. The paper also looks at one of the primary tasks of network management, that of preserving and restoring data, and how this process is performed.
From the Paper "The common objective of enterprise-wide networking managers has been to ensure centrally managed enterprise-wide data protection for the users in a divergent environment. The enterprise visualizes its capability of preserving and restoring data is an obligation as a dial tone. However, the divergent nature of network storage environment necessitates backup solutions to cater to the requirement of an innumerable number of operating system platforms and media devices. The requirement in such lines is considered as one of the driving forces that led to devising of the standard Network Data Management Protocol -- NDMP, regarded as a scalable solution for such problems by defining a common architecture for preservation and restoration of data located on heterogeneous file servers in the enterprise. (Network Data Management Protocol Primer)"
Abstract This paper discusses the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2002 in the United States. The paper describes the educational motives behind the formulation of this act. It goes on to describe the requirements of the Act and the issues that have arisen in its implementation. The paper then presents recommendations to limit the flaws of the implementation of the Act within the schools.
Table of Contents:
"Adequate Yearly Progress" (AYP)
Qualified Teachers
Involvement of Parents
Schools and NCLB
Bottlenecks States and Federation Conflict
Parents' Point of View
Issues Related to Teachers
Children with Disabilities
Issues Related to Schools
Concern about Other Subjects and Activities
Reading Conundrum
Recommendations
From the Paper "One thing that NCLB seeks to improve is reading comprehension of students. Schools in an attempt to raise reading scores are indulging in counterproductive things like strategy exercises and test prep. The problem here does not lie with the law itself but how the things are being implemented. The schools rather than being learning grounds have more become test prep centers. The focus on tests has removed the importance of learning. The reading programs being implemented are using content-poor exercises. Most of the time these exercises fail to stimulate the intellectual capacity of students. As mentioned earlier the emphasis on reading exercises have also excluded subjects like history, science, and the arts. In fact such subjects help in improving the reading capabilities of students more."
This paper is a complete research project including an extensive literature review that analyzes demand-driven supply networks (DDSN) in an increasingly globalized marketplace.
Abstract This paper explains that demand-driven supply network (DDSN) is an IT strategy that uses a system of technologies and processes to sense demand and react to it in real time, across a network of linked customers, suppliers and employees. The author uses both a case analysis methodology and quantitative surveys. The paper states that the hypothesis of the study is that, because physical supply chains in a global economy operate at the speed of ocean-going ships, U.S. manufacturers should re-engineer their supply networks to remove bottlenecks from the system and match the speed of innovation that operates in a flat world by adopting appropriate demand-drive supply networking techniques. The paper includes many charts, figures and tables and the survey questionnaires.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Statement of the Problem
Hypothesis
Rationale
Overview of the Study
Literature Review
Background and Overview
The Flat-Round Dichotomy
Supply Chain Tactics for a Round World
Different Approaches Used to Deliver Round-World Returns
Level One: Business Process Improvement
Level Two: Business Process Redesign
Demand-Driven Supply Networks
Four-Stage Maturity Model Helps to Plot Long-Term Track
DDSN Implementation
Sensing and Consolidating Demand
DDSN Methods
Alignment is Key
Existing Supply Chain Initiatives and Techniques that Contribute/Mirror Demand-Driven Supply Network Approaches
Efficient Consumer Response (ECR)
Time-Based Competition (TBC)
Product Development
Strategic Importance
Product Life-Cycle Times are Getting Shorter
Product Development Considerations
Cross-Functional Teams
Strategies for Cross-Functional Team Management
Concurrent Engineering
Japanese Paradox
Supply Network Strategy
Just in Time (JIT), Just in Time II (JIT II) and Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI)
Case Vignette - Pure Vendor Managed Inventory in Action.
Agility in the Supply System, Agile Manufacturing, Strategically Flexible Production or Proximity Manufacturing
Case Vignette - Agile Manufacturing
Virtual Operations Strategy
Strategic Outsourcing
Case Vignette - Strategic Outsourcing
World-Class Manufacturing (WCM)
Lean Production and Lean Thinking
Strategic Postponement
Case Vignette - Strategic Postponement.
Logistics Strategy
Strategic Purchasing or Sourcing, Strategic Procurement, Network Sourcing, Materials Management
Case Vignette - Strategic Purchasing and Sourcing
LL Bean Replenishment Schedule
Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR)
Case Vignette - CPFR at Levi Strauss
Methodology
Data Analysis
Part I: Case Studies
Case Example No. 1: Rexam
Supply Chain Strategies
Case Example No 2. Dell Computer Corp
Dell Geographic Business Segments
Action Strategy
Supply Chain Control
Strategy Applications
Case Study No. 3: Wrangler Jeans
Action Strategy
Selecting Distributors
Most Common Selection Criteria for Developing a Strategic Relationship
Evaluating Distributors
Case Example. Owens & Minor Inc.
Action Strategy
Innovations in Supply-Chain Strategies
Case Examples. United Technologies Corp.
McAfee's Strategy
Results
Action Steps
Defining a Global Perspective
Product Design
Online Survey Results
Survey No. 1. Survey of Distributors
Section One: Distributor Overview
Number of Employees
Annual sales revenues (MM$)
Supply Chain Management Techniques Used in Past
Supply Chain Management Techniques Now Using
Most Valuable Initiative in Streamlining Supply Chain
Key to Likert-Scaled Questions
Familiar with Demand-Driven Supply Network Techniques
Company Currently Uses Demand-Driven Supply Network Techniques
Section Three: Open-Ended Comments.
Survey No. 2. Survey of Manufacturers
Section One: Manufacturer Overview
Number of Employees
Annual sales revenues (MM$)
Past Initiative
Current Initiative
Most Valuable Initiative
Familiarity with Demand-Driven Supply Network Techniques
Company Currently Uses Demand-Driven Supply Network Techniques
Section Three: Open-Ended Comments.
Conclusion
Results
Discussion
Recommendations
Explore Technologies That Deliver Demand
From the Paper "Therefore, one of the most important elements in CPFR is the forging of proactive links between partners or allies at different stages of the supply pipeline. These need to be both strategic and tactical and require proper management as one of the resources of the organization. An excellent example of this in action is to be found in the approach that Levi Strauss and Company take with its main suppliers and customers. According to Lowson, since the mid-1980s, the firm has constantly been trying to establish closer working links in the supply in a coordinated pipeline with the aid of its 'Levilink'..."
Abstract This paper explains that Eliyahu M. Goldratt's "The Goal" presents a different perspective on modern manufacturing business. The paper relates that, by using the format of a novel, the reader is able to understand the true goal, new measurements, capacity planning and the way the market affects the manufacturing plant. The paper states that the goal upon which the manufacturing function must redirect its focus is the company goal to make money. The author relates that the measurements at the operational/manufacturing level to evaluate if the company is make money are throughput, inventory and operational expense. The author underscores the concept that management should consider how all machines work together to produce a good.
From the Paper "A manufacturing plant contains two types of resources, bottlenecks and non-bottlenecks. A bottleneck is a resource whose capacity is equal to or less than the demand placed on it. A non-bottle neck is the opposite where capacity is greater than the demand. Including those two aspects into our analysis of the plant, Jonah says that instead of balancing the flow of a product with market demand through the plant, the product should be balanced with the full capacity of the bottleneck. All we're doing is refocusing the manufacturing plant from market demand to the bottleneck."
