Manufacturing Effectiveness 5: The Critical Factor of a System that is Easy to Control
The concept off ’tilting the playing field‘ as opposed to ‘pushing water up hill’ is a simple rule of thumb thathelps you understand the issues. Efficient operations involve the repeat of simple predictable tasks, whilst being ask to choose from a complex set of options of differing types invariably leads to ineffectiveness. Non of the texts I ever readshow any understanding of the control issues involved in badly designed production systems. Nor have most operations or company managers. Texts usually concentrate on the logistic implications of movement between work stations whilst ignoring the problems of controlling an uncontrollable system. The probable reason for that oversight is that production lines designed as badly as those in the example seem too incredible to be believed; however, experience across a number of manufacturing organisations attests to the fact that many of them have evolved systems that show all the worst characteristics described.