Lean Processing
Lean processing is a manufacturing technique that integrates various tactical methods with an emphasis on eliminating wastage in the production while delivering quality products on time, low cost and at a greater efficiency. This process ensures all this by concentrating on wastage that originates from overburdening as well as in unevenness in workloads. Lean manufacturing was derived from a Japanese manufacturing industry and went on to be applied in Toyota Company. The main four goals and strategies of the lean manufacturing process includes improving quality of products, eliminating wastes, reducing time and reducing total costs. In order for an organization to survive in the competition in the world market, this four goals and strategies remain fundamental (Lefteri 234).
Capacity Planning
Capacity planning refers to the process through which the production capacity needed by an organization to meet changing needs and preferences for its products is determined. This process is very important as it helps the organization keep a good relationship with its customers. Any mismatch between the capacity of the organization and the demands of its customers leads to inefficiency. The inefficiency may lie into two namely; under-utilized resources or unsatisfied customers. Therefore, the main purpose of the capacity planning process is to minimize discrepancy hence enhancing efficiency. To increase the capacity of an organization, it is important to focus on introducing new techniques, increasing the number of workers and acquiring additional production facilities.
Inventory management
Inventory management refers to the process of overseeing and controlling the level of stock of an organization. It focuses on overseeing and controlling the ordering, storage and use of the stock within an organization to come up with finished products. In addition, it is concerned with replenishment lead time, asset management, carrying costs of inventory, inventory valuation and inventory forecasting among many others. Inventory management tries to balance all the competing requirements of inventory with an aim of enhancing optimal inventory levels. Optimal inventory levels entail a balance of stock levels such that there are no overstocks and understocks. This is enhanced by ensuring proper planning and control within the inventory management (Muller 36).
Quality assurance
Quality assurance is way of ensuring that an organization prevents mistakes or defects in manufactured products. In addition, it is also concerned with avoiding instances or problems especially when delivering solutions or services to the customers. Quality assurance is applied in production of physical products with an aim of identifying whether such products meet the required standards, specifications and requirements. Quality assurance involves the administrative and procedural activities that are injected in the quality system in order to fulfill the requirements and goals of a product, service or activity. Well-developed quality systems play a great role in enhancing the attainability of quality standards in production of goods and services (Lefteri 240).
Quality assurance has been developed within various organizations by focusing on techniques such as Total Quality Management, Six Sigma and Kaizen. Total quality management refers to the management technique of improving the ability of an organization to provide high quality products and services to customers on timely manner and at a very low cost. On the other hand, Kaizen is a management quality technique which focuses on enhancing quality among the workers of the organization through continuous improvement. It is designed to improve all the functions of the organization by involving employees. Finally, six sigma is a quality management technique that focuses on improving the quality of output by identifying and removing all the errors and variability in the production process. All this three management techniques are very vital within an organization that seeks to have a good quality assurance (Holmes 64).
Facilities location and design
Facility location refers to the correct placement of a manufacturing facility within a given region. Correct placement refers to putting a manufacturing facility to an area with sufficient access to all the customers, employees, transportation, market and raw materials among others. These factors of locating a manufacturing facility in an area are very vital for an organization for its commercial success as well as competitive advantage.
Facility design on the other hand refers to the process of fixing a manufacturing facility in a way that ensures smooth flow of work, material and information within the entire system. Proper design of a manufacturing facility is very vital within an organization as it leads to high levels of efficiency. It helps reduce raw material wastage, costs and time wastage within the production process.
Works Cited
Holmes, Ken. Total Quality Management. Leatherhead, England: Pira International, 1992. Print.
Lefteri, Chris. Making It Manufacturing Techniques for Product Design. 2nd ed. London: Laurence King Pub., 2012. Print.
Muller, Max. Essentials of Inventory Management. New York: AMACOM, 2003. Print.
