Throughput time control

Abstract

All recent improvements of significance in manufacturing operations have involved substantial reductions in production cycle times. The outstanding successes of Just-In-Time strategies are due primarily to much quicker deliveries from suppliers, shorter fabrication and assembly times and faster shipments to customers. Accelerating rates of change in product design and process technologies, coupled with more rapid market fluctuations and shorter product life cycles have spelled doom for many manufacturing companies unable to react promptly. Giants in trouble like General Motors show that no one is immune. A principal fallacy limiting the success of many companies, even those with fine modern computer-based planning and control systems, has been the strong belief that such systems can work well with any lead times. This paper presents the beneficial effects of better control (meaning reduction) of throughput times in all phases of planning, execution and control of manufacturing and shows how well-run companies are achieving such reductions.