Increasing productivity and flexibility in manufacturing

2014 – This book is a collection of stories about change projects which were carried out by 16 (groups of) companies and their employees together with TNO.  It involves changes that aim to better equip these companies for the future. They have to be quick and agile, to raise productivity and increase flexibility, to apply chain and group innovation and to innovate continuously also by exploiting and developing the skills of employees.
The book is aimed at SME businesses and their employees in the first place. 

The stories from the companies are very different; in the introduction however general lessons are learned.

Firstly: you should involve your professionals in improvements, that really helps!

Secondly, that no difficult choices between improving performance and enhancing the attractiveness of work are needed: it comes together when operating in ways that are described in this book.

The innovation of production, whether automated or not, is primarily dependent on the knowledge, motivation, creativity and commitment of people, also in the implementation! In the epilogue, the instruments or tools that TNO offers to all involved in a production innovation in the manufacturing industry, are briefly described. They are: 

• Optimization supply chain;

• Reducing order lead time and reducing waste;

• Reducing the time needed for change over from one manufacturing order to another;

• Reducing disruptions to production and assembly

• Lean Order Processing

• Design reviews, modular product structuring, assembly-friendly design

• Assembly-friendly design;

• Work and test instructions

• Optimum design of process flow and work places

• 5S – order and neatness on the work floor

• Using employees more flexibly

And also is described what funding schemes are available for SME companies to cooperate with TNO

Reference
Bert Tuinzaad, Gu van Rhijn, Tim Bosch and Francel Vos. (2013). Increasing productivity and flexibility in manufacturing. Reduction of lead time and waste, in own factory and in supply chain. Smart product design and flexibility in organization and deployment of employees. ISBN978-90-5986-432-0. The book is attached.  
 
Themes: External cooperation, Flexible organization, SME, Working Smarter
Sector: High tech etc.
Source: report, cases

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