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Customization Index: Evaluating the Flexibility of Operations in a Mass
Customization Environment
-- Cliff Welborn
Mass customization efforts must be carried out in a manner that does not significantly
reduce operational efficiency. A key to this objective is deciding which manufacturing processes can be
used to customize a product. This paper develops and illustrates a quantitative index used to
evaluate process flexibility. The index is used by process designers as a guide to standardization
and customization strategies. This paper focuses on the ratios of Tooling Cost
(TC) and tool life, and Setup Cost
(SC) and production batch size as factors for the Customization Index
(CI). A single value is computed as the CI. This paper provides a quantitative template for categorizing processes
as flexible or inflexible. This categorization can then be used to determine the appropriate
manufacturing processes for mass customization modifications. The proposed methodology can be used by
process designers to classify manufacturing processes as targets for standardization efforts or targets
for customization efforts. This paper discusses the CI as applied to the processes to manufacture
an aluminum electric motor endplate. The CI was used by a large electric motor manufacturer.
© 2009 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Integrated Approach to Total Productive Lean Six Sigma (TPLSS) Implementation in a Manufacturing Industry
-- R M Nachiappan, N Anatharaman and N Muthukumar
In today's business environment, it is no longer good enough to be better than the competition
down the street or in the local market place. Each company must strive to meet and beat the best
from anywhere in the world. Manufacturing operations is one of the prime strategic functions of
any business. The effective World Class Manufacturing (WCM) tools being implemented in
the manufacturing system can control it. By this the manufacturing system performance will lead
the business to a world-class status. The integrated tool model called Total Productive Lean Six
Sigma (TPLSS) has been proposed by integrating the three major WCM tools: Total Productive
Maintenance (TPM), Lean Manufacturing (LM) and Six Sigma (SS), which are currently used in the
industries. Adopting these integrated TPLSS-WCM model will lead the manufacturing system performance
to a world-class level in a short time period with less investment. The integrated World
Class Manufacturing Performance Tools (WCMPT) has been implemented in the continuous line
(condom) manufacturing industry located in south India and the benefits have been explained in detail
with respect to the world class performance elements like productivity, quality, safety,
environment, delivery, morale, flexibility and cost.
© 2009 IUP. All Rights Resererved.
Integrated Vendor-Buyer Cooperative Model
with Multivariate Demand and Progressive Credit Period
-- S R Singh and Diksha
In the present study, the authors formulate an integrated supply chain model with
multivariate demand under progressive credit period for deteriorating items. This paper develops the
integrated models with the supplier's trade offer of credit, i.e., supplier offers a deal to the retailer that if
he settles the outstanding amount by first offered credit period, the supplier will not charge any
interest. If the retailer pays after this but before second credit period, then the supplier charges the
retailer on the unpaid balance. If the retailer pays after second credit period, then he will have to pay
interest more than in the first credit period. Demand rate depends upon the selling price as well as the
stock level available. Shortages are also taken into account. In the proposed model, all
increasing deterministic demands are discussed analytically, numerically and graphically in the
environment of credit period. This study aims at developing a two-echelon integrated buyer-vendor
relationship from the perspective of solving the problem of cost distribution among them.
© 2009 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Kaizen Philosophy: A Review of Literature
-- Jagdeep Singh and Harwinder Singh
The ultimate objective of manufacturing industries today is to increase productivity through
system simplification, organizational potential and incremental improvements by using modern
techniques like Kaizen. Most of the manufacturing industries are currently encountering a necessity to
respond to rapidly changing customer needs, desires and tastes. For industries, to remain competitive
and retain market share in this global market, continuous improvement of manufacturing system
processes has become necessary. Competition and continuously increasing standards of customer
satisfaction has proven to be the endless driver of organizations performance improvement. Kaizen refers
to continuous improvement in performance, cost and quality. Kaizen strives to empower the
workers, increase worker satisfaction, facilitates a sense of accomplishment, thereby creating a pride of
work. It not only ensures that manufacturing processes become leaner and fitter, but eliminate waste
where value is added. Kaizen by now is a widely discussed, and applied manufacturing philosophy,
in a variety of industries across the globe. This paper discusses different articles that have
been published in this field and presents a review of literature.
© 2009 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Case Study
P&G's Logistics Revolution: Co-Creating Value
-- Sai Prasanna Ragu
© 2008 IBS Case Development Centre. All Rights Reserved.
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