The application of the flexible production system to high-tech industries and services

Résumé du document

More than 20 years ago, Toyota revolutionized the production methods in the car industry due to its flexible production system called Toyota Production System. Originally called 'Just in Time Production', this system was built on the approach created by Sakichi & Kiichiro Toyoda and Taiichi Ohno. From this process philosophy, was originated the principle of the TPS. TPS set the basis for much of the 'lean production' movement that has dominated manufacturing trends. The main purpose of lean production, what we call here a flexible production system, is to eliminate waste. Toyota defined different types of obstacles such as muda, muri and mura. By eliminating waste, flexible production enables also to eliminate inefficiency of production systems by reducing costs, improving quality and reliability and speeding up the cycle.

Extraits

[...] Actually, there again, even if the implementation of a specific way of thinking and a real wish to meet frequent improvements are real in a high-tech company, the main problem would be to consider how to manage the continuity of the production lines. Would it be possible to stop directly production lines since volumes are far higher? And considering services, in restaurant services for example, would the chef of a restaurant or even a manager at a fast-food chain such as Mac Donald's (where products are produced through a kind of “production would stop preparing the other meals to focus only on a problematic one ? [...]

[...] Even if it is impossible to stop the production, it would be possible however to improve the means to discover malfunctions or defects. With visual indicators for example, you can figure out directly malfunctions, and then identify products you would have to work on later on. However, how can we define malfunctions in some domains such as transports for example? Would it be the decrease in customers' satisfaction? The delay of the trains? In this example, malfunctions would be seen at the end by the customers (only when the train arrives). [...]

[...] This wish to manage production depending on the demand is however already shared by high-tech industries and services. Thanks to the evolution of the technology, information is now widely diffused. Companies can know lot of valuable information, concerning the evolution of their sales, of their market, consumption trends, and so on. Considering market trends, companies tend to forecast evolution of demand, and then adapt their offer. Besides, as for the high-tech industries, some manufacturers tend to reduce their inventories. A great example is computer manufacturers who are progressively tending to act as car makers, assembling parts coming from other companies. [...]

[...] However it may be, to adopt a very high flexible production system, by producing only ordered pieces is more likely to be required for specific industries such as car industry. Indeed, it is common for cars to wait a certain period of time (several months) when you buy a model. On the other hand, it seems hard to conceive you would like to get a computer more than one month after your purchase. Not only because this product is already a kind of instant-purchase product, but also because technological progress encourage the launch of many line-ups all over the year. [...]

[...] The main purpose of lean production (and so what we call here flexible production system) is to eliminate waste. Toyota defined different types of obstacles such as muda, muri and mura. By eliminating waste, flexible production enables also to eliminate inefficiency from production systems: reducing costs, improving quality and reliability and speeding up the cycle times could be some of the consequences. The outstanding performance of the Japanese company, active in one of the most competitive market, is then again a perfect example of the benefits companies can get from these practices and encourage now the extension of flexible production in other sectors, even if these principles were at first mainly focused on industrial operations. [...]