The New Manufacturing Challenge: Techniques for Continuous Improvement -By Kiyoshi Suzaki
I read this book for training at work. I highly recommend it. Too often business books read like a technical journal. The New Manufacturing Challenge is an easy read. On with the questions:
1. What new insights were gained as a result of reading the book (article, essay, post, etc.)?
- Not much truly new, “after all,” the author states, “90 percent of improvement comes from common sense” (19).”
- What is new or unique may be that given the technical nature of the subject, lean manufacturing, the book is an easy read equally valuable for the novice and expert alike. Suzaki provides several examples in each chapter written in plane English; not boring, laborious case studies.
- Two quotes that were new and enlightening:
“simplify, combine, and eliminate are three basic steps toward improvement” (p. 180).
“If we are observant, housekeeping often tells us more about the company than any financial statement” (p. 26).
2. What old insights were confirmed, abolished, or questioned as a result of reading the book?
- I began my professional career in a small large part custom plastic injection molding facility in the office furniture industry. As a production supervisor I was dismayed by two production lines. Each line made the same type of product, but one had automation to insert a bracket into a slot, and screws into threaded inserts, whit a conveyer to move the parts. On the other line, the operator used a rubber mallet to insert the bracket and a manual Yankee screwdriver to add the screws. The automated line required the same number of operators and twice the the floor space of the manual line. The automation would malfunction three to four times a shift (or more) requiring a maintenance technician to fix. The manual line was faster, required less floor, and no extra maintenance. The $90 Yankee screwdriver did need replaced once or twice a year. There was no distinguishable difference in product quality between the two lines. The automated line was perhaps more ergonomic, but it is debatable. Suzaki ran into this type of situation too as he describes, “I have seen too many robots, automated warehouses, conveyors, and miscellaneous expensive automated equipment wasted in their application. Some people make the mistake of thinking that advanced manufacturing technology will cure all the problems of manufacturing” (235). It would be prudent to apply creativity before attempting to solve a problem with automation.
- When beginning anything, especially improvement efforts, it is important for the first few projects to be easy wins. Suzaki explains, “In selecting the initial project, however, we want to choose one with a high probability of achieving success over a relatively short time period so that confidence will develop quickly. Also, we want this project to be highly visible to others since we want to share the success by boosting people’s morale as much as possible” (238).
- It is a bit of a cliche to say people are the number one asset of an organization. I’ve actually been persuaded otherwise by other authors. I’ve been somewhat conflicted internally. My undergrad degree is in Human Resources so I am naturally predisposed to believe the best in the shop floor worker. But, rarely have I seen a company that actually treats the shop floor employee like they were the greatest asset. Suzaki has helped me see the light. He blames Taylor scientific manufacturing for creating an environment in which “highly trained industrial engineers may be rewarded financially because they have academic degrees, but operators who are actually closest to production activities are neither encouraged to use their practical knowledge to improve work techniques nor financially compensated when they do so”. Understanding the environment in these terms, it is easy to see how an organization’s greatest asset remains largely untapped. Organizations that can tap into this resource will have a huge competitive advantage over organizations who do not.
- Suzaki claims the argument for economies of scale is false. Large companies with centralized, rigid management structures are less efficient than smaller, flexible organizations because, “In a centralized organization, a multilevel approval process causes delays in taking appropriate action. Management and staff seem to be governed by their own self-interest, thereby losing touch with their customers. Internal political struggles are common, and stagnation and bureaucracy hinder innovation and improvement efforts” (223).
- In a world that values latest, most versicle equipment, it is somewhat counterintuitive, but Suzaki points out that the multipurpose super machine may actually hinder the product flow and be more costly than several smaller dedicated machines. Further, “Just as a multipurpose super machine may not fit well into an efficient manufacturing system, a large multipurpose supplier may not be as appropriate as a production system dedicated to the manufacturer in the supplier’s factory” (p. 198). I am struggling how to apply this, especially in the medical device industry where the multipurpose super machine is required to produce many of the geometrically complicated parts. It is an idea I will exploer further.
3. How does the book compare/contrast with other books or current events?
- On page 245Suzaki lists what can best be described as process improvement norms. Two items that have me thinking are to have a “bias toward experimentation” and a “tolerance for failure.” It reminds me of skateboarding as a kid, “if your not crashing, your not trying hard enough” (unknown). These themes are current in my organization, and in recent posts I’ve read on leadership and management blogs (see Seth’s Blog: “is it worthy” for one).
- This book does not show its age. For organizations that have not successfully taken the Lean journey, it is just as current today as it was in 1987.
4. Are there any other points of interest not already mentioned?
- No.
Posted on May 14, 2009 at 1:55 pm by Brian R. Nichols · Permalink
In: Book/Article Reviews · Tagged with: lean
In: Book/Article Reviews · Tagged with: lean